MILWAUKEE — The Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival will get underway this week. The four-day festival celebrates 120 years of Harley-Davidson, in the hometown of Harley in downtown Milwaukee.

Many local Harley-Davidson dealers are taking part in the festivities. Uke’s Harley-Davidson in Kenosha, Wis. — the oldest family-owned Harley dealer in the state — is set to welcome people from around the world.

“For the last Harley anniversary, a lot of people from Mexico actually rode their bikes up. A lot of people from Japan [came here]. Harley is very popular in Japan; they fly to LA and ride their bikes here. [We had] people from Brazil, Russia — I mean people from all over,” said Keith Ulicki, owner of Uke’s Harley-Davidson. 

Keith Ulicki’s father, Frank “Uke” Ulicki, bought the Harley-Davidson in Kenosha — then called Hargty’s Harley-Davidson — and the family has owned the business for 93 years. Keith Ulicki’s dad called it the Kenosha Harley-Davidson.

But when Keith Ulicki and his wife Nanc Ulicki bought it from his dad in 1989, they changed it to Uke’s Harley-Davidson in his father’s honor. Uke Ulicki worked in the dealership every day until he was 92 years old. He passed away in 2000.

When the engines are roaring this week, something that many riders might not realize is the Ulicki family has had a true love affair with Harley-Davidson.

For Keith Ulicki, Harley is all he’s ever known. He even was brought home from the hospital as a baby in the sidecar of a Harley.

“My mother and father never owned a family car, we only owned a motorcycle,” said Keith Ulicki.

Keith and Nanc Ulicki’s daughter Brenda Ulicki now helps run the dealership, as does their son-in-law Bill Lobacz and their granddaughter Frankee Lobacz.

“I often joke and say that there are more Ulickis working at Harley-Davidson or the factory than Davidsons,” said Keith Ulicki.

During events, the whole family — including seven additional grandkids — gets involved. While the major festival events are underway in Milwaukee, the Uke’s location will host several local vendors and bands, too, which Keith Ulicki said will help support the local economy.

“A beer tent will be set-up in front by the Somers Fire Department. We will donate all the money to the fire department, which is voluntarily run. In the back of the dealership on Saturday, we are going to have Boonie Bikes. Basically, they are mini bikes and about 120 people signed up. People from all over the USA will be racing for prize money,” explained Keith Ulicki.

Uke’s will also host three rides for Harley-Davidson.

“Harley has loaned all their demo bikes to us, so the demo truck is coming here that has 18 Harley’s. You can take a brand new Harley out for a ride, Wednesday [through] Sunday,” Keith Ulicki said.

The Milwaukee-based festival will feature several events including live performances by the Foo Fighters and Green Day. A list of festival events can be found, here. 

The festivities kick off at Uke’s Harley-Davidson on Wednesday and run until Sunday; click here for more information for activities at the Ulicki’s location.