TOLEDO, Ohio — Another year marked another weekend to celebrate a staple in downtown Toledo.
Wranglers, Gladiators and more rolled through the streets as Toledo Jeep Fest returned to the Glass City at the heart of the Jeep brand.
"For me, working at the event is really special," Toledo Jeep Fest organizer Whitney Rofkar said. "I'm from Toledo, born and bred, and so to shine a bright light on the city I call home is really special."
Rofkar said she looks forward to the celebration every year, which began in 2016.
"The first Jeep Fest was a half-day event and now it's a four-day-long event," Rofkar said.
Rofkar said that in 2016, Toledo Jeep Fest had almost 40,000 attendees. Now, that number has almost doubled, and it all begins locally.
"Toledo Jeep Fest is such a celebration of the brand," Rofkar said. "So, we really try to make sure that people remember that every Gladiator and every Wrangler around the world is made right here at the Toledo Assembly Complex."
From the complex to the roads, Jeeps are the main attraction, but there is also a variety of vendors.
"I love all the new products. Whenever they bring stuff out, that's kind of cool to watch," Clint Lamrouex, a salesperson for Offroad Unlimited, said. "Or we see custom builds especially in-house that they do, I like seeing all of that."
Lamrouex said this was his first Toledo Jeep Fest and he was excited to be there.
"I came to the event just to set up shop, show people what we have, and tell them what we have," Lamrouex said. "We have all of the things and are capable of doing to Jeeps. From suspension lifts to axle swaps, or V8 (engine) swaps, pretty much anything you can think of, we can do it."
However, he said it's not just about building Jeeps. It's also about building connections.
"You get to interact with them (customers) on those other hobbies they have instead of just jeeping. So you get to build a friendship, like a long relationship with them," Lamrouex said. "So, absolutely, I think it's very good that people can help others and share the same passion."
Rofkar said it's something that helps bring people back, year after year.
"Toledo Jeep Fest, celebrating the Jeep, celebrating the amazing workforce that is northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, is really special," Rofkar said. "We're going to keep doing it as long as people want to come."
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