Holland blessing of the bikes 2022

May, 2023

Motorcycles of all varieties and sizes make their way to Baldwin every May for the annual Blessing of the Bikes.

This ever-popular event began in 1972 with four bikes and eight riders. Today, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts head to Baldwin to celebrate the joy of two-wheel travel. Between 5,000-10,000 bikes are expected in Baldwin annually for this Blessing of the Bikes celebration.

The family-friendly event is held every year on the third Sunday in May. The market in downtown Baldwin features vendors who sell leather and other items, with tattoo artists also on-site. The actual “blessing” ceremony begins at 1pm Sunday at the Baldwin Airport, with gates opening at 9am. There is a $5 donation per bike.

Blessing of the Bikes is a rite of spring, and a don’t-miss event for every biker.

Make your plans now to take a ride and have your motorcycle blessed at Baldwin’s Blessing of the Bikes this year and every year! Even if you aren’t a biker, the event is worth the trip just to see thousands of motorcycles all in one place!

For more information on the Blessing of the Bikes, please contact the event organizer:

Lake County Chamber of Commerce

895 Michigan Ave., Baldwin, MI  49304

(231) 745-4331

lakecountymichigan.com

PARK TWP. — The Park Township Board is asking organizers of the Lakeshore Blessing of the Bikes to find a new date for the event, after they voted to not allow it to proceed as planned April 25. 

The Blessing of the Bikes, held annually for nearly 20 years, draws hundreds and sometimes thousands of people to the Ottawa County Fairgrounds for a kick-off to the biking season. 

People from the lakeshore area and even from other states bring their motorcycles to receive a blessing for a safe year. The event's entry fees are collected to be given to local charities. 

At a special board meeting Monday, the township board expressed concerned about the possibility the event could become a "superspreader event," given the current trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the state of Michigan and in Ottawa County. 

More:Blessing of the Bikes set for April 25; Park Township board meeting Monday to debate approach

Ottawa County is currently averaging 185 new COVID-19 cases per day, according to the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. The rate of positive COVID-19 tests was 15.7 percent the week of April 3, the most recent week with data available, which is approaching the county's highest weekly test positivity rate, which was 16.8 percent in mid-November. 

"It really concerns me," said township treasurer Jan Steggerda. "No matter how great the event is and how many people come. Now that it has come to our board, I feel it's my responsibility to help protect all the citizens, and I really would like to see them postpone it until later in the year, hopefully, when things will subside. I hate to say that. It's a great event, I've been there. But as I said, I do feel a sense of responsibility." 

Because the township owns the Ottawa County Fairgrounds, the township's attorney said the township board could be held legally responsible for violations of the state's health orders, including to the point of being prosecuted for misdemeanor crimes and fined. They could also face civil litigation if someone who caught COVID-19 at the event wanted to sue, attorney Dan Martin said. 

Before the vote, fair board president Jeff Myaard laid out organizers' plans to comply with state health orders, including strictly requiring all attendees to wear masks and counting the number of attendees at the entrance to keep the numbers under what is allowed in the current face masks and gathering order from the state. 

Masks would be allowed to be removed only in a designated eating area, Myaard said, and the pastor could give multiple blessings throughout the day instead of just one blessing, to allow groups to rotate through and keep the gathering size down. 

Board members said it was "the wrong time" to hold such an event while the virus appears to be surging and asked Myaard and organizer John Gutierrez, who also attended the Zoom meeting, to find a new date for the event and bring their plans back before the board. 

— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.

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Where is the Blessing of the Bikes?

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