City of Knoxville Mayor Haslam, county officials and representatives from the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation announced today that Knoxville has been chosen to host the 2007 Harley Owners Group® CLUB H.O.G. Down Home 24th Annual Rally which will take place at Knoxville's Chilhowee Park, August 23-25, 2007.
"We're delighted that the Harley Owners Group® has selected Knoxville as the site of its 2007 National H.O.G. Rally," said Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. "Harley riders come from all walks of life and are united by their passion for riding the quintessential American machine. We're looking forward to welcoming them to town next August."
"Knoxville will see a substantial impact from next summer's National H.O.G. Rally. We are expecting more than 15,000 attendees and an economic impact of approximately $16.2 million," said Gloria Ray, KTSC President and CEO.
The National H.O.G. Rally will feature events mostly for registered H.O.G. member attendees only, but the local community will be invited to attend the "Early Bird Party" on August 23 at the Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson & Buell dealership in Maryville, Tenn.
Additionally, on August 26, the Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson & Buell dealership will attempt to break its Guinness World Record Burn Out with more than 213 motorcycles doing simultaneous burn outs on the grounds of the dealership.
"H.O.G. members should be prepared to arrive early and stay late to experience all of the scenery and unique events over the weekend of the rally," said Joe Dowd, manager of the H.O.G. Event Team. "Steeped in Americana and Smoky Mountain lore, Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains offer some of the best motorcycle riding in the country," said Dowd.
Mayor Haslam & Gloria Ray from Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation
poses with a few local members of the Harley Owners Group® Harley-Davidson established the Harley Owners Group® in 1983 in response to a growing desire by Harley riders for an organized way to share their passion and show their pride. H.O.G. currently has more than one million members and more than 1,400 chapters worldwide, making it the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world.
The bulk of the rally's three-day events will take place in Chilhowee Park located at 3301 Magnolia Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37914.
