Harley-Davidson has announced that it will celebrate its 120th birthday by launching a new annual Homecoming event in Milwaukee. The first four-day installment will take place July 13-16, 2023, across multiple area venues.
Until now, Harley has been hosting anniversary events every five years.
The most recent such party – the 115th anniversary – was held in 2018 and drew about 150,000 motorcycle riders to the birthplace of the Hog. According to Visit Milwaukee, those visitors brought along an estimated economic burst of $95 million.
“We invite everyone, riders, non-riders and fans around the world, to join us in Milwaukee next summer for the Harley-Davidson Homecoming where we will celebrate 120 years of our incredible brand,” said Harley-Davidson Chairman, President and CEO Jochen Zeitz in a statement.
“This will be the first in a series of unforgettable annual events in Milwaukee. Stay tuned for more details in coming months, and we look forward to celebrating with you in 2023.”
As always, expect a lot of music, a lot of food, a lot of beer and, of course, plenty of Harley and motorcycle culture.
Surely, the new Garage events space currently under construction at the Harley-Davidson Museum will see a lot of activity during the Homecoming.
In advance of the event, Harley has kick-started The Road to Harley-Davidson Homecoming Challenge, via which participants can earn badges and prizes and enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to Milwaukee for the Homecoming.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
