“I only take this out, like, once a week to make sure it’s running OK.” “Every year I try to bring something new,” he said. McKinney brought his 1959 CJ-5 Jeep to the festival. Travis McKinney, of Winchester, Va., said his grandfather had a Jeep that he used to do farm work. Other Jeep enthusiasts have a love for the vehicle built in through family history. “Music can be therapy, and it is so important to me.” “When I was looking for a theme, I was trying to pay tribute to people who got me through hard times,” Rivera said. Kevin Cunningham, of Evansburg, Pa., shows Andy and Marsha Sizemore, of Canton, Ohio, a photo album of the progress of his restoration of his 1987 Jeep Wrangler during the 11th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival’s Jeep Invasion on Friday in Butler. Local businesses stayed open to serve visitors, and food trucks and stands were parked all around, giving people a taste of Butler. Main Street and a number of other downtown streets were filled with people - both local and out-of-town - crowding the thousands of Jeeps parked and on display. Throughout the evening, Rivera spoke to passersby as they stopped to take a closer look at his ride. “This is an event I will never miss because the people are so kind, and they appreciate the Jeep.” “What makes it special to me is how friendly the town is,” Rivera said. But it’s not just his appreciation for the Jeep that keeps him coming back each year. JR Rivera traveled from Niagara Falls with his blue 1976 CJ-7 to attend the festival, as he has every year since the event began. That support also was appreciated by the Jeepers, many of whom drive for several hours to Butler to attend the festival each year. Jack Null, of North Canton, Ohio, shows off a vehicle with Off The Grid Motorsports during the 11th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival’s Jeep Invasion on Friday in Butler. “It's wonderful to have support from them all.” “It takes hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, lots of cooperation between the city and the county, mayor, police, PennDOT,” Lambert said. She said the event would be a success because of the time put into planning and organizing from many people. Patty Jo Lambert, event organizer for the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, said about 2,300 Jeeps had registered prior to the event and a few hundred more were expected to register on Friday. “I watched ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ and that’s how I fell in love with Jeeps.” “It brings so many smiles to people,” Whitling said. Joseph Ressler/Butler EagleĪfter years of attending the festival, Whitling said she finally scored two prime parking spots on Main Street Friday evening, where her Cookie Monster Jeep and her Minions Jeep could spread many smiles.Ī mail carrier, Whitling said she has tricked out her Jeeps in a few ways, including moving the steering wheel to the right side of her vehicles, but the vehicles’ appearance were most important to her. Liz Folckemer and Morgan Huegel, of Erie, welcome Bessie Pellar, 3, of Richfield, Ohio, to pet their Old English Sheepdog Ellie during the 11th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival’s Jeep Invasion on Friday in Butler.
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