Of Jeep Week’s Return, Producer: “It’s shaping up to be huge. It’s the only off-road expo of this level on Delmarva.”

Of Jeep Week’s Return, Producer: “It’s shaping up to be huge. It’s the only off-road expo of this level on Delmarva.”
Daily parades of jeeps along the beach are planned Thursday through Sunday. File Photo by Chris Parypa

OCEAN CITY – Jeep and off-road enthusiasts will return to the resort area this weekend for the 8th Annual Ocean City Jeep Week.

Participants and spectators will once again have the opportunity to meet with vendors and celebrities and participate in Jeep-related activities Aug. 24-27.

Live Wire Media’s Brad Hoffman said this year’s event is expected to be bigger and better than in years past.

“It’s shaping up to be huge,” he said. “It’s the only off-road expo of this level on Delmarva.”

Hoffman said more than 1,200 Jeeps are participating in this year’s event, which is expected to bring thousands of attendees and spectators.

“It’s going to be a big one,” he said. “More Jeeps are coming out.”

Events for Ocean City Jeep Week will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. A Jeep sendoff will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday at Berlin Jeep followed by a sendoff pool party from 4-7 p.m. at the Crabcake Factory Poolside located inside the Tidelands Caribbean Hotel.

The Jeep Week event will be headquartered at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center throughout the weekend and will feature vintage Jeep displays, factory representatives, on-site sales and installation, unique Jeep products, test drives, live music, sponsored “Show & Shine” competitions, and monster truck rides, which are included in the ticket price.

Hoffman said events and vendors at the convention center will offer both participants and spectators with face-to-face interactions with the industry’s leading manufacturer’s and celebrities.

“There’s really an opportunity to network,” he said.

Kenny Hauk of Hauk Designs and the television show “Road Hauks” and Tom Bostic of the television show “Junkyard Empire” will also make special appearances at the convention center for Jeep Week. Hauk will showcase some of his custom-designed vehicles while Bostic will showcase the world’s biggest Jeep.

“It’s a monster,” Hoffman said.

In Berlin, CC Customs will host its annual Berlin Jeep Jam in Berlin Falls Park Thursday through Saturday.

Participants can take their Jeeps through the off-road park, which features rock crawls, trail rides and obstacle course areas.

“The course is one of the nicest off-road courses in the nation,” Hoffman said.

The course will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Hoffman said Jeep Jam will conclude Saturday with a “King of the Pit” mud pit competition from 5-7 p.m.

“It’s kind of the crescendo,” Hoffman said.

Additional activities throughout the weekend include a Friday night beach bash at the Clarion Hotel and a Beach Crawl, where 250 Jeeps will make their way from the beaches of 29th Street to the Inlet from 7-9:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Hoffman attributes the success and continued growth of the event to several sponsors and event partners, including the towns of Ocean City and Berlin, Kicker, Berlin Jeep, Trick Trucks, CC Customs, Commander Hotel & Suites, Live Wire Media & Events and several area Jeep clubs.

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Ocean City Jeep Week producer Brad Hoffman, right, is pictured with Hauk Designs owner Kenny Hauk, who will be in town for this year’s event. Submitted Photo

“It brings a great group together,” he said.

Hoffman added those who purchase an admission ticket will be able to enter both Ocean City and Berlin venues.

“We want to make sure it’s a good economic value,” he said.

Hoffman likens the annual event to an ultimate Jeep vacation and 4×4 expo.

“It’s a celebration of summer, of the Jeep, and it’s a family friendly event,” he said. “You don’t have to be a Jeep enthusiast to check it out. Come to the parking lot, put the phone away and visit Ocean City Jeep Week.”

For more information, or to view the complete list of events, visit oceancityjeepweek.com or the Ocean City Jeep Week Facebook page.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.