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What's New at Bantam in 2023?

Bantam 2023… an epic year!

Get geared up for another weekend of Jeep fun in the birthplace of the Jeep! Join us June 9-11, 2023 for the 12th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival! Start the countdown now and look for pre-registration to open on January 16th, 2023! We are offering some fun new activities for you and your Jeep, plus many of your Festival favorites!

Check out what’s new:

Jeep Safari Participants will travel in groups through the drive-thru safari and see up to 100 animals from 25 different species up close and personal. Keystone Safari is offering a special Bantam package for our participants that includes admission for up to five passengers, two food pails to feed the animals, an exclusive stock-friendly drive around the pond and an exclusive animal encounter after the drive-thru. Young and old alike will love the experience!

Jeep Safari will be offered each day of the Festival - participants will sign up for a session time during Jeep registration. Full doors, half doors or tube doors ARE required. Topless Jeeps are welcome (hard tops and soft tops are NOT required). Note: these rules apply only for Jeeps participating in the Jeep Safari during the timed session they chose during registration. The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association and Keystone Safari are not responsible for damage to any Jeeps caused by animals. Participants will enter the Safari at their own risk.

Jeep ‘n Seek Hop in your Jeep and seek out places, challenges and trivia in this digital scavenger hunt! Formerly the Mystery Road Rally, Bantam is offering one of your favorite on-road, family-friendly activities in a new format! We’re excited about this more modern take on this popular activity and believe everyone will enjoy the route we’ve developed with trivia, photo submissions, check in’s and other fun challenges! Points will be awarded for each completed challenge and a leaderboard will show current standings. Plaques will be awarded to the top five participants.

We will be utilizing an app (available on iPhone and Android) to lead participants on an exciting hunt through the Festival and surrounding area while completing trivia and challenges! In the new format, participants will just need to download the app, set up an account and enter the unique code provided in your registration packet. Then the adventure begins!

Bantam Boot Camp Bantam Boot Camp will give Jeep owners who haven’t been off-road before the opportunity to learn off-road basics and try out a few simple obstacles in their Jeep. This instructional activity will also include common terminology, hand symbols and more. It is available for both men and women. Bantam Boot Camp is a great way obtain the basic skills needed to enjoy the On-Site Trails or the trails at the Bantam Quarry at Kildoo. Boot Camp will be offered on Thursday, June 8 only for a limited number of Jeeps.

Epic Willys Adventure The Epic Willys Adventure 2023 will be taking off from Bantam! Epic Willys started as a pilgrimage to pay homage to the Jeep and the backroads of America. Race participants will drive hundreds of miles with no GPS or cell phones and they must avoid interstate roads. Their 2023 adventure, the Concord Cup, will kick off from Bantam on Sunday, June 11 where we will hold an Epic send-off to their journey! They will hit the backroads all the way to New Hampshire and back where they will finish at the Bantam Quarry at Kildoo approximately a week later!

The 16 competing Jeeps, their drivers and their support teams will be featured between the Jeep History Exhibit and the Military Encampment. Don’t miss this chance to meet the race participants and see their Willys Jeeps. The Epic Willys Adventure Jeeps will be participating in various Festival activities throughout the weekend before they hit the road on Sunday morning.

In addition to these great new activities and attractions, you can also look forward to Festival favorites like the Jeep Invasion, Jeep Playground & On-Site Trails, Bantam Quarry at Kildoo Trails (formerly Bantam Property Trails), Jeep Team Challenge, the Best of Bantam competition, our Jeep History Exhibit and more! Click the links to check out the details for the other activities and attractions you can look forward to in a few short months!

Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association Celebrates Giving Tuesday by Awarding $18,950 to Twenty-four Butler County Non-Profit Organizations 

Photo by Matthew Taylor

Giving Tuesday is an international movement to inspire people to participate in a day of giving at the start of the holiday season, typically the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association (FBJA) is celebrating Giving Tuesday by continuing its tradition to support Butler County’s non-profit organizations. Twenty-four groups were selected to receive a financial gift ranging from $500 to $2,000 to help them provide services in Butler County. This is the sixth year that FBJA, owners and organizers of the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and Bantam TrailFest, have given back to the community.  

“Our organization believes very strongly about giving back to the community that supports us and our Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival each year,” said Todd Wagner, FBJA president. “Giving Tuesday is an appropriate day to announce the organizations who will benefit from the generosity of those who attend Bantam. Every year it’s so rewarding to hear about the amazing things these non-profits are doing for our friends and neighbors in Butler County, and we are pleased to help them continue their great work.” 

FBJA has given $140,150 in gifts to a wide-variety of non-profit groups since 2016. In addition, $132,417 been given to organizations who help execute the Festival. The total amount of support given to Butler County organizations since 2016 is $272,567.

The Association’s board of directions selected these organizations from the 2022 applicants: 

  • Associated Artists of Butler County/The Butler Art Center and Gallery

  • Auxiliary, American Legion Post 474

  • BC3 Education Foundation

  • Blackwood Theatre Organ Society dba Blackwood Arts

  • Breakthrough-Butler

  • Butler Breast Cancer And Women's Cancer Support Group

  • Butler County Assoc. of the Blind

  • Butler County Historical Society

  • Butler Downtown

  • Butler Township Volunteer Fire District 3

  • CB Rangers

  • Disabled American Veterans DAV

  • Glade Run Lutheran Services

  • Harmony Fire District

  • Herman Volunteer Fire Company

  • Musical Theatre Guild of Butler

  • Penn Twp Volunteer Fire Department

  • Petroleum Valley Youth Coalition

  • Prospect Area Preservation Society

  • Prospect Boro/Franklin Twp Volunteer Fire Department

  • Scholars Run Conservancy Inc.

  • Slippery Rock Community Library

  • YWCA Butler

  • Zelienople Lions Club

The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association was formed in October 2015. It is comprised of more than 80 volunteers who work together to plan and execute the successful Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival which attracts nearly 3,000 registered Jeeps to Butler County each June to celebrate Butler’s notoriety as the birthplace of the Jeep.  The 12th annual Festival will be held June 9-11, 2023.  Those who wish to get involved in the event can email Info@Bantam.org or call 724-256-4050.

On-Site Registration Details

If you missed our pre-registration or will call deadline, don’t worry!  You can still be part of one of the most popular Jeep events in the United States.

On-site registration opens at 8 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 10-12. On-Site registration closes at 3 pm on Friday, 5 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday.  See the map for location of the registration tent.  We accept both cash and credit. There is an on-site registration fee of $10.

Additional passenger wristbands can be purchased on-site as well for anyone who will be driving or riding in a Jeep at Coopers Lake.

  • Adults are $20

  • Minors 7-17 are $10

  • Kids Under 7 are Free but MUST be registered for

These are the activities that still have openings available at on-site registration:

We’re looking forward to seeing you at Bantam!

Will Call Registration Available Now through May 31st!

WILL CALL: Register Now through May 31

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WILL CALL: Register Now through May 31 〰️

Photo Credit: Daniel Steiner

Will Call Registration Available May 16-31

If you missed our pre-registration deadline for this year's Festival, today is your lucky day!

Instead of waiting to register your Jeep for the Festival at on-site registration, you can still register between now and May 31st. This enables you to guarantee your spot in available activities. There is a $5 processing fee. Click the button below to register.

Register Now!

Will Call Registrants WILL NOT receive a registration packet in the mail. You must come to the Registration Tent at Cooper's Lake to pick up your packet. Simply find the Will Call line and your packet will be waiting for you to grab and go. If you are registering for the Jeep Invasion only, please remember you still must come to Cooper's Lake to pick up your credentials.

Activities Available for Will Call Registration:

  • Bantam Barbee Jeep Race (Saturday evening, Coopers Lake)

  • Bantam Poker Run (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Coopers Lake)

  • Bantam Property Trails (Friday, Saturday & Sunday Sessions, Bantam Property)

  • Best of Bantam (Saturday, Coopers Lake)

  • Jeep Invasion (Friday, Downtown Butler) - Limited Space

  • Jeep Playground & On-Site Trails (All Weekend, Coopers Lake) – Limited Space

  • Jeep Team Challenge (Saturday - Limited Space at 1 PM, Sunday at 9:30 AM)

  • Light Bars and Brews (Saturday night, Coopers Lake)

  • Mystery Road Rally (Friday, Saturday and Sunday

SOLD OUT

  • Bantam Night Ops Mission #2022

  • Babes of Bantam Trail Ride

  • Jeep Team Challenge Saturday 10 AM

  • Moraine Trail Ride

  • State Park Scenic Tour

Rib Night tickets and BF Goodrich tire raffle tickets are still available when you register.