Andrews Town leaders hope to put Andrews on the map for motorcycle enthusiasts and are seeking advice from someone who did the same thing in Maggie Valley.
Maggie Valley, a popular tourist town between Cherokee and Waynesville along U.S. 19, has about the same population as Andrews and features a variety of scenic routes for bikers. For 22 years, the town has been the location of Thunder in the Smokies, a weekend event held in the spring, summer and fall in Maggie Valley.
Chris Anthony of Handlebar Corral Productions in Maggie Valley runs the event. He was invited to the Andrews Board of Aldermen’s workshop on Dec. 5 to answer questions about whether something similar could work in the Andrews Valley.
Alderman James Mclean initiated the effort and invited Anthony to the meeting. Mclean has argued that a large-scale biker event could be an economic boost for the local economy.
Anthony was optimistic but cautious.
“It’s a gorgeous town, it really is,” Anthony told the board, describing the area as a “fabulous location” for a biker weekend.
He anticipates bikers would explore local highways, including the Cherohala Skyway and Tail of the Dragon in and around Graham County, as well as the Nantahala Gorge.
“It’s beautiful riding. I was sold going through the gorge,” he said, adding that Tail of the Dragon and Blue Ridge Parkway “got nothing on it.”
Andrews has “miles of backroads,” he added, possibly referring to scenic drives along Fairview Road, Airport Road, Junaluska Road and Pisgah Road that bikers might enjoy.
“It could grow really fast,” he said.
However, he cautioned, would the town be able to accommodate a large number of bikers given the relatively small number of restaurants and hotel rooms?
Quality Inn is Andrews’ only hotel, a 2-star inn with 50 rooms, but Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is a 20-minute ride and has 300 rooms with an expansion in progress.
Andrews features about a dozen sit-down restaurants, many of which only serve breakfast and lunch, but Murphy has even more and is only a short ride away.
Still, Anthony wondered whether that would be enough.
“Where are you going to put all these motorcycles?” he said.
Maggie Valley has two dozen restaurants and three dozen hotels, motels and inns.
Town officials have staked out large plots that could serve as primitive campsites without water, electricity or other services.
The average age of participants is 57, ranging from plumbers to heart surgeons. Almost all of them own campers, with increasing popularity for “toy haulers” – trailers that include living space and can also haul motorcycles.
Andrews Mayor James Reid is hoping the inaugural event in Andrews – which has not yet been named – will be held in fall 2025. Anthony advised that the town should plan for two events – one in the spring, another in the fall.
Funding, marketing and logistics for an Andrews bike event are details that still need to be addressed, but “I think we’re all sold on it,” Reid said.
Anthony claims there has been one arrest in the history of his events in Maggie Valley. There is no nudity and the events are kid-friendly, he said. Participants would expect to wander around downtown while drinking beer or wine, but no hard liquor.
He added that his events are not free of complaints. Town meetings following his events usually attract people with noise complaints.