Friday the 13th in Port Dover, Ontario: the motorcycle tradition that draws up to 100,000 riders

Every time the 13th falls on a Friday, a small fishing village on Lake Erie becomes Ontario’s motorcycle capital. Port Dover, in Norfolk County, can draw up to 100,000 riders for its big summer editions. No tickets, no stage, no official program: just thousands of bikes rolling into a village. For a rider from Quebec, it’s the kind of destination that’s worth a great ride all on its own!

At a glance

• Where: Port Dover, Norfolk County, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie.
• When: every Friday the 13th. In 2026: February 13, March 13 and November 13. The next one after that: Friday, August 13, 2027.
• Cost: free. Up to 100,000 riders in summer, far fewer in winter.
• From Montreal: about 680 km, via Highway 401 to Hamilton, then Highway 6 south.

It all started with friends

The story begins in November 1981, on a Friday the 13th. Chris Simons and about 25 friends met up at the Commercial Hotel, now Angelo’s of Dover. The idea was simple: get together in Port Dover every time the 13th fell on a Friday. Nobody imagined this little get-together would become a pilgrimage drawing riders from within a 500 km radius. The Friday the 13th superstition? Instead of scaring people off, it became the best excuse to ride!

On site

Picture thousands of motorcycles lined up in the village streets: customs, vintage bikes, sport bikes, tourers, chrome everywhere and old leathers that have seen a thing or two. You meet colourful characters, grab a bite on the go, and there’s often live music. It feels like Mardi Gras for bikers: you come for the bikes, but you stay for the people. As the regulars say, you don’t come to Port Dover to watch a show, you come to be part of it.

November is for the tough ones

The November 13, 2026 edition is a different story. It’s cold on Lake Erie in November, and even the organizers don’t expect summer-sized crowds. Those who ride to Port Dover in November do it out of passion. A reminder for Quebec riders: riding on public roads is allowed until November 30, so it’s still legal to make the trip by bike. Just bring warm gear!

For this edition, a “Freedom Rides Forever” T-shirt and hoodie are sold at the Elmer Lewis parking lot, in the heart of the village, a nod to Remembrance Day two days earlier.

Practical tips

Arrive early: the streets fill up fast, and hotel rooms are booked well in advance. For the brave, Kinsmen Park offers camping at $20 per person per night, no reservations, with food served by the Port Dover Scouts. Note that hot showers are only advertised during the warm months. The Lions also offer camping at Silver Lake.

Once you’re in Norfolk County, get off the main highways: the back roads through the farmland are the real pleasure of the trip.

Our advice

If you want the full Port Dover experience, aim for Friday, August 13, 2027. In the middle of summer, that’s when the crowds show up, and it’s a great excuse for a few days of riding in Ontario. Tempted?

What about you? Have you ever been to Port Dover on a Friday the 13th? Tell us about it in the comments!

Ride safe!

Photos

Main photo: the beach, pier and lighthouse at Port Dover, on Lake Erie, July 2009. This is not a photo of a Friday the 13th: we couldn’t find a freely licensed photo of the gathering. Photo: JasonParis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

• PD13, “Origins” (official site, 1981 history) and Kinsmen Park camping.
• Northern Ontario Travel, “Why You’ve Got to Attend Friday the 13th in Port Dover 3 Times in 2026” (November 11, 2026).