Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival's 10th anniversary a success as events look to move out from the pandemic's shadow.
by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The mud was deep, rocks large and Jeeps plentiful as the 10th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival took over Cooper's Lake Campground from June 11-13.
Widely considered one of the country's largest Jeep events, Bantam roared back into prominence this year after having to miss its last edition because of the pandemic. And the crowds followed as well.
More than 15,000 people attended the three-day event that featured, among other things, many of the Jeep aftermarket's top manufacturers, trail rides, skills competition, Jeep playground and mud pit, historical exhibits, military encampment, Best of Show awards, downhill Jeep Barbie racing.
The Bantam experience also boasts a Jeep parade and parking show on its Friday night in nearby Butler, where nearly the entire city shuts down to vehicle traffic and all kinds of Jeeps park for inspection. The parade's capacity this year was capped at 1,500 Jeeps and thousands of people came out to the invasion. For many, it was the first Jeep event they've been able to attend since 2019. Butler, for those not in the know, is the birthplace of Jeep thanks to the Bantam Car Company's 1941 prototype it build for the U.S. Army.
While the parade may draw the most attention, the other popular spot is the the Jeep Playground, sponsored in part by Quadratec, where drivers could choose one of three courses depending on their Jeep build. The first is a small trail with uphill and downhill mounds, as well as high-banked turns for those with stock Jeeps or are new to off-roading. Another is a more sophisticated track with steeper approach angles, ledges and deeper drops designed to be more of a test. The last is a long rock pile that tests a driver's patience, as well as their ability to follow spotter instructions. The rocks are spread out to force maximum tire articulation, while sending the vehicle off-camber at times before a sharp ending ascent and descent. Even some of the built-up Jeeps had issues here and there with the run, with tires spinning at times or just not finding the right line at first. However, the experienced spotters from Rausch Creek Off-Road park, led by Quadratec Racing Team's Ron Lind, did an excellent job getting everyone through (sometimes with a helpful winch pull).
The jewel of the event, though, is the playground's mud pit area and many spectators flock to the surrounding bleachers to watch vehicle after vehicle attempt to plow through that mud — many only getting a few feet at first before getting bogged down and needing a tow strap for removal. Eventually, as the wall of mud pushes further and further out, one vehicle always manages to power through with mud spattering everywhere as the assembled crowd cheers its approval. And once one breaks through, it seems many that follow do as well. Even still, each Jeep comes out with a healthy coating of mud that definitely requires cleaning attention.
New this year at Bantam were off-site trails that the organizations built up last season following a land purchase before its new fall event — Bantam 9.5. With last year's Bantam cancellation, organizers wanted to hold some kind of event even though the traditional campground was shut down for the year. So the group picked up some land just a few miles away from the campground and constructed several trails that participants could register to run each event day. Rausch Creek General Manager Bernie Gardula oversaw that portion of Bantam to make sure everything ran with no issues.
Also popular for those who took time away from the rocks and mud was the Jeep Skills Competition, where participants competed in various games to see who could get the highest score. Those games included passengers knocking a ball down the trail with a broom at slow speed, then trying to brush it up a ramp and into a bucket; a section where tennis balls were thrown at strategically-placed water bottles — the more knocked down, the higher the score; Frisbee and hoop throws to targets; giant dice thrown to a marked area, and a spot where one of the occupants scooped water from one side of a divided metal tray to the other without spilling — all while the Jeep rolled along. Additionally, several trivia questions were asked by volunteers at each game stop that contributed to every Jeep's final score.
Quadratec has attended every Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival since the event's inception, and this year brought along an overlanding theme with its YouTube Personality Rob Jarrell's Gladiator build, as well as displaying a current Gladiator giveaway the company is sponsoring with Bestop. Quadratec also handed out numerous giveaway items, showed off several products, handed out catalogs and offered a show discount for attendees.
