Coming Soon: Bantam 9.5 TrailFest on Oct. 2-4!

We know you've been patiently waiting to see what we have been planning for you for October 2-4. We're excited to finally share the details plus other exciting Bantam news!

The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association recently purchased more than 230 acres of property near Coopers Lake Campground that will be used for off-site trails during the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. We are excited to offer this new opportunity to our Bantam fans! But you don't have to wait until next June to experience our new trails. We will be hosting Bantam 9.5 TrailFest on October 2-4 on our property, giving TrailFest participants the very first chance to try out our new off-road trails!  

Celebrate Bantam’s 9.5 years at TrailFest, which will be for a limited number of Jeeps. The full weekend of activities gives you the chance to join your Jeep friends from Bantam for a weekend of colorful trail riding, thousands of dollars in prizes and other local fall fun. 

Bantam 9.5 TrailFest will be offered as an inclusive package — all registered Jeeps will be able to participate in all TrailFest trail rides. In addition, drivers and passengers are all included in one package price. Since the new property is located near Coopers Lake Campground, you can return to your favorite restaurants and places to stay. 

Registration will be available in mid-August.

If changing regulations cause us to not be able to execute TrailFest, or a minimum number of Jeeps do not register, TrailFest will be cancelled and 100% refunds will be provided. 

The TrailFest Package is $110 and includes:

• Friday, October 2 - Bantam’s 9.5 Miles of Jeep Waves Caravan

• Friday, October 2 - Jeepers Creepers Night Crawl (Stock)

• Saturday, October 3 - TrailFest Trails Session (4 hour AM or PM session)

• Saturday, October 3 - Scenic Trail Ride (Stock)

• Saturday, October 3 - Vendors (free admission and open to the public)

• Sunday, October 4 - TrailFest Trail Ride (either green, blue or black trails)

• Entry for driver and all passengers

Optional add-on’s to the TrailFest package:

• In addition, we're excited to announce our first Bantam Bash where you can win thousands of dollars in prizes. Bash events are a Western Pennsylvania tradition for volunteer fire departments, and we are partnering with the local Unionville Volunteer Fire Company for this raffle. One $30 ticket gives you 25 chances to win $12,500 in amazing prizes including two sets of tires, $300 in gift cards for gas, accessory lighting for your Jeep or truck, a winch, a Jeep Grizzly cooler, tube doors, a $500 gift certificate for powder coating and much more. There will be other great items to win in addition to those printed on the ticket. Ticket includes all-you-can-eat food, beer and soft drinks. You do not need to be present to win and you must be 21 years old to attend. Tickets will be available for purchase in your TrailFest registration and in our online store. The Jeep Scrambler drawing and the three BF Goodrich Tire Set drawings from our cancelled 2020 Festival will also be held during the Bash.

• Bantam 9.5 TrailFest shirts will be available only through pre-registration (pick up on-site at vendor area on Saturday) and will not be sold on-site. $20, $25 and $45. 2X and larger sizes have an additional charge.

Click the button below to read more about each TrailFest activity

Read More About TrailFest

Click here to view the Bantam Bash Prize List

Don't forget! - You can help us support our Non-Profit Partners by purchasing 2020 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival shirts in our online store! Since we weren't able to have the June Festival this year, these organizations are missing out on important funds to support people in Butler County. Proceeds from 2020 Parade & Festival Shirts ordered through Aug. 30th will be donated to our Non-Profit Partners that help us execute the Festival! We'll look forward to announcing how much we are able to donate to our partners thanks to your support!

Purchase 2020 Shirts & Help Non-Profit Groups

We all enjoy having something collectible...something that is rare or reminds us of an unusual time. Here is your chance to add to your collectible collection and help some great non-profit groups in Butler County.

We have quite a few of our 2020 Parade and 2020 Festival shirts remaining. And we have quite a few non-profit groups that we partner with to execute the Festival. These organizations help with parking, merchandise, admissions, traffic control and other important tasks. In return, we make donations to their groups. Those donations have totaled more than $81,000 between 2016-2019.

Since we can't have the Festival this year, these organizations are missing out on important funds to support people in Butler County. And that's where you can help. Between now and August 30, we will donate the proceeds of our 2020 shirt sales to our partner organizations. So, not only will you have a cool shirt for the "Festival that didn't happen", you will help our non-profit partners continue doing good things in the birthplace of the Jeep. It really does feel good to do good, so order your shirt in our online store today! Prices include shipping and handling and are limited to the sizes currently available. We'll look forward to announcing in September how much we are able to donate to our partners thanks to your support.

Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Cancels 2020 Festival

The 10th anniversary celebration of the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival will need to wait until next year.  Despite the Festival’s plan to postpone the event until October if the Coronavirus did not permit the Festival to be held in June, the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association (FBJA) must put the brakes on the 10th anniversary event.  Unfortunately, Cooper’s Lake Campground, where the event is held, must close for the remainder of the year due to the repercussions of COVID-19.

“We have been optimistic all along that we would be able to celebrate our 10th anniversary either in June or October,” said Todd Wagner, FBJA president.  “We know that thousands of Jeep enthusiasts were looking forward to being at Bantam, and we and the owners of Cooper’s Lake Campground are truly disappointed that the present circumstances will not allow us to hold the Festival as we had hoped.”

Festival registration for those already registered will be automatically credited and rolled over for the 2021 Festival.  Those who would like a refund may request one by May 31st by clicking here. Cooper’s Lake Campground will follow the same procedure, crediting existing reservations and rolling over assigned campsites for 2021.  Both the Festival and Cooper’s Lake will reach out to registered customers with further details and instructions to request refunds via email this week.

The Festival plans to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2021. However, the Festival urges Jeep enthusiasts to keep the weekend of October 2-4 penciled in on their calendars.  “We are working on some plans that we hope will turn this frustrating news into a bit of excitement for our Bantam fans,” said Wagner. “We need some time to get things finalized, and we will announce details in the coming weeks.”

The 1981 Jeep Scrambler raffle drawing will be held in early October.  About 500 tickets are still remaining and can be purchased in the Festival’s online store for $25 each. Click here to purchase tickets.

Festival Provides Money & Muscle for Butler County Food Distribution Event on April 28

The images are familiar in Butler County. Miles of vehicles lined up to attend one of the nation’s largest Jeep-only events each June. But this time the vehicles aren’t waiting to fill a summer weekend with fun. Instead they are waiting to fill their trunk with food.

The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association (FBJA), the non-profit owners and organizers of the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, is providing money and volunteers to help feed Butler County families.  The group of Jeep enthusiasts who attract thousands of Jeeps from more than 30 states each year gave $2,500 to provide food for Butler County families in need.  They also are providing more than 40 volunteers who will load food into car trunks.

“We know there are many people in Butler County who are unable to put food on their table, and our local food banks are struggling to meet the demand,” said Todd Wagner, president of the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association. “Our organization relies on the support of hundreds of volunteers to execute the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival each year. This donation of our money and time is one more way we can give back to thousands of families in Butler County when they need us most.”

The food distribution event is the second one held in Butler this month by the Alliance for Non-Profit Resources, Community Partnership and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Organizers say that 1,500 vehicles will receive two boxes of dry goods, produce, bread and milk as a result of the FBJA partnership and additional financial donations from several groups and individuals.

“The need we are seeing right now is unprecedented, and donations are needed so we can continue to help families put food on the table,” said Sandra Curry, community partnership manager of the Alliance for Non-Profit Resources. “We are grateful to the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association for not only providing funding to purchase milk but for providing nearly all of the volunteers we need to execute this crucial distribution event.”

The food distribution event will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at the Big Butler Fairgrounds starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 1,500 trunks are loaded. Drivers and passengers must enter using the Fairground’s South entrance and must remain in their vehicle at all times and follow other outlined procedures.

“This financial gift is just one of many that our organization gives to Butler County non-profit groups each year,” said Wayne Kovac, FBJA treasurer.  “We typically award our gifts each fall after the Festival takes place, but the need for help is happening right now.  The Jeep community is one that gives back to others, and we are proud to step up and do our part for Butler County.”