T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM - Multiple attendees navigate a four-wheel drive course at Oak Ridge MX near Garwin on Saturday. It was the first time the event was held in the area.

GARWIN – Hundreds of people were found at Oak Ridge MX near Garwin on Saturday and Sunday for the Iowa All Breeds Jeep Show.

Five hours after the show opened on Saturday morning, more than 280 people registered to participate, and event coordinator Vince Ewald was confident they would break the attendance record.

“The total record for the weekend is about 300,” he said. “We are almost there in one day, which is huge. Usually we don’t hit that number until well into Sunday. To almost get there on Saturday is pretty amazing.”

Ewald believes the high attendance number is due to the central location of the show. The event was held at Cambridge for 14 years before making the move to Garwin. He said they were looking for a place to grow and expand the show and include camping for participants.

“Another great thing about this location is it is equal distance from all of the major metro areas,” Ewald said. “Where we were, it was much closer to Des Moines than Iowa City. Here, it splits the difference.”

Daryl Surface, a volunteer and past event chairman, said Oak Ridge is the perfect place for the show.

“It’s our first year here,” he said. “The elevation and the contour changes, which makes it very attractive. It’s a large space, lots of acreage, so it can accommodate a lot of people without having traffic jams.”

An attendee of the Iowa All Breeds Jeep Show navigates an obstacle in the four-wheel drive course at Oak Ridge MX near Garwin on Saturday.

This was the first time the show had been in Tama County since beginning 15 years ago.

“This is a fantastic location,” Ewald said. “The great thing about it is the natural terrain, as opposed to having to construct everything, we already have it available to us. The view, the open spaces, it’s a really beautiful location.”

Another reason for the increased attendance is the strong partnership with the sponsor, Karl Auto Group of Marshalltown, Ewald said.

“What they brought to the table is an immense marketing network,” he said. “They could help us with the digital marketing, which skyrocketed our visibility and accessibility. The radio advertising, in-person events, all done and supported by Karl was foundational.”

As a result of the location and the increased marketing, Ewald encountered new attendees. While at Cambridge, they had developed an audience who attended regularly. Oak Ridge had similar events in the past and people would attend those.

“Now we’re bringing those two together,” he said. “Our history and [Oak Ridge] history, essentially we’re merging two families.”

The event was not just for Jeep enthusiasts and owners, but for anyone who had an interest in off-road and 4×4 vehicles including Broncos, Rams, Land Rovers and Toyotas. The show always starts the first morning with a car show, Ewald said.

“That’s a time when everyone can sit still or get to walk around and look at all of the vehicles,” he said. “There’s some judging that occurs for special categories. Then we open the place to use the off-road courses. This time around, we even have fun nighttime things to do with the camping, fire pits and an outdoor movie screen.”

Attendees of the show were able to navigate a driving skills course, either for beginners or more experienced. Surface said some of the trails were designed for people who had never put their vehicle in four-wheel drive before.

“We have people here set aside to help new people,” he said. “They will ride in the vehicle with them when they drive or they can do a free ride-along.”

Attendees could visit the vendors, go to the swap meet and the 4×4 show and enter for door prizes. Since it was a family-friendly event, there were activities for the children, as well.

“We structure this in a way so you really should bring the entire family,” Ewald said. “You feel safe and confident in doing so. It’s a safe event. We have a long history of being safe. There’s been no significant accidents. We always act to maintain that to the best of our ability.”

He hopes the Jeep show has found a new permanent home and wants to continue the partnerships with Oak Ridge MX, Karl Auto, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Cooper’s Tire and Auto, Key Cooperative and Dale’s Wright Tire and Auto.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.