American Legion Riders October 2026 Update

Every September tens of thousands of motorcyclists from all over the United States descend on the Lake of the Ozarks. 2026 was the 20th anniversary of Bikefest and the event was bigger than ever. Needless to say, this is one of the highlights of our area’s calendar. The riders of ALR Chapter 202 joined 125,000-150,000 of our best friends for a week of exploration, fun, and fellowship.

In addition to hanging out on the strip, enjoying the hospitality, and spending far too much money at the vendor tents, this year we got a chance to participate in the Zack Wheat ALR Chapter 624 veterans memorial ride with a parade lap around the Ozarks International Raceway. 500 riders formed a seven mile long procession and were escorted by the Lake Ozark police department as they paid tribute to everyone who was killed or wounded in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Not everyone who wanted to was able to participate in Bikefest, but fortunately there was more than enough local riding to keep people busy. We tried to beat the extreme heat with ice cream runs, early morning breakfast rides, and afternoon dinner trips, but there was no getting around the fact that September was incredibly hot, leading to us only logging 5,583 miles for the month. This total even included a bit of gravel as we recruited our former director Mike McGuire to join in an adventure bike ride in preparation for Adventure Palooza which was to have been held September 24-26 in Mexico, Missouri. Sadly, the organizers were mistaken on the permitting process and the event was cancelled at the last minute. We hope that it returns next year and that even more Legion Riders will experience the joy of dirt road riding.

As hard as it is to believe, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., making the Patriot Day memorials even more poignant. Our riders participated in the Tipton Veterans Memorial Commemoration, escorted the Global War on Terror travelling wall, and rallied to provide a last minute honor guard at Jacksonville Cemetery. We also supported Blacksheep Squadron, Band of Brothers, VFW, and Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association meals, events and poker runs. Conversely, we were on the receiving end of support from of fellow veterans’ service organization when AmVets Post 153 hosted our monthly Burger and Bike Night at their club house in Mokane. Altogether we spent $1,766 on food, donated $352, and volunteered 294.9 hours volunteering for charitable causes.

Upcoming fall events

Looking ahead, there are several upcoming events to put on your calendar. The next department wide ALR meeting will take place at fall conference at Lake of the Ozarks on October 23-25. That same weekend we will also participating in the annual bagger treats Halloween event and the drawing for the Military Edition Bad Boy Mower sponsored by Head Motor Company in support of the Mid-Missouri Fisher House. Save the date for our fall craft and vendor fair on November 7 and the Moberly Veterans Day parade on November 14.

We would love to have you join us for any or all of these events and look forward to seeing you all out on the road.