1982 to Today: The Buffalo Chip’s History Through Posters

It would’ve been hard to predict what the Sturgis Buffalo Chip® would be like today had you asked the first bikers who rolled through the gates in 1982. Back then the original By Bikers, For Bikers® event looked a bit more like a three-day keg party in a pasture, with a handful of bands and a few hundred friends.

The early days of the Best Party Anywhere® may have been small by today’s standards, but those who attended knew they had stumbled upon something special.

As word of this magical place spread, more and more people started making the pilgrimage, causing the party to grow and evolve each year.

A lot’s changed since the ’80s—bands, bikes, clothing, hairstyles—but the freedom and friendship on which the Buffalo Chip was built has remained a constant throughout.

Take a ride down memory lane and see the Buffalo Chip’s transformation illustrated through nearly four decades of event posters.

As word of this magical place spread, more and more people started making the pilgrimage, causing the party to grow and evolve each year.

A lot’s changed since the ’80s—bands, bikes, clothing, hairstyles—but the freedom and friendship on which the Buffalo Chip was built has remained a constant throughout.

Take a ride down memory lane and see the Buffalo Chip’s transformation illustrated through nearly four decades of event posters.