(Toledo, OH) Jeepfest takes over downtown Toledo this weekend.
More than 60,000 people are expected to attend the second edition of JeepFest between now and Sunday. Events will include a Jeep parade through downtown, an All-Jeep Car Show at the SeaGate Convention Centre, Jeep history and military programming.
The fun kicks off Friday night at Promenade Park with a concert by disco icons KC and the Sunshine Band at 6:15 p.m. Lots of other entertainment is scheduled for Levis Square, SeaGate Centre and Hensville Park.
Saturday's events include the signature All-Jeep Parade through downtown Toledo, which starts at 11 a.m. More than 1,300 vehicles are registered to take part in the parade, with a massive staging area at the Toledo Zoo.
Downtown streets will be transformed into an All-Jeep Festival and Car Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 20-block walking tour offering the full breadth of the Jeep experience. Alongside the car show will be food trucks, live bands and entertainment, and a kid's zone.
There will be an official commemoration ceremony at 4:30 p.m., followed by a Dueling Pianos Under the Stars concert at Hensville Park at 7 p.m.
Sunday's events include a four-mile run and one-mile walk hosted by Run Toledo at 8:30 a.m. The festival and car show will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A JeepFest beer garden will be open all day on Saturday and from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Sunday, with visitors able to take advantage of downtown Toledo’s Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) and carry their adult beverages within the district's boundaries.
There will be more than 60 local, regional, and national vendors in a special Vendor Midway on St. Clair St. near the SeaGate Centre. Dana, Outlaw LED, Steinjäger, Sylvania Automotive, and Goodyear are among those who will offer displays and wares at the new JeepFest feature.
Enthusiasts from 27 states, Canada and Mexico will celebrate their love for Jeep and an adventurous way of life in the city where the Jeep was invented and the iconic Wrangler is still made.
Destination Toledo and the Toledo-Lucas County Convention and Visitors Bureau estimate the first-ever JeepFest in 2016 generated between $2.7 million and $3.4 million in economic impact activity. Those numbers are expected to climb much higher with an expanded array of exhibits and activities.
More details can be found at ToledoJeepFest.com.