Patriot motorcycle and sports car ride set for Saturday in Iaeger

Motorcycles and sports cars will gather at the Iaeger Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday, and the annual ride is likely to bring a burst of weekend traffic to nearby restaurants, gas stations and small businesses as riders move through McDowell County.

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. June 6, 2026, with kickstands up at 10:00 a.m. West Virginia Tourism lists the ride as running from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Explore McDowell says singles will cost $15, doubles $20, and T-shirts will sell for $15. The event is billed as an annual fundraiser for VFW Post 1144, which gives the ride a purpose beyond recreation and makes it one of the county’s more visible summer gatherings.

The route has also carried a countywide feel in past years. A 2023 Patriot Ride post showed the run going from Iaeger to Welch, Princeton and Pineville before returning to Iaeger, a loop that puts riders on roads where even a modest crowd can matter to local businesses. Fuel stops, breakfast counters and lunch spots along the way stand to benefit when a convoy of motorcycles and sports cars passes through town, especially on a summer Saturday when visitors are already looking for something local to do.

That kind of event also serves a public-relations role for McDowell County. Explore McDowell and West Virginia Tourism are both pushing the ride, which helps keep Iaeger, Welch and nearby towns in circulation for visitors who might otherwise only hear about the county when a crisis hits. For a town of 358 people, Iaeger benefits when a community event draws outside attention and gives residents a reason to gather around a familiar place like the volunteer fire department.

Iaeger itself was incorporated in 1917 and named for Colonel William G. W. Iaegar. The town’s emergency-services page lists Fire Chief Paul Hare, and the Iaeger Fire Department phone number is 304-938-5600. The town office number is 304-938-3035.

With registration set for early Saturday morning and the ride leaving from the fire department, the Patriot run will again tie veterans support, local pride and small-town commerce into one weekend event.