Poker Run adds 6th stop; honors late founder

The 44th Annual Key West Poker Run, Sept. 15-18, features an additional card stop, collectible memorabilia and a $10,000 cash grand prize. This year only, T-shirts and pins will display a commemorative insignia honoring Poker Run’s founder, Phil Peterson, who died shortly after last year’s event.

More than ten-thousand motorcycle riders are expected to make the trip down the Overseas Highway. Organized by Peterson’s Harley-Davidson Dealerships of South Florida and Key West Sunrise Rotary, with the help of Rotary Clubs throughout the Florida Keys, all Poker Run profits are donated to the Diabetes Research Institute and Rotary scholarships.

Poker Run begins on Thursday with sign up at both Peterson’s Harley-Davidson locations in Miami and all Florida Keys stops: Gilbert’s Resort and Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill in Key Largo, Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada, Island Fish Company in Marathon, Boondocks on Big Pine Key and the Conch Republic Seafood Poker Run Welcome Center in Key West.

On Thursday night, the 10th Annual Bike Week Bar Stroll and Upper Duval Crawl starting at the Southernmost Beach Café opens the Key West festivities followed, on Friday, by the Duval Street party and vendor village, the H.O.G. Roast Welcome Party at the Schooner Wharf Bar and the Sunset Arts Festival at Mallory Square.

The Duval Street party and the arts festival continue on Saturday, along with the 22nd Annual Blessing of the Bikes at Indigenous Park and the Schooner Wharf Paradise Tattoo Contest. Two Friends Patio Restaurant hosts a Biker Brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Rick’s Bar and Durty Harry’s Bike Show, sponsored by Road Rage Magazine, includes a special competition category on sound quality and metered sound pressure. More than 100 entries are expected with the Harley-Davidson touring categories judged more on model than type. Bike Show registration is $30 beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Duval and Greene streets.

Bikers who purchase and display a parking band on their right-hand mirror may park in designated areas on Duval, Caroline and Greene streets on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. Parking bands are $5 with a poker hand or $10 from Key West Sunrise Rotarians on Duval Street.

At 11 p.m. on Saturday at Rick’s Bar, cash raffle winners will be announced and awards given for the Farthest Traveled and the Oldest Official Poker Run T-shirt. And then, holders of the 10 best poker hands from the entire Poker Run play a one-hand showdown of Texas Hold ‘em for the grand prize of $10,000.

The full Poker Run schedule is available at www.petersonsharley.com. Owners are urged to ride responsibly and obey Florida muffler and noise laws.

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