Inaugural Smoky Mountain Rumble Set for August 2012

After much debate and consideration, the Town of Franklin Tourism Development Authority unanimously voted in July to begin work on the Smoky Mountain Rumble, and to hire Social AXE Marketing to promote and manage the event.

During the past several years Macon County has witnessed an influx of motorcycle tourism, as it serves as a scenic passage to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the mountain roads of Western North Carolina.

The TDA plans to capitalize on Macon County’s role as a motorcycle corridor, and by holding a three-day biker rally, it hopes to establish Franklin as a biker destination.

The inaugural SMR is scheduled for August 17-19, 2012. The town of Franklin plans to block off several streets downtown where motorcycle specific vendors will be set up, as well as live bands during the day on the downtown stage.

TDA Chairman Candy Arvey noted that there were no events planned on the Chamber of Commerce event calendar for that month of 2012.

“All of our musical events will be held downtown at the gazebo and will be free to the public,” said Arvey

TDA members stressed that the goal of the event is to bring in the motorcycle tourist to Frankln and the surrounding area. “We want to make the economy stronger here in Macon County and we know the rally would attract business,” said Arvey. “They are already coming here and have been coming through here for a while now.”

“People may look down upon bikers and what they stand for,” Arvey continued. “They may think of them as rough or those who cause trouble, but that’s not what we’re promoting. We know that they’re spenders. They are lawyers, doctors and good people. You’re going to have your few that raise Cain and cause an uproar, but we have that now, we have it locally.”

(excerpted from the Macon News)