For fifty-one weeks a year, Fayetteville, Arkansas is a peaceful college town. But beginning the last week of September, things get crazy. Bikes, Blues and Barbecue (aka BB & BBQ, or BBB) is the largest charity event in the US, and one of the fastest growing rallies in the world. Over 400,000 people attend, and most of them are on bikes.

From September 28 to October 1, the twelfth annual BB&B Rally took over Northwest Arkansas, and it was fantastic. Folks of every stripe were here, from the conservative to the truly insane. Dickson Street, the city’s main drag, is a shining sea of bikes, bikers and partiers, and outlying areas are filled with visitors from all over the country too. It’s a four day, non-stop party, filled with activities, vendors and good ol’ biker camaraderie. Seriously, this is one of the best biker events in the world, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity and giving a big boost to the revenues of local businesses.

This year, activities included the Parade of Power, in which thousands of bikers made their way en force from the Fairgrounds to Dickson Street, showing off their chrome while impressed onlookers lined the streets, enjoying the spectacle. There were poker runs, rides through the Ozark Mountains and around the hairpin turns of the famous Pig Trail, rides in hot air balloons and helicopters, hundreds of vendors from across North America, food, live rock and blues bands (over 35 of them) and enough alcohol to fill an ocean or two. There was motocross racing, stunt shows, lawn mower pulls, a huge bike show and a Battle of the Bikes Competition. The delicious aroma of BBQ floated through the air during the Arkansas State Championship Barbecue Cook-Off. The Miss BB & B contest brought beautiful, bikini-clad babes together onstage, while hundreds of appreciative men gathered to gaze.

Fayetteville’s the main venue for most of this, but the fun extends to many surrounding cities and counties. Some folks never even make it to the rally itself. They camp on the outskirts, party with old friends and ride to restaurants and bars that are all celebrating BB & B. Every hotel and camping spot is booked way in advance. It’s easier to get here for a Razorback game.

Mark your calendars for next year’s Bikes, Blues and Barbecue. You won’t be disappointed.