The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association (FBJA) brought additional holiday cheer to eleven Butler County non-profit organizations this month. The selected groups were awarded a total of $20,000 in financial gifts ranging from $500 to $10,000. This is the seventh year that FBJA, owners and organizers of the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and Bantam TrailFest, have given back to the community.

“Our organization has made a commitment to help other local non-profit organizations because we want our volunteers and participants to know that their Festival support makes a positive impact on our community,” said Todd Wagner, president. “This year we directed our largest gift ever to the Bantam Jeep sculpture project that is being organized by the Butler AM Rotary and Butler Downtown.”

FBJA has given nearly $165,000 in gifts to a wide-variety of non-profit groups since 2016. In addition, $155,000 has been given to organizations who help to execute the annual Festival during that time. In total, FBJA has given away nearly $320,000 to Butler County non-profit organizations since 2016.

The Association’s board of directors selected these organizations from the thirty-seven 2023 applicants:

BC3 Education Foundation
Butler AM Rotary Charities
Butler Little Theatre
CB Rangers
CISM Team of Butler County, Inc.
Evans City Historical Society
Friends of Saxonburg Museum
Knights of Columbus Council 866 Butler, PA
MHY Family Services
Robin's Home Inc
Toastmasters

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 13th annual Festival will be held June 7-9, 2024. Those who wish to get involved in the event can email Info@Bantam.org or call 724-256-4050.

Get geared up for Bantam 2024 in the birthplace of the Jeep on June 7-9, 2024!

Pre-Registration will open January 15, 2024! In 2024, we'll be making big updates to some of our Jeep activities, as well as offering all of your Festival favorites!

Jeep Playground Redesign

At the 13th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, you can look forward to a redesigned Jeep Playground! Challenge your Jeep with planned updates including off-camber sections, new rock/boulders, a teeter totter and RTI ramp. Stay tuned for more updates on the Jeep Playground this spring!

Babes of Bantam II

The always-popular Babes of Bantam activity now has a more advanced course! This is a great opportunity for Lady Jeepers who have completed Babes of Bantam in previous years and are seeking experience on more difficult obstacles. Babes of Bantam I will also still be offered for beginners new to off-roading with their Jeep.

Bantam Night Ops Dusk Ride

More than 200 Jeeps participate in our Bantam Night Ops Trail Ride on the Thursday evening before the Festival officially starts. This year, we have added an additional ride time at 9:10 pm for families or those who would like an earlier evening ride time.

Jeep Invasion Pre-Staging

You asked and we are listening. We have received requests to have a location for Jeeps to stage before entering downtown for the Jeep Invasion. In 2024, the Jeep Invasion will have both North and South of town staging locations where you must report before going to the Invasion (you will receive your Invasion credentials here). Both locations are about 4 miles or less from town. You will choose the staging location of your choice when you register.

Best of Bantam: New Format

Best of Bantam will have a new simplified format and peer judging this year. There will be fewer classes based on registration numbers in previous years and for participants to more easily evaluate potential winners. The participants in each class will judge each other's Jeeps. That way those who know the model the best (the owner's themselves) will decide who wins the coveted Bantam trophy for their class. This new process will also reduce the time it takes to judge the classes so those who want to participate in other Festival activities can experience more fun with their Jeeps!

New Volunteer Benefits!

We appreciate our volunteers and everything they do. To show our thanks for contributing their time, there will be even more savings at Bantam this year. New in 2024, Participating Volunteers not only receive free admission to the Jeep Playground and Onsite Trails (valued at $60), they will also receive 10% off of the cost of ANY other items they purchase during pre-registration.

Volunteers (those who are not registering a Jeep) will also be offered the 10% discount on items they purchase during pre-registration.

The discount also applies to 2024 Festival and Invasion t-shirts when purchased during pre-registration in the registration system (online store does not apply). This savings is only valid in the pre-registration system until Friday, May 3.

In addition to these updates, you can also look forward to your Festival favorites like the On-Site Trails, Bantam Quarry at Kildoo Trails, Jeep Team Challenge, Jeep Safari, our Jeep History Exhibit and more! The Epic Willys Adventure will also be returning to Bantam in 2024. Click the link 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 Awards Gifts Valued at $20,000 to Eleven Butler County Non-Profit Organizations

Bantam 2024: What's New!