Jeeps to take over Downtown Butler
The Jeep Invasion, part of the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler County, is back.
Roughly 1,000 registered Jeeps are set to descend upon Downtown Butler on Friday evening, June 7, from two staging areas, one north and the other south of the city.
According to event organizer Patti Jo Lambert, this is the first time invading Jeeps will be unleashed from staging grounds. The intention, she said, of the two spots, each one about 4 miles from downtown, is to help ease traffic of previous years.
“It’s just like any other big event you go to. It’s no worse than going to a sporting event or big concert,” Lambert said about the expected traffic.
Of the 1,000 Jeeps, 600 will be staged north of downtown at the Butler Flea Market and 400 will start south at the Lyndora American Legion. The Jeeps will be released in small groups during 10-minute bursts starting at 5 p.m.
Lambert said that Butler Township Police are going to assist with the flow of traffic.
“If you don’t need to be there at those hours, I recommend you avoid that area for those three hours,” Lambert said.
She estimated heavy traffic between 4 and 7 p.m.
Bill McNutt, commander at the Lyndora American Legion, will help organize the staging location. He says that his post has been a part of the festival since its beginning.
McNutt’s post has been putting a lot of work into organizing the festival, including the Legion Riders, Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary.
McNutt said that the Jeep festival is a great source of pride for him.
“The Jeep was invented in Butler and that means a lot to me,” he said.
The invasion will include a party in downtown Butler with live music and attractions from some of Butler’s businesses and organizations. The organizers say they’re expecting the sidewalks downtown to be packed with around 15,000 people, according to their website.
Jeep owners that want to drive in the invasion can register online at www.bantamjeepfestival.com.
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