This year, the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association is participating in Americade by bringing bikers to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the New York State Military Museum and the Visitors Center as a part of the event’s scavenger hunt.

This is the first year Americade has put on a scavenger hunt, which includes ten area communities outside of Lake George. Ballston Spa, Corinth and Saratoga Springs are just a few of the communities participating. Motorcyclists who participate in the scavenger hunt must look for “Welcome to Americade” signs in local communities and have a card stamped at each participating vendor. When the card is filled, participants are added into a drawing to win a GPS system worth $940.

“This is a great way to tie Saratoga Springs into Americade, and is a positive way to show motorcyclists that they are welcome downtown,” DBA President Dawn Oesch said. “I know in the past they have felt unwanted on Broadway, so we want to accommodate them.”

To help with parking and congestion on Broadway, special access to a portion of the parking lot between Cantina and Lillian’s Restaurants will be available.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Americade this year,” Oesch added.

This year’s Americade is expected to draw 50,000 to 60,000 visitors and past Americade Rallies have brought in more than $46 million to the local economies, according to a study at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, spokesman Rex Moon said.

“Compared to other conventions in the Lake George area, this is by far the biggest and most lucrative,” he said.

Special events of the week include more than 250 vendors, 10 motorcycle seminars, $100,000 in door prizes, stunt shows and rodeos. The main events of Americade are the bike tours, both guided and unguided. The tours lead the bikers everywhere from Saratoga Springs to Lake

Placid to Vermont. The scenery of the Adirondacks has its own allure, Moon said.

According to Moon, while attendance numbers of out-of-area bike rallies have dropped by about 30 percent, attendance at Americade so far has broken even. People are still coming from all over the United States and the world to come to the largest bike rally, he said. A couple from Israel discovered the rally two years ago and make it a point to come back every year since, Moon said.