Fall in Florida means never having to say you’re sorry — sorry for living in Florida, that is. Sure, there’s the occasional hurricane, but when it’s 85 degrees and sunny in late October, there’s nothing to complain about. I just returned from a great weekend at the Florida State HOG rally in Okaloosa Island/Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, the last state rally of the 2014 season.
Over a thousand riders were pre-registered, and numerous ride-ins –along with the aforementioned perfect weather — boosted attendance significantly.
The musical entertainment was top-notch, including Mustang Sally, Big Engine, and Bobby Friss. And Rock n’ Roll “Paintman” Dale Henry was all over the place — if you’ve never seen this guy, billed as a “performance speed painter,” he’s pretty incredible. Check out his website and Facebook page; his work is impressive. 
On a final note, this was Florida State Rally Coordinator Bruce Fuller’s 12th and final year in the position — for anyone who doesn’t know, HOG rally committee members are all volunteers, and it’s an extraordinary commitment of time and energy. For Bruce and all involved, it was an emotional farewell, and committee members surprised him with a cake at the closing ceremonies! Next year’s Florida State HOG rally will be in Ft. Myers, and if 2015’s is anything like 2014’s rally, you definitely won’t wanna miss it.
Update from rally coordinator Bruce Fuller: Attendance at the Florida HOG rally was around 1,500. Registrants came from 26 states as well as Germany and England.
Check out the photo gallery:
The FL State HOG Rally was wonderful all the way around. Look forward to FT Myers.
Great pictures and article. Can’t wait to see the gallery of all the pictures you took during the rally.
If you missed the 2014 Harley Florida, you missed a real party, and a lot of gook riding.
See you next year in Fort Meyers.