New road closures in effect for Friday the 13th biker rally in Port Dover, Ont.

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 8:33 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 13

The lone Friday the 13th of the twelvemonth is coming up this week and for Port Dover, Ont., that means the instrumentality of the celebrated biker rally. 

Since 1981, the accepted thrust connected each Friday the 13th draws thousands of bikers to Port Dover, with visitors coming successful from crossed North America. 

According to the Norfolk County website, roadworthy closures volition statesman Thursday astatine noon and proceed until 4 a.m. Saturday. Main Street volition beryllium closed, on with Nelson Street W., portion of Greenstock Street W., and portions of different streets that intersect with Main Street downtown. The municipality and organizers person shared an lawsuit representation showing what volition beryllium closed and wherever radical tin park. 

For the archetypal time, St. George, Walker and St. Andrew streets volition beryllium for motorcycle postulation only. "If you unrecorded connected these roads and request to leave/return location for the duration, delight dainty these roads arsenic one-way, and crook onto the archetypal disposable broadside thoroughfare to question done town," Norfolk County said. 

The OPP is urging visitors to program up and beryllium diligent connected the roads. "In the adjacent fewer hours, it's not going to look thing similar this," said Const. Andrew Gamble successful a video posted to X aboriginal Friday morning. "It is going to beryllium jam-packed present successful the downtown area, and we bash request everyone to support information apical of caput today."

Co-organizers, The Port Dover Kinsmen, volition supply a shuttle autobus from a parking batch retired of town. On Facebook, the enactment said it expects up to 200,000 visitors to the municipality of astir 8,000. In an interrogation with CBC News Const. Gamble said it's "possible that we spot record-breaking crowds. We bash cognize that connected an event-to-event basis, truly what dictates the larger crowds is the clip of twelvemonth and the upwind conditions. And it's a cleanable period and it's going to beryllium cleanable upwind truthful we cognize that we could spot good northbound of 100-thousand people."

The rally volition diagnostic concerts starting Thursday astatine 7 p.m., and Friday astatine 11 a.m., including by Tragically Hip, Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses screen bands. 

Sgt. Ed Sanchuk of the OPP added that visitors should "give yourself other time, space, and region betwixt yourself, different motorcyclists, and vehicles" and "if you're anticipating getting here, taking a speedy circuit around, and heading out—it volition instrumentality an extended play of time," helium said.

This volition beryllium the lone Friday the 13th successful 2025, with 3 coming successful 2026. OPP officers were already connected the crushed this week with visibility patrols and video information reminders for attendees.

Police punctual bikers to 'share the roadworthy safely'

In a June 6 quality release, the Norfolk County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said astir radical attending the events are motorcycle enthusiasts looking to person fun. Still, helium said, constabulary volition beryllium much contiguous than accustomed successful Port Dover successful the involvement of "traffic safety."

The detachment said "outlaw motorcycle pack members" volition apt beryllium successful attendance and that wearing gang-related covering tin summation the hazard of being targeted by rival groups. 

Residents should besides beryllium mindful of rules astir wherever they tin parkland and devour alcohol, constabulary said. They besides warned that airspace implicit the municipality's downtown volition beryllium closed to forestall conflicts with drones. 

"Motorcyclists and different drivers are reminded to stock the roadworthy safely, peculiarly with the higher postulation measurement expected implicit the weekend," OPP said. 

"If you've consumed intoxicant oregon drugs oregon a operation of the two—you're not getting connected that motorcycle," said Gamble. "Traffic information is everyone's responsibility."