Staff Reports
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BRIDGEPORT, ALA. – Motorcyclists from across the Nation will come together on September 20, 2024, for a scenic ride from Cherokee, NC, to Bridgeport, AL, to honor Native American Indians. Now in its 31st year, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride travels from the Home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, NC, with a stop at Ross’ Landing in Chattanooga, TN, at about 1:30-2:00 and will be joined by riders from all over the nation to continue from there at 3:00 pm EDT to Downtown Bridgeport AL. Along with the celebratory ride, there is a kick-off rally in Bridgeport on Friday the 20th and also a three-day Indian Festival in Waterloo for the public to take part in.
A kick-off rally offering children’s activities, live music, a street dance, a fireworks show, and other free family fun for the public to enjoy is scheduled in downtown Bridgeport on Friday, Sept. 20. Bikes will arrive from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation at 3:00 p.m. The official opening ceremony gets underway at 5:00 p.m. Music begins at 6 p.m. with Bottom Holler Band and slated to perform for the special 31st anniversary is Benny Carl and the Loose Lips Band from Nashville who will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. following the fireworks show.
The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® begins Saturday the 21st at the Alabama/Tennessee state line off U. S. Highway 72 in Downtown Bridgeport, with riders departing at 8 a.m. CST on Saturday, Sept.21. The ride travels U. S. Highway 72 West to I-565 West arriving at Redstone Harley-Davidson at approximately 10:30 a.m. for an official rest and lunch stop. The public is invited to welcome riders while enjoying lunch and special entertainment. At noon, riders will depart and head west through Florence, arriving in Waterloo at approximately 2:00 p.m.
The town of Waterloo will host a free Indian Festival September 20-22 in remembrance of all those who walked the Trail of Tears. Presented by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, the three-day event offers live music on Saturday afternoon and night, flute and drum music, and displays from Native American artisans and vendors. A River Walk Dedication Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. to honor those who experienced the forced journey, with the grand entry slated for 1 p.m. and bikes arriving around 2:00 p.m.
The ride is held rain or shine. For more information on the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride, including a map of the route and a schedule of events, visit https://trail-of-tears.webflow.io/the-ride/this-years-ride. Or like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Trailoftearsmotorcycle.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the voluntary or forcible removal of all Indians from the eastern United States to the state of Oklahoma. In 1838, the U.S. government hired wagon master J.C.S. Hood to transport 1,070 Native Americans by foot and wagon from Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to what is now Waterloo, Alabama. Much of the journey followed what is now U.S. Highway 72. Many Native Americans died in Waterloo, and others escaped into the hills. Today, area residents can trace their Native American ancestry to those who fled. As many as 4,000 deaths occurred because of this forced removal of civilized Native Americans from their rightful homes. In recognition of this removal process, the first Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride was organized in 1994 with approximately 100 riders participating and has grown to more than 10-15,000 riders each year!
A Ride continuation to Seminole, OK will leave from Spring Park in Tuscumbia at 8 am Sunday the 22nd
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