Jeep owners ready to get down and dirty

Sep. 28—Expect things to get dirty and muddy when Jeep owners from Oklahoma and beyond come to Okie Jeep Jam this weekend.

The jam, which runs Friday through Sunday at Hatbox Field, offers two trails plus a Jeep Playground for Jeep lovers.

Muskogee Parks and Recreation Director Mark Wilkerson said registration has gone well.

"We're close to what we did last year as far as our numbers," he said. "We had 400 last year, and I think we're going to exceed that this year."

Entrants are coming from at least 10 states and 140 towns, he said. Oklahoma alone has several Facebook Jeep clubs, he said.

"It's pretty cool how they create a group and become friends and travel together," he said. "There are so many people who own Jeeps that like to be together."

The event is fun for spectators, as well.

"The Jeeps come and they ride on our trails on the Jeep Playground," he said. "They do the teeter totter and the mud pit and other fun things."

Friday's Show 'N' Shine, 4 to 8 p.m., might be a last chance to see many of these Jeeps clean and polished. Prizes are awarded in seven categories, including Best Girl Jeep, Best Modified, Best Lights, Best Military and Best Vintage.

The vehicles get dirty riding trails. They include Cherokee Trail for beginners, which features curves and straightaways, and the Creek trail, which features creek beds. The Jeep Playground features boulders, dirt hills, a mud pit and a teeter-totter.

Children can get a little Jeeping on their own, noon Saturday at the Lil' Okie Crawler Playground. Wilkerson said children can ride around a track in remote controlled Jeeps.

"The kids can ride in them, and the parents can control where the Jeeps drive to," he said.

The Kids' Zone also will feature inflatables, Wilkerson said.

Food trucks and beverages will be available.

Okie Jeep Jam Saturday Night Bash will feature a high-energy show, said Jordyn Jorgenson, executive director of tourism for Muskogee Tourism Authority.

"They can expect to come and have a great time," she said.

Several bands will play, with Micky and The Motorcars from Austin, Texas, headlining.

"They are kind of like a Red Dirt, pop, country band," Jorgenson said. "The lead singer's brother is in Reckless Kelly. They're kind of known to be the birth of the Red Dirt genre, so it's pretty cool that they're coming to town."

Several food trucks will be available, she said.

Jeeps get especially dirty at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Okie Mud Pit Challenge, which Wilkerson described as a mud bog race. The person with the fastest time through the mud bog wins a prize, he said.

If you go

WHAT: Okie Jeep Jam

WHEN: Friday-Sunday.

WHERE: Hatbox Field, entrance at 4000 Border Ave.

ADMISSION: Free for spectators.

JEEP REGISTRATION: $40 single day; $50 preregistration; $10 Show 'N' Shine. Register online at https://www.okiejeepjam.com/registration

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY

—Noon — Kids' Zone opens.

—4-8 p.m. — Jeep Jam Show 'N Shine.

—5-9 p.m. — Vendor/sponsor fair.

—7:15 p.m. — Show 'N Shine awards.

SATURDAY

—9 a.m. — Trails open, Jeep Playground opens, Kids' Zone opens, vendor/sponsor fair.

—10 a.m. — Veterans Tribute Ride, depart for Muskogee VA.

—Noon to 4 p.m. — Lil' Okie Crawler Playground.

—5 p.m. — Gates Open for Okie Jeep Jam Saturday Night Bash. Tickets: $10 for adults; $5 for children. Available online at https://www.okiejeepjam.com/concert

—5 p.m. — Jeremy Rowe Band.

—7:15 p.m. — Chris Blevins.

—8 p.m. — RC and the Ambers.

—9:30 p.m. — Micky and the Motorcars.

SUNDAY

—10 a.m. — Trails, Jeep Playground and vendor/sponsor fair open.

—2 p.m. — Okie Mud Pit Challenge.