It’s that time of year again….jeep weekend in Butler County.
Thousands of jeeps and spectators from all over the nation will travel to Butler to take part in the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, which celebrates Butler as the birthplace of the Jeep.
“We have pre-registered almost 2,000 jeeps and they’re coming from 28 states and Canada,” Festival Director Patti Jo Lambert said.
The event, according to Lambert, has grown to be one of the largest Jeep events in the country. The festival holds the Guinness World Record for Largest Jeep Parade, of 2,420 Jeeps.
The Jeep was created in 1940 to transport U.S. troops and others fighting oversees in World War II. The hand-built prototype was built here in Butler at the American Bantam Car Company.
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Jeep festival weekend is basically broken down into two main events: the Jeep invasion in downtown Butler and Jeep activities at Cooper’s Lake Campground in Slippery Rock.
The Jeep Invasion will last from 6 to 10 p.m. on Main Street in Butler. Main Street will be closed and 1,200 jeeps will be parked and on display. People can enjoy music and food from vendors. Several downtown restaurants will also be open with specials. Pennzoil will have driving simulators set up for spectators to enjoy.
The activities at Cooper’s Lake kick off at 9 a.m. Friday and continue through Sunday afternoon. Special attractions include the ‘Jeep Playground’ complete with an off-road trail and mud pit; the ‘Decorate Your Jeep’ event; and the ‘Faces of Jeep Exhibit’ which features jeep grilles from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
More information here.
