Flood Run History
Memories of those first Flood Runs at the Harbor Bar as the story was told by Brad Smith
Owner Harbor Bar
1964-Present
Flood Run from the beginning
Spring - April 20, 2024 / Fall - Sept, 21, 2024
Flood Run all started back when a group of bikers made the run down river to Winona to help sandbag for the 1965 flood, The next year the Mayor of Winona invited those bikers to come down for free beer and hotdogs that the city was putting on for all the volunteers that came and helped sandbag the previous year.
Those bikers made their first "Flood Run" down the iconic scenic drive along the Mississippi River stopping at Harbor Bar making it the first official stop along the way to Winona. And they stopped every year after that since.
"Back in those days bikers were looked upon as unsavory characters and not always welcome in every bar or restaurant". And as Brad tells of his memories of those first flood runs he says his Mom-(Marilyn Graw) welcomed the bikers on those first runs when other's closed their doors and wouldn't serve them. Even after some Flood Runs, trouble followed.
On some early runs the police would escort the flood Runners through town not making it welcome to the bikers and trying to avoid trouble in their towns in those first years.
One year 40-50 years ago when I was about 10-12 years old a bad group of bikers came through this area for a "Flood Run" the police called his mom to warn her the group had torn up several bars on their way through the town’s on way to Winona and were making a mess out of a bar in Red Wing. My Mom quickly put up a sign closed for family emergency and locked the doors. My Parents and I watched them drive through the parking lot to see it was closed and headed out without any trouble. My Mom while watching from her house next door sat with her binoculars and dad holding on to his shotgun just in case there was trouble. They drove out without incident and that group went on to tear up Vieth's Bar in Hager City after that, they didn’t pay at any place they stopped and at Vieth’s they ransacked the little grocery store as well as throwing everything on the floor and making a mess.
That never deterred Marilyn and she alway's welcomed and accepted bikers in her bar even back in the day when they weren’t thought of as upstanding citizens like today.
I worked every "Flood Run" growing up as a kid helping my Mom deal with the crowds that would grow from a dozen guys those first couple of years to now be the 3rd biggest motorcycle run in the country with thousands of bikers stopping on their way along the river.
Harbor Bar has been proud to be a major stop and sponsor along the route since the very beginning and no other establishment along the route can taught that claim!
At first there never was an official event or route until In 2005 a group of bikers started a charity ride for Gillette Children's Hospital and it continues to raise funds for the kids every year still today. It just grew from that groups first ride and every year and it would get bigger and bigger to become one of the top major biker events in the USA.
Come join us for the annual “Flood Run” which now goes on twice per year bringing bikers together from all over the country.
Harbor Bar known for it’s famous “Dirty Banana"-daiquiri’s has people coming from all over just to have one of these special house drinks served with real bananas and has become a ritual for bikers to drive several hours just for Harbor Bar’s Dirty Banana Drink.
"Live music" will be playing on this years Flood Runs starting at Noon with the Swamp Kings.
The "Food Shack" will be serving up their famous “Pork Belly Taco’s” and other goodies for some great food served fast so you can get back on the road for the run.
Make a weekend of it and camp on Harbor Bar grounds, vendors sites, and tent sites available and Rv sites at Freedom Island Camping next door.
Many other great Bar’s and Restaurants along the route are always ready with a smile to greet the thousands of bikers who take to the route that weekend between the Twin Cities and Winona jumping on at the few river crossings along there way.
This has been a big event for all the establishments up and down the river who together have welcomed and catered to the bikers with several of events of their own every run and making it such a great event all along the river. Maiden Rock has vendors and camping in the park. Prescott Welcomes many as a river crossing and meet up place along the northern route as well as Red Wing, Wabasha, and Winona, river crossings become congregation spots where bikers can meet up and join along the scenic route said to be one of the "Top Ten Scenic Drives in America".
The ‘Flood Run” has become a major motorcycling and tourist event for the whole country and has had attendance of upwards of 50,000 on some years.
Ride safe and have fun!
Take to the road!
Get some wind therapy!
Ride to Live!
Live to Ride!
Be Safe
Watch out for Bikers
Share the Road!