The Rumble of Freedom
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
August 7, 2026
Hear that rumble? It’s been growing in pitch for a couple weeks now. Motorcycles are weaving their way across South Dakota from all directions, and they’re all heading to the same place: Sturgis!
The 86th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is kicking off, and visitors are coming to South Dakota by literally the hundreds of thousands. On their way they’ll stop in our small towns, eat in our restaurants, fill up at our gas stations, and they’ll meet countless smiling South Dakotans thanking them for being here and encouraging them to come back next year.
That’s what I love most about the Sturgis Rally. Not the bikes and the roaring engines – though those sure are cool. Not the leather – beef is my preferred cow byproduct. Not even the concerts and the celebrations – those are a little over the top for my rancher sensibilities. I appreciate how South Dakotans give their all to welcome these visitors and make them feel at home.
I’ve been going to the Sturgis Rally for years, and I always find myself bonding with folks over one thing: freedom. Bikers come to Sturgis to get away from their everyday lives, to escape the mundane, and to be free. And that’s one way that bikers and ranchers are a lot alike – we both treasure our freedoms jealously.
In South Dakota, our people make our freedoms possible. South Dakotans are a cut above because they don’t look to someone else to solve their problems – and they certainly don’t look to the government. They get their hands dirty, get to work, and expect the government to defend their freedom to do so. And that’s how I lead every day.
Our previous Governor used to say, “South Dakotans are happy. They’re happy because they’re free.” And that happiness beams off their faces to welcome visitors, including bikers making their way to the Rally.
In South Dakota, the tourism industry is our second biggest economic engine, though I’ll never miss an opportunity to brag that agriculture is seven times bigger! But tourism is no slouch. Last year, nearly 15 million visitors traveled to and within South Dakota. They spent over $5 billion, and that money goes to the pockets of South Dakota families and small businesses. In fact, because of those expenditures (and the taxes that they pay), the average South Dakota family saves over $1,100 a year in taxes!
And tourism isn’t just keeping taxes lower for all South Dakotans – it’s directly responsible for putting food on the table for many South Dakota families. Tourism supports 59,000 jobs across the state.
To keep South Dakota Open for Opportunity, we need to keep our tourism industry strong. And that means we must continue to be a state that is welcoming to our visitors. So, smile at the bikers when you pass them in the gas station parking lot. Wave at them when you pass them on some of our two-lane rural highways. Keep in mind that many visitors are not here for the first time – they’re coming back to South Dakota because they’ve fallen in love with our state, just like you have.
People come to South Dakota for our landscapes, our history, and our way of life. But they also come here because they feel something different. They feel the freedom, the authenticity, and the pride we have in our state. And if we do our jobs well, they’ll take that spirit of freedom home with them. Then they’ll come back next year with more friends in tow, making the rumble of freedom just a little louder.
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