By: Julianna Clipson
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —
Bikers from all over the country make their way to the Ozarks every fall for food, music, and fun. While the rally is know for its charitable nature and popularity among bikers, students at the University of Arkansas aren’t always excited when the time of year rolls around.
“So I understand it’s part of Fayetteville’s culture to host that every year, but it definitely makes living close to Dickson Street kind of hard,” U of A Senior Allison Conte said.
Conte lives right off Dickson Street and she said being in the heart of the festival can make life difficult. The Bikes, Blues, and BBQ Rally falls right after the first third of the semester. This is when most student have their first round of big tests of the semester.
“A lot of noise can be very distracting,” Conte said all of the motorcycles on Dickson Street make focusing on her studies a challenge.
“Maybe get some sound proof head phones if you have a big test week coming up,” said Senior Laura Donovan who has lived near the rally for three years now.
All the noise causes issues for students, but that is not the only complaint they have.
“I think traffic is a big deal especially when you get on MLK or surrounding campus,” Conte said.
Living on or off campus students face major traffic during the week of the festival. Road blacks and closures also make it a struggle for students trying to make it to class on time.