It’s that time of year again – Jeep Fest is only a few weeks away, making this year the sixth annual Toledo Jeep Fest. As home of the Jeep, Toledo is ready to welcome back all Jeep owners and cheer them on as they cruise down city streets. Downtown Toledo will be hosting the staple All-Jeep Parade and there will be a variety of activities available for Jeep-lovers of all ages. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer with Jeep Fest this August, with the full schedule of events, below.
│ History of Jeep in Toledo │ Spot that Jeep │ Jeep Fest Events│
Day 1: Friday, August 4
12 pm – 6 pm: Jeep Off-Road Welcome Party
- 18-obstacle course, unique giveaways and more.
6:15 pm: Kick-Off Concert
- Scotty McCreery performs live (purchase tickets at PromedicaLive.com).
6 pm – 10 pm: Adams Street Invasion
- Car crushing, RTI ramp and balance blocks opps, vendors, DJ, food trucks and more.
Day 2: Saturday, August 5
10 am: Grogan’s Towne & Charlie’s All-Jeep Parade
10 am – 6 pm:
- Outdoor Park-N-Shine Show
- Indoor Exhibit: Speaker Series and RC Rock Crawling Course.
- Vendor Midway
- Kids’ Zone @ Festival Park
- Family Zone @ Hensville Park
- Live Bands and Entertainment
- Food Trucks
- Beer Gardens
- Levis Square
4:30 pm: Official Program and Commemoration
6 pm – 7:30 pm: Movie Night @ Fifth Third Field
8 pm: Free Jeremy Rowe Concert @ Hensville Park
- Opens at 7 pm.
Day 3: Sunday, August 6
9:15 am – 10 am: 1-Mile Walk
9:30 am: Rouen 4-Mile Run
10:30 am – 2:30 pm:
- Indoor Exhibit and RC Rock Crawling Course
- Vendor Midway
- Live Bands and Entertainment
- Food Trucks
- Beer Gardens
- Kids’ Zone @ Festival Park
- Family Zone @ Hensville Park
- Levis Square
3 pm – 6 pm: Outdoor Expo
│ History of Jeep in Toledo │ Spot that Jeep │ Jeep Fest Events│
Spot that Jeep!
Movies and shows that feature Jeep cars
Get prepared for Jeep Fest by reading this list of Jeeps in your favorite films and television shows.
Back to the Future
Marty McFly was saved by a Jeep more than once. Back in 1985, he was able to grab hold of a Jeep while riding his skateboard, making his journey to school that much faster (and way cooler). Flash-forward to the future and McFly once again catches a ride on the back of a Jeep to get away from Griff’s gang.
Band of Brothers
In this war miniseries, Jeeps move through battlefields, war camps, and towns carrying soldiers in and out of trouble. Whether the men are injured or healthy, the Jeep carries them onward through the war.
Baywatch
Though the lifeguards often do the iconic runs across the beach throughout the series, to get to farther destinations each character has their own Jeep that they drive through the waves and across the hot sand.
Breaking Bad
Jeep appears in Breaking Bad in two different forms: as a Jeep Commander and Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Hank’s Jeep Commander takes quite a bit of damage throughout its run on the show with being shot at by multiple different people while the Grand Wagoneer had a bit of an easier ride with the simple task of transportation for Walt’s wife, Skyler White.
Cars
Sarge, the army Jeep, was one of the best soldiers who fought in World War II and is now owner of his own shop “Sarge’s Surplus Hut”. This tough car is usually found barking orders while helping some of the other cars train for racing.
Dukes of Hazzard
For more than one hundred episodes, Daisy Duke sported her trademark Jeep “Dixie”. With its name stenciled on the side of the hood, Daisy was sure to cruise around plenty in her Jeep throughout her time in Hazzard.
Gilmore Girls
One of the staple props of the series comes from Lorelai’s Jeep. It’s always either parked in front of her house, or the mother/daughter duo are heading to Richard and Emily’s house for Friday Night Dinners. Either way, the car makes an appearance in most of the episodes of the seven season series.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Jeeps were certainly made for taking on the jungle, but not many Jeeps can say they held up a swordfight. Mutt Williams and Irina Spalko balance atop two Jeeps as they are speeding through the jungle and fighting sword against sword.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park just wouldn’t be the same without their Jeeps. These film-staple Jeeps are attacked by way too many dinosaurs, used to flee the scene with stolen embryos, and is the spot where some of the series’ most iconic lines were performed.
M.A.S.H.
In almost every episode for eleven seasons, the 1942 Willys Military Jeep was used in the hit sitcom series. The Jeep had many adventures on the show. Klinger tried to eat the Jeep, Radar tried to mail it home, it was painted gold, and the vehicle is even stuffed to the brim with people in an attempt to break the world record for how many people a Jeep could hold. What a memory filled Jeep!
Teen Wolf
There is nothing more iconic in the hit MTV series than Stiles’ beat-up blue Jeep. The vehicle takes the gang on many dangerous adventures but the Jeep always makes it out the other end. Whether it is driving Scott and Stiles to Beacon Hills High School or getting the gang all the way to Mexico for “camping”, the trusty Jeep only needs a couple rolls of duct tape to get through six seasons of mystery and chaos.
Tomb Raider: Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life
This Jeep certainly has quite a ride. Angelina Jolie’s character Lara Croft can be found speeding through the rough African terrain in her Jeep Wrangler. Instead of using the old-fashioned door to get into the vehicle, the heroine actually parachutes in from the open top of the car. She certainly knows how to enter a Jeep.
Twister
A truly tough vehicle is needed to withstand a tornado, and the Jeep Pickup stood against the natural disaster well… up until the end at least. To learn more about twisters, a sturdy vehicle was needed to carry “Dorothy,” a data collecting tool, into the storm. This Jeep did a commendable job but eventually was destroyed at the end of the film.
│ History of Jeep in Toledo │ Spot that Jeep │ Jeep Fest Events│
A Brief History of Jeep in Toledo
Everyone recognizes the Jeep car, and Toledoans are no stranger to Jeep Fest. However, not everyone is familiar with the history of the company, and how it relates to the Toledo area.
—1909. John Willys moves the Overland Auto Company from Indianapolis to Central Ave. in Toledo, at the site of the former Pope-Toledo plant. The new company, dubbed Willys-Overland, would be ranked second in nationwide automobile production from 1912-1916.
—1938. Willys-Overland bids to produce a new, lightweight truck for the War Department. New chief executive Joseph W. Frazer directs engineer Delmar Roos to improve Willys’ 4-cylinder engine to better handle the kind of pounding such a vehicle would take. Production of the Willys MB vehicle— also known as the “Jeep”— officially begins in 1941. Willys grants the government a non-exclusive license so other manufacturers can produce the vehicle.
—1945. By the end of World War II, Willys-Overland manufactures nearly 360,000 Jeep vehicles— over half the total number produced for the war effort. Instead of returning to traditional passenger vehicles, the company begins production of the first Jeeps for civilian usage.
—1946. The Jeep Utility Wagon, a station wagon based on the Jeep’s engine and transmission, is released. By the end of 1947, Jeep sales have topped 100,000 vehicles.
—1950. After a lengthy application process with several denials, Willys-Overland is finally awarded the trademark on the term “Jeep” on June 13.
—1953. Kaiser Motors of Michigan purchases Willys-Overland and officially changes the name to Willys Motor Company. By the end of 1955, the company stops producing passenger cars to focus on making Jeeps exclusively.
—1962. The Jeep Gladiator is introduced, a full-sized pickup truck, as well as the Jeep Wagoneer to replace the Jeep-styled station wagons. In 1963, Willys Motor Company is officially renamed Kaiser-Jeep.
—1970. American Motors Corporation purchases Kaiser Jeep from Kaiser Industries for $70 million. The plant is again renamed to Jeep Corp.
—1978. Initial plans for a two-and-four door sport utility vehicle take shape at American Motors. The vehicle will eventually be released in 1983 as the XJ Cherokee, Jeep’s first all-new design since the Wagoneer.
—1987. Chrysler officially buys American Motor Corporation for $1.5 billion, or over $3.4 billion in 2021 dollars. The Stickney plant is renamed the Toledo Assembly Plant.
—1991. Chrysler moves the production of the Wrangler from Canada to the Toledo plant. The Wagoneer ceases production in Toledo.
—1997. Construction begins on a new Toledo Jeep plant next to the Stickney plant. Opening in 2001, the new facility produces the Jeep Liberty.
—2003. New parent company DaimlerChrysler announces intentions to expand the Toledo Jeep plant to boost production of the Wrangler. The resulting Toledo Supplier Park, which sits on the same site as the original Stickney plant, opens in 2007.
—2016. The first Toledo Jeep Fest is held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the vehicle in Toledo. By 2022 it has grown into an annual event held over the course of three days. Happy Jeep Fest, everyone!
