On Thursday afternoon, one could hear the sound of roaring engines and good conversation on Michigan Avenue in Baldwin. It marks the return of warmer weather, but also the 50th Annual Blessing of the Bikes.
“Speaking as a sheriff, this is usually the biggest weekend that that I have to deal with,” says Lake County Sheriff Rich Martin. “The biggest influx of people that come into the community. The biggest time for local businesses, for people to come in and partake and purchase their food, their services and so forth. So this is a big payoff for the community.”
The event, held the third Sunday in May, started in 1972 with four bikes and eight people. They gathered at St. Ann Catholic Church in Baldwin for a blessing to have a safe and happy riding season.
Now, thousands of riders gather at the Baldwin Municipal Airport to show off their bikes before the blessing on Sunday.
The blessing is organized by the Para-Dice Motorcycle Club of Grand Rapids. and raises money for St. Ann’s Senior Nutrition Program.
Sheriff Martin reminds riders and drivers alike of traffic being rerouted around the airport.
“We got motorcycles on each side and we have to have area law enforcement agencies, and other fire departments, to reroute traffic around the actual Village of Baldwin,” says Martin. “But it’s actually a sight to see if you’ve never seen it before. We have a tower one end where you can actually climb up and you can see all the bikes.”
And as always, drivers should look twice to save a life.
“Being a rider myself, I can tell you many times where people are just not looking,” says Martin. “You’re not dealing with a big school bus. You’re not dealing with a four-wheeled vehicle. You’re dealing with something that’s very small with two wheels. And most of the time people don’t see that. So take that extra time, make that extra look.”
Airport gates open at 9 a.m. and the blessing starts at 1:15 p.m. Admission is $5 a person.
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