Went to DeLand's version of a bike week event this weekend. This event is fantastic. Why? Because the people who live in DeLand actually come out to the event and are nice to all the bikers in town. They don't call it "small-town hospitality" for nothing. The event is held in DeLand's Mainstreet-award-winning historic downtown. The restaurants and stores downtown were packed. There was a kid's zone and lots of vendors that weren't just selling motorcycle-related items. The DeLand Fire Department was there selling t-shirts (I don't know what the t-shirts said, but they were being hawked by cute, young firefighters. Enough said). There was the booth for the Journey's End animal rescue, where visiting bikers were practically lined up to drop a dollar in their donation basket. The local belly-dancing club was enjoying a lot of attention (can you say MILF?). I watched as big, burly biker guys gleefully filled bags with candy at the home-made candy shop.
Locals really turn out for the DeLand bike event. I took the kids along and we had lunch at Bellini's (best pizza in the world, you rock Scott!). I ran into my daughter's 2nd grade teacher, a school board member I know, several of Beloved's co-workers and a few friends. Thankfully, I did not see the Wicked Witch of Bike Week. Unless those were her feet sticking out from under the historic home on the busy corner of New York Ave. (One can dream).
If you've never visited DeLand, it is a must-see. Great people, beautiful city, small-town hospitality, a vibrant arts community, lots of mom-and-pop stores and restaurants. Bike week or not, it's fun year-round.
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