The Thunder Valley Rally will return to Riverfront Park in Cottonwood on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15 and 16, to present a weekend of live music and motorcycles.
The rally started as a poker run with free concerts at the Stargazer Pavilion at Cliff Castle Casino before developing into a full motorcycle and music festival drawing people from across the country.
Initially attracting about 1,000 motorcycle riders, the festival now sees between 3,000 and 4,000 guests each year.
Beginning in 2010, when the casino laid off a number of employees and was unable to staff the event following the Great Recession, the city of Cottonwood stepped in to revive the rally in partnership with the casino. The city took over the festival as the sole sponsor in 2012.
This year’s event will feature a poker run for charity hosted by the American Legion Riders from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Proceeds will fund a scholarship program for local youth sports.
The Friday-night headliner will be Stephen Pearcy, the vocalist of the 1980s metal band RATT. Saturday’s headliner will be Quiet Riot, a heavy metal band that has been touring since the 1970s. A complete stage schedule with a list of the festival’s opening acts can be found on the TVR website.
Past headliners have included other metal bands and classic rock favorites such as Foghat, Molly Hatchet and .38 Special, in keeping with the event’s theme of motorcycle and metal culture.
Saturday’s festivities will include a bike show. Judging will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 4 p.m. The winner will be featured in “Smokeshow,” a biker magazine.
The Law Tigers, a group of motorcycle-riding lawyers, will be hosting the Miss TVR Pin Up and Biker Babe competition on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Main Stage Bar. Girls can compete for the title of Miss TVR 2023. Contestants should embody classic biker babe style while demonstrating a fun, kind and positive personality.
A free shuttle service will be available. For more information, visit thundervalleyrallyaz.com.
