LESSBURG, Fla. — Bikers from all over have already started revving their engines through the streets of Leesburg for the 29th Bikefest.

The event brings in tens of thousands of people for what’s considered one of the largest three-day motorcycle rallies in the Southeast.

What You Need To Know

The 29th Leesburg Bikefest kicked off with thousands of visitors Friday

It is expected to draw over 100,000 people from all over Central Florida and out-of-state

This event is free to all and will continue into Sunday

City officials anticipate that the motorcycle rally and entertainment event will generate over $40 million for Lake County

Hearing the sound of motorcycles is a noise that’s pretty much unavoidable if you’re anywhere near downtown Leesburg this weekend, as people fill their streets with music, one-of-a-kind bikes and even some special characters.

Tabares Peake came as a green Power Ranger.

“We went down to the end of the street, and a bunch of kids came up running saying I see you on TV, ‘I watch you every day,’” said Peake.

Peake and the rest of his fellow rangers said this is their second Bikefest, and they love seeing all the bikes and different people from all over.

City officials say they plan this event months in advance.

“This is essentially our Super Bowl. If not the biggest, it’s one of the biggest events in Lake County, so the county as a whole really benefits from it, not just Leesburg,” said Leesburg special events manager Maggie Lyden.

Lyden says they expect more than 100,000 people from all over to visit their city throughout the weekend, which is one of the reasons “Uncle Vic” from Ontario has chosen to attend on three separate occasions.

“It’s the people you meet. Everybody’s from different places, you know,” shared Vittorio “Uncle Vic” Calcagno.

Some visitors say they are seeing less out-of-state visitors this year, possibly due to rising costs like gas prices, but if you ask Calcagno, it could always be worse.

“I don’t think that gas prices are doing anything. I mean, we ride, and it doesn’t matter what the price is, we’re going to ride,” Calcagno explained. “And compared to Canada, it may be $5 a gallon here, but it’s about $8 a gallon at home.”

While organizers considered the impact of prices, they felt that with this year’s them to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, paired with their events and music lineup, is enough to keep the crowds coming.

“There’s been a lot of excitement about this year, and a lot of positive feedback about what we incorporated this year,” Lyden said. “Our headliners got us to sell out our Saturday night for VIP and Friday night is almost there.”

This event is free to all and will continue into Sunday, so you have plenty of time to check out what Leesburg’s Bikefest has to offer.

According to the Lake County Office of Tourism, this year’s Bikefest is expected to generate more than $40 million dollars across Lake County, as hotels throughout the area are almost at capacity and businesses are looking to make record high sales.

You can view the full statement from Lake County Office of Tourism Director Ryan Ritche below:

“This year’s Leesburg Bikefest is expected to draw more than 100,000 attendees during the three-day weekend, with visitors coming from across Florida and around the country. This year alone, Leesburg Bikefest is expected to generate more than $40 million in economic impact across Lake County. Hotels are at near capacity during the weekend. Restaurants and the downtown area will be busy throughout the weekend with increased spending at local retail shops, gas stations and attractions.

“This is more than just a festival, it’s one of the most impactful tourism drivers we have, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors and tens of millions of dollars into our local economy in just one weekend.

“This event is a true community effort! Everyone comes together to make sure visitors have a safe and memorable experience.  We want to thank our partners the City of Leesburg, local law enforcement, and public safety for their focus on providing a safe, well-managed and welcoming environment.”