New road closures in effect for Friday the 13th biker rally in Port Dover, Ont.

The only Friday the 13th of the year is coming up this week and for Port Dover, Ont., that means the return of the famous biker rally. 

Since 1981, the traditional ride on every Friday the 13th draws thousands of bikers to Port Dover, with visitors coming in from across North America. 

According to the Norfolk County website, road closures will begin Thursday at noon and continue until 4 a.m. Saturday. Main Street will be closed, along with Nelson Street W., part of Greenstock Street W., and portions of other streets that intersect with Main Street downtown. The municipality and organizers have shared an event map showing what will be closed and where people can park. 

For the first time, St. George, Walker and St. Andrew streets will be for motorcycle traffic only. "If you live on these roads and need to leave/return home for the duration, please treat these roads as one-way, and turn onto the first available side street to travel through town," Norfolk County said. 

The OPP is urging visitors to plan ahead and be patient on the roads. "In the next few hours, it's not going to look anything like this," said Const. Andrew Gamble in a video posted to X early Friday morning. "It is going to be jam-packed here in the downtown area, and we do need everyone to keep safety top of mind today."

Co-organizers, The Port Dover Kinsmen, will provide a shuttle bus from a parking lot out of town. On Facebook, the organization said it expects up to 200,000 visitors to the town of about 8,000. In an interview with CBC News Const. Gamble said it's "possible that we see record-breaking crowds. We do know that on an event-to-event basis, really what dictates the larger crowds is the time of year and the weather conditions. And it's a perfect month and it's going to be perfect weather so we know that we could see well north of 100-thousand people."

The rally will feature concerts starting Thursday at 7 p.m., and Friday at 11 a.m., including by Tragically Hip, Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses cover bands. 

Sgt. Ed Sanchuk of the OPP added that visitors should "give yourself extra time, space, and distance between yourself, other motorcyclists, and vehicles" and "if you're anticipating getting here, taking a quick tour around, and heading out—it will take an extended period of time," he said.

This will be the only Friday the 13th in 2025, with three coming in 2026. OPP officers were already on the ground this week with visibility patrols and video safety reminders for attendees.

Police remind bikers to 'share the road safely'

In a June 6 news release, the Norfolk County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said most people attending the events are motorcycle enthusiasts looking to have fun. Still, he said, police will be more present than usual in Port Dover in the interest of "traffic safety."

The detachment said "outlaw motorcycle gang members" will likely be in attendance and that wearing gang-related clothing can increase the risk of being targeted by rival groups. 

Residents should also be mindful of rules around where they can park and consume alcohol, police said. They also warned that airspace over the municipality's downtown will be closed to prevent conflicts with drones. 

"Motorcyclists and other drivers are reminded to share the road safely, particularly with the higher traffic volume expected over the weekend," OPP said. 

"If you've consumed alcohol or drugs or a combination of the two—you're not getting on that motorcycle," said Gamble. "Traffic safety is everyone's responsibility."