by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — They filled Coopers Lake Campground by the thousands — five, 10, 15, 20, maybe even more during three early June sunbaked days.
Jeep enthusiasts. Die-hards. Owners. And those just trying to understand the whole thing.
They come for a show, sure, and also to see scores of the top aftermarket vendors around. But, really, it’s more for the experience. To see history. To explore.
To have fun.
Because, ultimately, how else do you want to spend time in the place where Jeep was born.
Yes, all kinds of people and Jeeps showed up for the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival June 9-11 at the campgrounds, a picturesque spot of greenery about 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh. The event, now in its 12th incarnation — is stuffed full of all kinds of things for attendees to fill up for those three days and make everyone not only understand more about their vehicles but love them a bit better as well.
There are the obligatory Best of Bantam awards for all category Jeeps, but there are also numerous trails around the area that showgoers can register to attend and run. There is also a rock-crawling, mud-splashing Jeep playground, sponsored by Quadratec, where people can pick different paths to ride depending on their Jeep builds and driver skill level.
Nearby is a field with a cut-out grass path where people can participate in the Jeep Team Challenge, requiring drivers and passengers to complete a series of ‘games’ to earn points to try and take home a top-five plaque.
Just up the path from the playground is a cream-colored hanger that contains nearly all forms of Jeep grills through the years, as well as numerous Jeep builds that people have loaned the event for the weekend. And right outside that area is a full-out World War 2 Jeep reenactment camping area.
And, of course, filling in the entire area around all these things are plenty of vendors providing product information, selling stuff like beef jerky, cigars, clothing, home improvements, signs, and plenty of other items.
Back again for 2023 was also the Faces of Jeep exhibit that displayed front grilles from multiple eras, Bantam Poker Run and the crowd-favorite Barbie Jeep race down a steep hill just north of the main parking area.
One new attraction this year was vehicles from the Epic Willys Adventure, a 1,500-mile race from Coopers Lake to New Hampshire, back to the Slippery Rock area that features all backroad driving with no GPS or cell phones for participants. Racers set up show next to the historical Jeep area and spent two days talking with attendees about their vehicle and the race, before heading out at 10 a.m. Sunday for the week-long race.
Another was the Bantam Boot Camp, where those new to the Jeep world could learn more about how their vehicle operates, gain some off-road basic information and then try some simple obstacles to build skill and confidence.
This year, we brought along our JTE Gladiator two-door hybrid that has seen trail action from California to Pennsylvania, as well as plenty of clean-up projects with Tread Lightly!. We also displayed plenty of our new Res-Q recovery product line, as well as showing off the new Gladiator truckbed tent, Quadratec headlight and auxiliary lighting, Carnivore and QRC bumpers, Lynx wheels and suspension, Diver Down seat covers Tactik, AEV, Rock Slide Engineering, Alpine and Rhino Rack backbone system with Batwing awning.
Additionally, we made the 25-minute trip from Coopers Lake down to Butler Friday afternoon to participate in the annual Butler Jeep Invasion — where they shut down the town for a day and let about 1,000 Jeeps, as well as tens of thousands of people, roam the streets and admire all the different vehicles.
