Olivia MinzolaSalisbury Daily Times
Hop in your Jeep and mosey on down to the Eastern Shore for the 2023 Ocean City Jeep Fest.
The town of Ocean City and event promoter Brad Hoffman are gearing up for the return of the resort’s marquee Jeep event, scheduled to take place Aug. 24-27 and beginning at 8 a.m. sharp each day.
“I’ve never been more excited to host our Jeep event. It is truly an uplifting experience for all who attend from the off-road and Jeep community. People wait all year for this, kids bug their parents to say — when are we going to Jeep Fest? Their happiness is my happiness,” Hoffman said.
A true celebration of the Jeep — a historic American automobile marque — is what Ocean City Jeep Fest is all about.
Beach Crawl, Sand Course and more
Get ready to cruise along the beautiful sandy beaches of Ocean City. According to a news release from Live Wire Media, this year's sunrise beach crawl will begin each day of the event at the Inlet Parking Lot, and the parade of Jeeps on the shore break will head north from the Pier toward 30th Street.
After that, festival attendees can take a "roller coaster" ride in their Jeep on the custom-made Sand Course — courtesy of Delmarva Jeep Events and title sponsor KICKER — located on the beach at Somerset Street. Jeep drivers can climb over sloping hills, head over whoop-de-doos and have their photo taken on the mega-mound.
FESTIVAL: Ocean City's upcoming hot air balloon canceled amid growing concerns, finds new location
“People laughing and having the time of their life is a beautiful memory for the families and the kids who make up this great event,” Hoffman said.
The hub and nucleus of the event is the Roland E. Powell Convention Center located at 40th Street, where attendees can find everything from a 1943 Willys to brand-new 2023 model electric Jeeps competing for awards. Jeeps will line up and shine up for the Show & Shine events on Thursday, Aug. 24, and Friday, Aug. 25.
Ocean City Jeep Fest's partner dealership i.g. Burton will also be on site at the convention center with all the newest makes and models of Jeeps. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to take a drive and feel the vibe.
WHITE MARLIN OPEN: White Marlin Open 2023 final leaderboard: A $6.2M blue marlin is big winner
Special featured guest Patrick Parker or "Sgt. Push-up," who became famous for doing one million pushups to raise awareness for child hunger, will also be in attendance. His mission now is to educate the public with an anti-bullying campaign.
Jeep Fest features the best of the best of industry vendors, including KICKER Audio and Audio Works, which travels all the way from Stillwater, Oklahoma. KICKER will be doing on-site sales and installations for festival attendees, who can outfit their Jeep or 4x4 at the Vendor Village.
717 Companies will also be on-site for installations and show specials, with major manufacturer reps available to discuss how to best customize your make and model of Jeep, such as with upgraded tires and rims.
OCEAN CITY: Will Ocean City crack down on beach tents for 2024? Here's what's under consideration now.
More family-friendly activities
The Jeep-filled fun does not end when the sun sets — festivities and live music will continue after hours.
The KICKER Kickoff party with music by Blake Haley will take place Thursday, Aug. 24, at the newly-renovated Hilton Garden Inn, located at 28th Street. Another party is scheduled to kick off the following night at Pier 23 in West Ocean City for Kickin’ It on the Harbor with KICKER, featuring the Fil Rhythm Band.
Then, on Saturday, Aug. 26, rock out with musicians Shots Fire at Bourbon Street on the Beach, located at 125th Street. Finally, Jeep Fest will close out with the Wrap Party at Sinepuxent Brewing Co., located on Route 611 at 8816 Stephen Decatur Highway, with Doug Kaetz.
All parties are open to the public, and participants will get a discount with their show badge.
Other events set to take place at this year's festival include:
- Jeeps for St. Jude will be on-site to talk about their “rides to save lives”
- Show center features more than 60 booths featuring hundreds of products
- Visit the US Army and the US Marines to meet Sgt. Pushup
- Want to see a beast of a Jeep? Joe’s Jeep Jungle has hemi swaps and builds some of the baddest Jeeps on the planet
- Krawl Works will have one of the top customized Jeeps in the USA on display
- Amazing customized lights for your Jeep are available at the Quake LED booth
- See the competitive touring crawl vehicle presented by Lucky 13 Motorsportz
- Get information on Delmarva’s newest offroad park, Safari at the Quarry
“The team and support are key to the success of this event,” Hoffman said. “I can’t do it without all the great folks that come together all year long, working tirelessly, to make this event great. The participants are the foundation and we are the workhorses. But you never work a day in your life if you love what you do, and we love running Ocean City Jeep Fest.”
Visithttps://oceancityjeepweek.com/for additional event information.
SKATE PARK: Ocean City's skate park to get new look with mural, and here's what's being planned
What is the weather forecast?
The Weather Channel is calling for mostly sunny skies from Thursday, Aug. 24, to Friday, Aug. 25, with both days reaching a high temperature of nearly 80 degrees. Light winds from 10 to 15 mph are expected.
Be sure to keep an umbrella on-hand, as showers may begin late Friday night and continue into Saturday, Aug. 26. The sun is likely to be back out on Sunday, Aug. 27, with temperatures reaching a high of nearly 80 degrees.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas atominzola@delmarvanow.com.
