Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary To-Do List

Lucas Cooney
by Lucas Cooney

Things to see and do around Milwaukee during Harley-Davidson's anniversary celebrations

The motorcycle party of the year, Harley-Davidson‘s 110th Anniversary celebration, is coming up at the end of August. If you are lucky enough to be heading to Milwaukee to take it all in, we’ll do our best to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Harley-Davidson Museum

Any fans of Harley-Davidson or motorcycle history in general should have a visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum on their bucket list. Located on 20 acres of land along the Menomonee River, this is the place to dive headfirst into Harley-Davidson’s rich history.

From the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, known simply as Serial Number One, to WLA models used by the military in World War II to the V-Four powered Nova prototype, the Harley-Davidson Museum chronicles 110 years of the American Motor Company.

For a more in-depth look at the Harley-Davidson Museum, check out a feature we wrote on the museum earlier this year.

Music

If live music is your thing, Milwaukee is the place to be during the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary celebrations. Harley-Davidson has secured more than 60 acts to perform on five stages from August 29-31 at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds).

Whether you are into classic rock, country, hip hop or anything in between, you are bound to find something to tap your feet to. Toby Keith, Aerosmith and Kid Rock headline the action each night, but music starts at 1pm every day.

Click here to see a list of everybody playing during the celebrations.

H.O.G. 30th Celebration

The Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is celebrating 30 years of membership with a celebration of its own on Thursday, August 29.

H.O.G. members get exclusive early access to select live entertainment during the 110th Anniversary celebrations, as well as a host of other activities. Watch 30 pre-qualified H.O.G. members put on a dazzling motorcycle skills competition, try to win a new 2014 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with the members-only MDA bike raffle, or take part in a New Orleans-style walking parade around the Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee.

Other H.O.G. activities and benefits include a chapter parade of flags, two member-only lounges, members-only merchandise, and much more.

Click here for more information on the Harley Owners Group activities.

UFC ® 164 Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown

Perhaps you like your live entertainment to be a little more physical in nature? If so, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has joined the celebrations with a stacked fight card on Saturday, August 31.

Dubbed the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown, the lightweight title will be on the line as Benson “Smooth” Henderson defends the gold against the last man to beat him – Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Pettis is one of the most exciting fighters on the planet and is eager to wrap the UFC gold around his waist. A heavyweight tilt between Frank Mir and Josh Barnett co-headlines the card.

Ten more fights will also take place, including two featherweight battles with title implications between Chad Mendes and Clay Guida and Erik Koch and Dustin Poirier.

Visit UFC.com for more information or to buy tickets.

Harley-Davidson Factory Tour

Any motorcycle enthusiast would love to see how a Harley-Davidson gets made. To do this, simply head over to the Harley-Davidson factory for a free tour.

You can be among the first to see the new 2014 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and even take one for a 10-minute demo ride.

Click here for more information on Harley-Davidson factory tours.

Pabst Brewery Tour

Besides motorcycles, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Milwaukee is beer. You can celebrate everybody’s favorite hopped beverage by taking a tour of the Pabst Brewery.

Pabst is the largest American-owned brewery and offers more than 30 different beers in its portfolio. From Pabst Blue Ribbon to Old Milwaukee to Schlitz to Stroh’s, chances are you’ve enjoyed more than one beer made by Pabst Brewing Company.

Tours are available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 2pm and 4pm and Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1pm and 2pm. Only $8 gets you in the door, and that includes a frosty beer. Click here for more information.

Iron Horse Hotel

The Iron Horse Hotel calls itself the industry’s first upscale hotel geared for business travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts. For motorcycle travelers, it’s hard to think of a better place to stay or visit while in Milwaukee for the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary celebrations.

Beyond its 100 loft-style guest rooms, the Iron Horse Hotel offers on-site motorcycle parking with a limited number of covered spots and rag bins. The secured one-way-in, one-way out parking lot also has a bike wash station, on-call maintenance, service and motorcycle rentals. Even domestic and international motorcycle shipping is available.

Inside the rooms you’ll find features designed with bikers in mind, like tile entrances with custom hooks designed to hold heavy leathers and a bench for removing and storing boots and helmets.

Visit TheIronHorseHotel.com for more information.

Lucas Cooney
Lucas Cooney

More by Lucas Cooney

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