Let the Thunder Roll

More than 200,000 motorcyclists are expected when the annual Thunder in the Valley roars into Johnstown. They come for the chance to safely smoke their tires in the burnout pit, to buy the latest gear from hundreds of vendors and to celebrate their machines with one another.

The event runs from June 26 – 29, 2014 with activities in downtown Johnstown and the surrounding communities. The event offers parades and boasts a wide variety of live musical entertainment with bands playing rock, oldies, blues, country and jazz. Stunt riders thrill onlookers as they race across tightropes and around steel cages. Or take one of the many scenic cruises on your bike through the rolling mountains surrounding the Johnstown valley.  

All of the events are free and is a must see for anyone remotely interested in motorcycles.

While Johnstown may be flooded with bikers during Thunder in the Valley, the region is more famously known for the devastating floods of 1889, when the dam on the south fork of the Conemaugh River burst, taking more than 2,000 lives.  Make a stop at the Johnstown Flood Museum or the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Other nearby attractions include the Flight 93 Memorial and the Johnstown Inclined Plane, the world’s steepest vehicular inclined plane.

Plan your weekend with a stay at a nearby bed and breakfast.