This weekend I have gone to two different "Bike Festivals" one  the Cotee Rive River Bike Fest, about a 2 hour ride from home & the "West Coast Bike Fest" here in my home town of Bradenton, FL.
I hate to say it, but, I was board to death with both of them! Same old weekend bikers, same old vendors, same bands, same slightly out of shape wet T-Shirt contestants, same over priced beer.... Bike Week in Daytona lost it's thrill years ago.... So whats a guy todo?
Just Saying........

we do things a wee bit different here in Ireland. Hire a field and a pub and a marquee...stick up a sign.."no bike/no entry..a few trade stalls and a shitload of bands, one big band and a few up and coming bands. Its all a blast, very few weekend warriors in Ireland as our weather is so poor, so most of the people are riding all the time, we don't do festivals as such, there are only about 20,000 bikers here so everybody knows just about everybody else, and if a club puts on a poor event..they don't get support for their next one, so new and novel shows are always coming up....so, as to what to do Rockbottom, put on your rain gear and move here, or put on your own show and blow the feckers away.

Here, Here to the Cheese Steak!

I just pretend to be a dirty old man and chase the women around. (Ok, so I'm not pretending. But it's still fun)
And take lots of pictures.

Gday ...I was down in Victoria last week.At the moment down here we have a big patch club problem with shootings bombings and general testoserin fueled stupidity.. while blownin the froth of a couple od cold beers at my cousins farm, i heard a familiar rumble...About 2000 members of the rebels motorcycles club came roaring down the hume highway. Mind you they had alot of company, highway patrol cars punctuating the main line like little unwelcomed helpers. Oh and Victoria police's finest were taking aerial shots from their eye in the sky $7000 an hour of tax payers money well spent. So you mob might think your rallies have gone to the pack,ours are just a plain shit fight with under cover cops and amphed up patches throwing their weight around ...I tell ya what i'll take boring any day over this bull shit goin on down here..Cheers Boof

it's been a while since I found a "good" rally - most have become overcommercialized like Sturgis, a police trap like Myrtle Beach or just a waste of time - the ride to them & back is usually the best part. I have found it better to assemble your own gathering and have your own party - not nearly as wild, but at least you get to ride and party with friends.

The club that I rode with would post a BASH week end Date in the club news letter. 25 t0 50 show up and camp in a park or campground to Sunday noon. Just like the Ky M&G. Was great times with good people with nothing to prove. Miss them a bunch.

I hear you on that one. I went to the Sebring "Run to the Heartland" and it was pretty much the same old, same old. I don't care to just stand around drinking beers and ratchet jawing for a few hours just to get on the bike when I shouldn't be riding.
People watching can be kinda fun .. but you can only do just so much of that too.
I reckon the ride is more fun than the destination.

I agree 100%.  The couple rallies I did make it too this year (Redwood Run & Sturgis) were more about the ride and the people I was there with.  In both cases I spend absolutely no time in the vendor area...just couldn't imagine they had a chrome accessory, leatherwear, or silver jewelry I hadn't seen before.  I didn't event spend much time watching the bands or any of the other entertainment.  What I did enjoy the most at both was hanging around the camp with good friends, drinking beer and Jack, and just shooting the breeze, as well as the day rides we did with friends.

The redwood run was alot of fun this year and it was all about the riding and the people we camped near. Me and the Mrs. love to people watch, and bike rallies are great places for us to do this at, were also big fans of live rock music. All the other stuff at rallies i got tired of years ago. I cant even remember the last time i bought something at a rally from a vendor other than an event t-shirt.