Still Riding Together

Bikes Off Broadway brings 25 years of fellowship, remembrance and one hell of a good time to Woodruff Park

By Monica Jones

It began on Broadway in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, when members of Columbus’ motorcycle community came together to honor those who had fallen and create a new space rooted in fellowship, remembrance and service.

Twenty-five years later, the name has changed and the gathering has moved a few blocks toward the river, but its reason for being has not.

Bikes Off Broadway returns Friday, September 11, and Saturday, September 12, for its second year at Woodruff Park. Presented by the Columbus Association of Motorcyclists, better known as CAM, the free two-day event will fill the riverfront with motorcycles, live music, food trucks, vendors, raffles and thousands of people from Columbus and across the Southeast.

Yes, it is a fundraiser. Yes, it carries an honorable mission. It is also one hell of a good time.

“The simplicity of it is the key,” organizer Joey Rucker said. “Fun things to look at, good things to eat, good things to drink, some good music to listen to. An environment where you can bring your grandbaby, your kids, your wife. You can wear your colors. There is no judgment, there is no issue, there is no problem.”

That formula has carried the event through different organizers, a few hiatus years and, most recently, a move away from the stretch of Broadway where it began. Changes to Columbus’ street-closure rules made it impossible to accommodate an event requiring hours of setup, two full days of activities and a late-night teardown. The city worked with organizers to find another location, and Bikes Off Broadway landed at Woodruff Park in 2025.

For longtime organizer Benny Downs, who has been riding motorcycles since the 1960s, leaving Broadway was bittersweet.

“I’d rather it have been up on Broadway again, because that’s where it originated,” Downs said. “But at least it is still downtown.”

And while Broadway remains part of the event’s history, Woodruff Park proved last year that the gathering does not depend upon a particular piece of pavement. Approximately 3,500 people passed through during its first year at the park.

“It’s more spacious than Broadway and has a lot of advantages,” Rucker said. “Woodruff Park is always a place that people look to see what’s going on. Well, we’ve got something going on.”

The riverfront setting provides more space, greater visibility and room for eight food trucks to line the Dillingham Street Bridge. Vendors will offer an assortment of goods and potential great finds throughout the park, while motorcycle displays, a bike show, activities, raffles and giveaways will keep things moving between performances.

The lineup offers a broad mix of local and regional music, including the classic rock that has long helped define the weekend alongside blues and other sounds. Every participating band donates its time to support the event and its mission.

At the heart of the weekend remains the 9/11 tribute. Christine Cole, who has sung the national anthem at the gathering since its beginning, will return once again this year. The ceremony serves as a reminder that beneath the motorcycles, music and revelry is an event born from remembrance—and sustained by people determined to take care of one another.

Today, CAM brings together 10 motorcycle clubs from across the area. The organization promotes motorcycle awareness and fellowship, but its foundational purpose is providing financial assistance to fallen riders and their families. CAM also supports the charitable work of its member clubs and contributes to community efforts including the Iron Cross Motorcycle Club’s Toys for Tots campaign.

Downs wants visitors to see that side of motorcycle clubs, particularly those who may only know them through old stereotypes.

“The misconception is that most motorcycle riders, if they ride in a group, are a gang,” he said. “They’re not gangs. Motorcycle riders don’t want to ride by themselves, so they join a club. These clubs have their own charitable organizations they ride for and donate to every year.”

Before CAM assumed responsibility for the event, the Southern Cruisers used proceeds to support Our House at Carpenter’s Way Ranch for boys and Anna Bella Home for girls. The beneficiaries may have changed through the years, but Downs said one principle has remained firm: money raised through the event stays here and helps people in this community.

“There are only two kinds of people who ride motorcycles: those who have fallen and those who still may fall,” Downs said. “They may need help, and that’s what we’re there for—to help them financially. If they go down and need help, they can reach out to us, and we’re more than happy to try.”

Fortunately, Rucker said CAM has not been called upon to provide that assistance as often lately. 

“That’s a very good thing, for obvious reasons,” he said.

One of Saturday’s signature events will give motorcycle riders an opportunity to experience Columbus from an entirely different perspective. Participants in the Riverwalk Ride will gather from noon–1 p.m. in a designated section of the National Infantry Museum parking lot, with kickstands up at 1.

Escorted by the Columbus Police Department Motor Squad with assistance from the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the approximately eight-mile ride travels along sections of the riverfront where motorized vehicles ordinarily cannot go. It takes roughly an hour to complete and ends at Woodruff Park. The suggested donation is $10 per person.

“You’re riding where you shouldn’t normally be riding, but it’s okay,” Rucker said with a laugh. “You see part of the river and part of the landscape that you otherwise don’t get to see from two wheels. It’s just fun.”

This year’s major raffle trades two wheels for four. CAM will give away an ATV, with the drawing scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday. Rucker believes the prize may have even broader appeal than last year’s motorcycle.

“If you’re a Harley owner, the idea of owning or buying anything else can feel like you’re cheating on your motorcycle,” he joked. “Having an ATV is kind of neutral territory.”

Whether visitors arrive on a Harley, a sport bike, a human-powered bicycle or four ordinary car tires, they will be welcomed. CAM has continued working to bring different corners of the riding community together, including the Columbus Biking Coalition and clubs representing a range of riding styles, backgrounds and traditions.

That inclusiveness extends well beyond motorcyclists.

“If you’re a biker, this is definitely for you,” Downs said. “If you’re not a biker, this is definitely for you. Everybody is invited.”

Bring a lawn chair, a blanket, the children, your friends and your pup. Wear the leather and chaps if your heart demands it—although I personally recommend waiting until the sun goes down.

Come for the motorcycles, stay for the music, eat something good and buy a raffle ticket while you are there. The location may be off Broadway now. The fellowship, the purpose and the party remain right where they have always been.

Bikes Off Broadway takes place from noon–11 p.m. Friday, September 11, and 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturday, September 12, at Woodruff Park, 1000 Bay Avenue in Columbus. Admission is free. 

*The Riverwalk Ride meets Saturday from noon–1 p.m. at the National Infantry Museum and departs at 1 p.m.; the suggested donation is $10 per rider. Follow the existing Bikes On Broadway page and the Columbus Association of Motorcyclists page on Facebook for updates.

*The music begins at 6 p.m. Friday with Seven Dollar Mule, followed by Dagger Tooth at 7 p.m. and GP-38 at 8 p.m. Giveaways begin at 8:45 p.m. before Dixie Red closes the first night with a set from 9:15–11 p.m.

*Saturday’s lineup begins at noon with Ava Boswell, followed by Tyler Guthrie at 12:45 p.m., Charles Tigner at 1:45 p.m., Barbarosa Jones at 2:45 p.m., The Active Ingredients at 3:45 p.m., Grundage at 4:45 p.m. and The Jack Banks Special at 5:45 p.m.

*A 9/11 tribute begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by Rare Breed at 7 p.m. and Spent at 8 p.m. The four-wheeler raffle drawing takes place at 9 p.m., and Tim O’Brian Project closes the weekend from 9:30–11 p.m.