Atlantic Beach Bike Week kicks off
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Friday marked the start of Memorial Day weekend as well as the 2024 Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival — also known as Atlantic Beach Bike Week.
Bikers started rolling in for this year’s Bike Fest between 29th and 32nd Avenues South, where there were sweet refreshments, merchandise and many motorcycle enthusiasts, some of which have been riding for decades.
Alongside the different vendors, the NAACP also had a tent. The president of the Myrtle Beach Branch of the NAACP, Tiffany Andrews, said they’ve met with the police chiefs from Little River down to Georgetown over the past couple weeks to ask how they could help.
Andrews said whether you’re a biker or a visitor in town for the holiday weekend, they’re handing out bottles of water to say “welcome, be safe, stay hydrated, spend money and come back again next year.”
“We wanted to make sure we had a concentrated effort. In previous years, you would’ve seen NAACP members walking the Boulevard because there was more oversight that was needed during that time,” she said. “But the sentiments of this area have changed since then, so with that being said, it was important for us to be nimble because sentiments have changed.”
For those planning to drive down Highway 17, you’ll see orange cones and road barriers outlining the right lane starting at 37th Avenue South. North Myrtle Beach said that’s to help separate the motorcycles and cars and avoid any potential crashes.
The road dividers are also preventing U-turns and many left turns, so the state Highway Patrol encourages those driving this weekend to stay alert.
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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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