Virginia motorcycle events, rallies and bike nights

Rippin' started in Southern California, so Virginia's list is still filling in. A bike night you post here gets seen by every rider nearby.

For decades, Memorial Day weekend has brought a huge veterans' motorcycle ride into Washington, DC. It began in 1988 as Rolling Thunder, which staged in the Pentagon parking lots in Arlington, and the tradition has carried on in recent years under other organizers. Northern Virginia fills with bikes that weekend.

Organizers, staging areas and routes have changed over the years, so check who's running it this year before you plan. Expect heavy traffic and road closures around Arlington and the National Mall.

Some of Virginia's best motorcycle gatherings aren't organized at all. Back of the Dragon draws riders to Marion and Tazewell all season, and Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway fill with bikes on October weekends. See the best motorcycle roads in Virginia.

A few non-motorcycle festivals make great ride destinations, like the Highland Maple Festival in Highland County each March, at the end of US 250's run over the Alleghenies. Check the best time to ride in Virginia for what each season brings, and the Virginia motorcycle rides hub for the overview.

Martinsville Speedway, the oldest track on the NASCAR schedule, and Richmond Raceway both host NASCAR weekends. Car racing, but race weekends fill the roads and hotels nearby, and the back roads into Martinsville make for a good ride.

Virginia International Raceway near Danville runs motorcycle track days and club racing. If you want to ride fast, a track day is the place for it, not Skyline Drive.

Charity rides fill the Virginia calendar: memorial rides, poker runs for local causes, rides for veterans and first responders, and holiday toy runs in November and December. Clubs, dealers and chapters usually post them a few weeks out, so check the events map as the season goes.

A charity poker run works a lot like poker runs in Rippin': ride to stops, collect cards, best hand wins. In Rippin', each stop deals one card when you arrive, no QR codes, and your best five-card hand posts to the poker leaderboard.

Virginia bike nights mostly run spring through fall, with coastal meets carrying on in mild weather. If your regular night isn't on the map, post it. Any rider can post a meet for free and set it to repeat, and shops and clubs that host a lot can use Organizer Pro ($8.99/mo) for unlimited and recurring meets and official events. A shop that hosts riders can also become a poker stop. More on motorcycle events in Rippin'.

Spring (March to May): The Highland Maple Festival in March, bike nights restarting in April, and a packed May: the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, the Myrtle Beach rallies and Memorial Day weekend in Washington.

Summer (June to August): Americade and Thunder in the Valley up north in June, evening bike nights, and cool rides on the ridges.

Fall (September to November): Peak riding. October color weekends on the Blue Ridge and Biketoberfest to the south.

Winter (December to February): Toy runs in December, then a quiet stretch in the mountains while coastal meets carry on.