Daytona Beach says no to outdoor vendors at Biketoberfest

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona Beach City Commission said no to outdoor vendors for this year’s Biketoberfest.

Biketoberfest brings in over 100,000 people to the area and city officials say they are worried about the potential public health risk because of the coronavirus.

Ed Kastrul, owner of Midwest Motorcycle who just came back from the motorcycle rally in Sturgis said, “A huge portion of our customers in Sturgis planned on attending the Biketoberfest rally, and since the city has announced they are cancelling Biketoberfest we have lost 80% of motorcycle rentals.”

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Biketoberfest isn’t outright canceled this year. Hotels, restaurants and shops will be open, however, the Daytona Beach City Council decided against issuing permits for outside vendors due to possible health risks.

Mayor Derrick Henry says bikers can and will still come to Daytona Beach but hopes fewer will show up if there are no outside vendors.

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Henry says, “We’ve embraced it in the past, we will embrace it again when the time is right. The time is not right.”

Many of the businesses on Main Street say they are heading into their slow season and they’ve been struggling already and without this event they can be hurting even more.

Biketoberfest brings an estimated $15 million to the area.

Cox Media Group