The second annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival is just around the corner, kicking off July 25. The 2023 event was held as a celebration of the MoCo’s 120th anniversary, and it was such a hit that Harley-Davidson decided to continue annually.
Related: 2023 Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival
The party will last four days and include music, bike shows and showcases, special exhibits, vendors, free demos, guided tours, and more. Concerts by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jelly Roll, HARDY, and Kenny Wayne Shepard are part of the festivities.
The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee will also host events throughout the month, including Bike Night every Thursday, Saturday demo rides, and must-see exhibits. The below press release also includes July specials at the MOTOR Bar & Restaurant on the museum’s campus.
Read the press release for more info.
MILWAUKEE, USA (July 1, 2024) – Get ready to rock and get ready to roll as the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival kicks off on July 25. A celebration of music, moto-culture, and Milwaukee, the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival is four days and nights packed full of entertainment, events, and live music, with Veterans Park headliners The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jelly Roll, and HARDY.
Start your H-D Homecoming Festival weekend with Harley-Davidson executives, Davidson family members, and the local community for the official Opening Ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, at the new Davidson Park, located within Harley-Davidson Headquarters. Then roll over to the Harley-Davidson Museum for Bike Night and a free evening performance from Kenny Wayne Shepard on the Rockford Fosgate Stage.
But that’s just a taste of what’s in store for the entire four-day weekend at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum for the Homecoming Festival. Check out the latest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson in the new product showroom. Satisfy your need for speed with the Harley-Davidson Factory Race Team Experience. Join us to learn skilled trades – such as welding, pinstriping, leatherwork and more – from trailblazing women in the industries. Or see what the folks from V-Twin Visionary have been wrenching at their custom motorcycle showcase. Plus, free live music all weekend long!
Our partners at Rockford Fosgate, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, Wisconsin Lottery, American Metal Whiskey, Twisted Tea, and Harley-Davidson Trucks will be bringing unique experiences and goodies for all attendees.
Look out for celebrations of artist, designer, leader, and legend, Willie G. Davidson, popping up throughout the city as we commemorate his legacy and the amazing contributions Willie G. has made to motorcycling and to the city of Milwaukee. On the H-D Museum campus, be sure to check out the exhibit “Gasoline And Crayons – Willie G. Davidson: Artist, Designer, Legend” to explore a greatest hits collection of his designs that have withstood the test of time. And in “Creating a Legend: Art & Engineering at Harley-Davidson,” the H-D Museum’s newest special exhibit, Willie G.’s multidecade career as Harley-Davidson’s design guru shows off even more rolling sculptures as well as his famed watercolors work. Finally, the H-D Shop has you covered with new Willie G. threads (shirts, hats, jewelry, and more) for your wardrobe.
And don’t forget to check in at the six area dealerships and check out the skills demonstrations, guided tours, free demos, and more at H-D’s Powertrain Operations facility in Menomonee Falls.
Please note that the entire H-D Museum campus (including the H-D Museum, Harley-Davidson Shop, H-D Factory Outlet, and MOTOR Bar & Restaurant) will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, for a private reception.
Programming/Events
Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival, July 25-28
The H-D Museum campus venue will host Museum tours (ticket required) plus shopping, food, and beverage sales, interactive exhibits by Rockford Fosgate Motorcycle Audio experience, a Dunlop Motorcycle Tires display, the Twisted Tea hard iced tea activation area, an American Metal Whiskey Stay Rowdy experience, Wisconsin Lottery Follow Us To The Fun, the Official Harley-Davidson Trucks display, a 2024 H-D motorcycle showroom, a H-D Member Check-In, the Harley-Davidson Factory Race Team Experience, Real Deal Revolution Workshoppes, V-Twin Visionary Performance Showcase, a STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Chop it Like Its Hot demonstration, free live music daily on the Rockford Fosgate Stage, and more.
Honor Willie G. Davidson by checking out some of his most iconic designs at the Willie G. Davidson experience at the Harley-Davidson Museum: “Gasoline And Crayons – Willie G. Davidson: Artist, Designer, Legend.” And continue to celebrate the legend as the H-D Museum and V-Twin Visionary host a Ride-In Custom Bike Show on July 27.
A free concert performance by Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Thursday night will kick off the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival at the H-D Museum.
The free Museum music lineup:
- Thursday, July 25: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Austin Meade, War Hippies
- Friday, July 26: Big/Gun, Hillbilly Casino, God’s Outlaw
- Saturday, July 27: Motley Crucial, Poison Overdose, Cold Sweat & The Brew City Horns
- Sunday, July 28: Sons of Sconnie, Banana Wind
- Powered by H-D Insurance, Rockford Fosgate, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, Twisted Tea, and Wisconsin Lottery.
Thursday Bike Night Concert Series, Thursdays, 5-9 p.m. through September
All bikes unite every Thursday night at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Grab your bike. Join your fellow riders (and non-riders) for free live music from some of Milwaukee’s favorite bands, fun, drool-worthy rolling sculptures, and outdoor food and drink. All wheels welcome. All people welcome. Powered by: Rockford Fosgate Motorcycle Audio, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, American Metal Whiskey, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, H-D Insurance, Wisconsin Lottery, and Official Harley-Davidson Trucks.
- July 4 –Shovelhead Night with Big Spoon (Covers)
- July 11 – Metric Night with the MillBillies (Bluegrass)
- July 18 – Anniversary Edition Bikes with Tangled Lines (Americana)
- July 25 – Free performance from Kenny Wayne Shepherd for H-D Homecoming Festival
Saturday Demo Rides, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through September
Visit the Museum campus on Saturdays to experience the fun and freedom of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Riders with their motorcycle endorsement/license will be able to choose from a dozen of the latest and greatest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson, including Touring, Cruiser, Adventure Touring and Sportster models. A pre-determined scenic route through the Menomonee Valley will give riders the chance to explore the H-D Museum’s surrounding neighborhoods. Sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Riders and passengers must be at least 18 years of age. All riders (and passengers) must wear a helmet, eye protection, shirt, long pants, and closed-toe shoes with heel strap. All riders and passengers must bring their own riding gear. If the weather is looking dubious, stay tuned to the H-D Museum’s social channels or call 877-436-8738 for updates. Powered by: H-D Insurance, Rockford Fosgate Motorcycle Audio, and Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.
Must-See Exhibits and Installations
“Creating a Legend: Art & Engineering at Harley-Davidson” (now open)
At Harley-Davidson, design and engineering work together to create machines with big emotional impact. Functional improvements fuel changes in look and feel, yet visual or market desires also shape operating innovations. The process of how ideas move from concept to prototype and production involves a lot of people and many kinds of materials. From pencil and paper to CAD, clay, and 3-D printing, see how Harley-Davidson design and engineering teams have envisioned iconic products for over 120 years.
Learn more about the Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide motorcycle and its place in motorcycling history in “Adventure Ahead! The story of the Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide.” The journey that started as a rough road would soon become a smooth and stylish ride.
MOTOR Bar & Restaurant
July Specials at the MOTOR Bar & Restaurant.
Appetizers:
- Cherry Old Fashioned Chicken Wings: 1 lb. jumbo chicken wings, seasoned, roasted and then fried to a crisp. Tossed with a bourbon orange cherry sauce and served with celery, carrots and ranch.
- Firecracker Brat Bites: South Milwaukee Sausage and Meat’s Hot Bronson brat bites served with bird’s eye chili crisp, creamy aged cheddar & mustard aioli, bread & butter style sauerkraut.
Entrees:
- Red, White & Bleu Burger: Half-pound hand packed Angus beef burger coated in red hot sauce and grilled, topped with red onion marmalade, Roth buttermilk bleu cheese, Alabama white BBQ sauce, on a bed of romaine & tomato on a brioche bun. Served with french fries.
Dessert:
- Fire Roasted Apple Fritters: Fire-roasted apple packed fried pastry, topped with apple caramel drizzle, whipped cream and vanilla bean ice cream.