Surfside Beach
Chalk one up for the citizens who oppose the bike rallies.
The Surfside Beach Town Council banned all vendor permits during bike week for the next two years at a council meeting held Tuesday July 10. The ban includes all vendor sales, but does not prohibit the sale of tent or banner permits.
Tent permits are okays given to local businesses hoping to hold special discount sales outside; banner permits are sold to businesses who hope to welcome bikers with a custom message (In example, Mama’s Ribs & Things Welcomes Bikers!)
According to official Surfside Beach city records, during the first Harley bike week, the Town sold five tent permits totaling $100 and 12 banner permits totaling $240. The biggest chunk of revenue came from eight vendor permits totaling $4,000. Three Surfside businesses bought the eight permits.
Jammin’ Leather on Hwy. 17 in Surfside bought three vendor permits. It’s one of the few spots in Surfside where bikers frequent en masse. One of the vendors Jammin’ Leather invites is the Red Cross.
According to numerous bikers, Surfside, which covers only approximately two square miles of land, is mainly a throughway and rarely a gathering spot. The nearby biker hangouts Suck Bang Blow is in Murrell’s Inlet and the Harley Davidson shop on Hwy. 17 is in Myrtle Beach.
The ban prohibits vendor sales only during the two Harley weeks. No action was made for vendor sales during the Memorial Day rally.
