Sebring Bike Fest
Sebring is a beautiful location to have any kind of event; be it a car race, boat races, or biker parties. Nestled in Highlands County, Sebring is known for having a circle in the middle of the town! Sebring is nicknamed, “The City on the Circle” in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District AND home to the 2016 Sebring Bike Fest!
Lora Todd, a long-time friend of the Born To Ride Family, is one of the event coordinators for this event! I had the honor of speaking with her about the April 15-17 event and am excited to share it with you today!
Lora: We started planning this event October of last year. I went to a redevelopment conference in Miami that focused on redeveloping local communities.
A few years ago, we had a motorcycle event. It hadn’t happened in a while and many people missed it. So, the Chamber of Commerce sent out a survey asking how the past biker event impacted local business. It really impacted local business here; I think 87% said that biker event impacted their business on a positive note. So we decided to start a new bike fest. Hence, the Sebring Partnership was born. We’ve had several events that have been very successful so far. Now adding to our events list is this bike fest!
Susan: What kind of events will be taking place at the Sebring Bike Fest?
Lora: Born To Ride has been very instrumental in helping us get the word out. We are having a Born To Ride Bike Show, Fran Haasch has been very instrumental in helping support this event by bringing in the Bobby Friss Band on Saturday night. In addition to Bobby Friss, we will be having other local bands for your listening and dancing pleasure.
We are building on what other bike events have had including a fabulous poker run. We have a motorcycle drill team coming in, a stunt riders show, and some really good vendors are attending as well.
Susan: We’ve got Bobby Friss, great vendors, and events. Are there any local charities that you want to mention that will benefit from this event?
Lora: We are bringing awareness to a few organizations in Sebring that are in desperate need; there is a Children’s Museum that needs an $80,000 roof renovation. We have the Champion for Children’s Foundation; a Children’s Theatre that is right on our circle, a Sweet Shop, Habitat for Humanity and others.
Susan: So, tell me about your background, Lora. You’ve done a lot in the biking community including the former Run to the Heartland event from a few years ago.
Lora: Well, for the last three years I’ve owned a business in downtown Sebring called Dog Town USA. It was my dog, Levi, who has been my biggest influence and inspiration. People love to spoil their pets so I’ve given them a place to do just that.
Downtown Sebring has truly evolved. I was involved with the community redevelopment agency. They have really made downtown Sebring beautiful. They have done a lot of things to improve Sebring. Empty buildings are now being rented out to new businesses and redeveloped because of our Community Redevelopment Agency grants (CRA). We want downtown to be a beautiful place to have events. It’s coming along great! Our downtown is just impressive! We had our 12 hours of Sebring event at Sebring International Raceway, and what a great a way to show off our city. People who haven’t been here are going to see a lot of changes here! I can’t wait for everyone to see this.
Susan: What is your position with the Sebring Partnership?
Lora: I am their coordinator. The partnership is made up of people from the City, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourist Development Agency. There’s a lot of local folks who have a lot at stake here. They have a lot involved. It’s been a really good outlet for all of us.
Susan: Tell me about the Circle in Sebring.
Lora: It’s called Circle Park. All of the streets that come off that circle are like spokes from a wheel. That’s where the Sebring Bike Fest is going to be held. It’s one of the few Circle Points in the state of Florida. Most have squares. This has been a real pleasure working with the city of Sebring. For example, they have a redevelopment committee that sponsors sculpture projects. Artists come from all over the United States to this event. I think people coming to the bike fest are going to be pleased with the changes to downtown Sebring. So many businesses have filled up! It will give everyone an opportunity to visit all the bike vendors and the businesses here as well.
Susan: What else will be going on?
Lora: We start the event on Friday at noon. There will be bands playing Friday and Saturday. Social media is very helpful. There hasn’t been a motorcycle event for three years now. People have been calling me asking if there is anything going on. And that’s a real testament to having this event; people want to come out and be a part of something fun.
Susan: Speaking of social media, tell me why you chose to work with Born To Ride?
Lora: Ron Galletti has been a real blessing. I called him awhile back when we received the statistics from the survey. People wanted an event. We discussed a good time to have this event and Ron suggested to have it prior to Leesburg. Both Ron and Debbie, and the kids, are people who I’ve missed over the years. They are a delight to meet and get to know. Ron and his family have been instrumental at Sebring in terms of the biker community.
Susan: Any last words, Lora?
Lora: I would like to tell people to come back and re-visit us. We are going to get the party started on April 15. I know that’s tax day; what better way to start the day off by putting your taxes in the mail and getting on the bike and coming out to Sebring to see us! We just really look forward to having everyone come back and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and beauty of Sebring. We have a fabulous poker run, great entertainment, and look forward to welcoming everyone back here. Right now, check us out on Facebook. We will be posting items of interest about our event on our Facebook page.
Susan: Thank you, Lora, for the great interview! All of us at Born To Ride look forward to seeing you at the Sebring Bike Fest!
Susan Hurst
What: Sebring Bike Fest
When: April 15-16
Where: Sebring Circle
Phone: 863-381-6467
Web: Facebook – Sebring Bike Fest
