By now, Harley fans are no doubt busy getting ready for the 2023 Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The birthplace of the internationally recognized Motor Company will host the four-day event from July 13 through 16, 2023, with a full roster of events for everyone in the family to experience and appreciate.
That’s all stuff you probably already knew—but here’s the full schedule so you can plan accordingly. With an event this big, just one venue wouldn’t be enough to keep the party going—so the scheduled programming will take place across several locations.
The Harley-Davidson Museum, Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations, Grant Park Beach, the Bud Pavilion at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, Veterans Park, the Lakefront Brewery parking lot, Cathedral Square Park, and Greenfield Avenue in West Allis, Wisconsin (just outside Milwaukee) will all host events throughout the four-day festival. On the final day, there will also be the official Harley-Davidson 120th Anniversary Motorcycle Parade through the heart of downtown Milwaukee, which fans absolutely won’t want to miss. Harley Owners Group members get access to a premium parade viewing area, as well.
Gallery: Harley-Davidson 120th Anniversary Homecoming Festival Lineup, July 13 through 16, 2023
Thursday, July 13, 2023
The party kicks off on Thursday, July 13, 2023, with the Harley-Davidson Museum and Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations beginning their days of programming at 10 a.m. The Museum will stay open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, with access to bars, restaurants, food trucks, LiveWire, StaCyc, and Serial 1 displays and demos, as well as a Division BMW Stunt Show playing at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., live sets from American Progress, the War Hippies, and Hairball will light up the H-D Museum stage.
Thursday’s Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations will offer 2023 model year demo rides from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Factory tours start bright and early at 9 a.m. and run through 3 p.m. Food and beverage, retail, and police skills riding demonstrations will also be available on-site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Harley Owners Group 40th Celebration event—for HOG members only—will take place at the Bud Pavilion Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. Members can bring a guest, but the member must present their HOG card for entry.
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Harley is hosting a Bonfire on the Beach community event at Grant Park Beach, which is open to everyone. Bring your family, bring your friends, and enjoy live music, bonfires, and s’mores while you appreciate the beauty of Lake Michigan in the summer.
Friday, July 14, 2023
On Friday, July 14, 2023, the Museum and Powertrain Operations will run similar programming to their Thursday lineup, with a few live programming differences. The Museum will host the Flat Out Friday Boonie Bike Race at 2 p.m., as well as live music from God’s Outlaw at 5 p.m., the Jimmys at 6 p.m., and the Now Band at 8 p.m. Powertrain Operations will add food options from the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill (for those unfamiliar, Johnsonville is another proud Wisconsin company) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At Veterans Park, the box office will be open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there will be food and beverage vendors, merchandise from both Harley and various artists, the Del Mar Experience presented by LiveWire, Wall of Death shows at 2 p.m., 4:35 p.m., and 6:45 p.m.; Nitro Circus shows starting at 2:30 p.m., 5:05 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.; and Ball of Steel shows starting at 3:20 p.m., 5:55 p.m., and 8 p.m. Veteran’s Park is also where the headlining live music shows will be staged, with Abby Jeanne at 3 p.m., Kennyhoopla at 4 p.m., Phantogram at 5:15 p.m., the Cult at 7 p.m., and Green Day at 8:45 p.m.
On the Community Events roster elsewhere in the Milwaukee area, you’ll find the Down Under Disco running from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lakefront Brewery parking lot. Finally, you can participate in one of North America’s largest French-themed festivals as well, as Bastille Days will take place in Cathedral Square Park from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. There’s more live music, food, drink, and entertainment here, and this event is free to attend. There will also be first-come, first-served free motorcycle parking at the Bastille Days event due to its partnership with the Harley Homecoming, so be sure to check it out.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
The roster of events for Saturday, July 15 remains much the same at Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations and the Harley-Davidson Museum. The biggest change from the previous days at the Museum is that Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) Badger Heritage Chapter will host the Vintage Motorcycle Field Games Showcase at 12 p.m. Live music on offer at the Museum will consist of the Cactus Brothers at 5 p.m., Rustbucket at 6 p.m., and Road Trip at 8 p.m.
Over at Veterans Park, the box office opens once more at 1 p.m. and remains open through 10 p.m. Wall of Death, Nitro Circus, and Ball of Steel programs are planned throughout the afternoon and early evening as on Friday. At 6:15 p.m, Matty Matheson’s Burger Build Off will take place. The live music schedule starts with Ghost Hounds at 3 p.m.; White Reaper at 4 p.m.; Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at 5:15 p.m.; Cody Jinks at 7 p.m.; and the Foo Fighters at 8:45 p.m.
In the wider Milwaukee area, Community Events on Saturday consist of the Bikes on the Block Block Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Greenfield Avenue in West Allis, Wisconsin, as well as the ongoing Bastille Days festival in Cathedral Square Park in Milwaukee.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
On Sunday, July 16, the Museum will offer a Harley-Davidson Membership Coffee Fuel-Up event from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. to get you going for the day. In addition to the usual displays and demos, the Mama Tried & Friends Motorcycle Show will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live music will include the Toys at 11 a.m. and Rebel Grace at 1 p.m.
The Division BMX Stunt Show will offer various showings throughout the day, and the Flat Out Friday Boonie Bike Race will take place at 2 p.m. Powertrain Operations will also be offering its usual 2023 line demo rides, factory tours, food/beverage, and police skills riding demonstrations throughout the day, as well.
Over in Community Events, Bastille Days will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Cathedral Square Park. The Harley-Davidson 120th Anniversary Motorcycle Parade spectating hours will take place from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., exclusively in Downtown Milwaukee. If you’re a HOG member, there will be a special premier viewing area for you to enjoy as a membership perk, so be sure to look out for it.
To find out more or buy your two-day general admission or one-day general admission passes, be sure to check out the official Harley-Davidson Homecoming website, which we’ll link to in our Sources. Children 10 and under are allowed in free with a General Admission ticketed adult. The General Admission tickets allow access to the Veterans Park experiences for your choice of either both Friday and Saturday or, if you choose a one-day pass, Friday or Saturday for the live music and events hosted in the park each day.
The two-day General Admission pass is priced at $205 per person, plus a $27.05 service fee. The one-day General Admission tickets differ slightly in pricing between days, with Friday GA costing $110 plus a $19.10 service fee, and the Saturday GA costing $120 plus a $19.94 service fee. There’s also a bold orange note on this page that says, “Prices may increase based on availability.”
