The 68th Anniversary Sturgis motorcycle rally has planned a range of events, entertainment and distractions to keep bikers busy during the seven day two-wheeled celebration.

A surprising appearance on the list of events is Presidential candidate Senator John McCain who is scheduled to appear at the Buffalo Chip on Monday, August 4th, just before performances by Kelly Pickler and Kid Rock. Senator McCain will be participating in the Chip's annual ceremony in honor of American servicemen and veterans.

"We are honored that a patriot of Senator McCain's stature would take time during his Presidential campaign to help us honor our veterans and active duty military personnel," said campground owner Rod Woodruff.

The Buffalo Chip has conducted a veteran's tribute for many years. Past tributes have included The Patriot Guard Riders, The U.S. Army Golden Knights, B-1B fly-bys and numerous color guards and flag-folding ceremonies.

This isn't the first presidential run-in for riders. The current president, Mr. Bush visited a Harley-Davidson factory last year.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota each first full week of August. The rally has been held every year since August 14, 1938, except during World War II.

An interesting Sturgis fact, although 2007 saw some of the highest number of attendees (507,234) in recent years, the amount of emergency room visits dropped by nearly half from the year before.