Gov. Tom Wolf

CRANBERRY TWP — Registration numbers for the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival are soaring, and all those Jeep owners might even have a special guest this year in the form of Gov. Tom Wolf.

While Wolf hasn’t made a firm commitment to attend the event, he has relayed to Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau President Jack Cohen that he would like to attend, schedule permitting.

According to Cohen, Wolf drives his personal Jeep to work every day in Harrisburg and has been a Jeep enthusiast for decades.

Cohen said the June 12 to 14 festival already has 1,800 advanced registrations for Jeepers, an impressive number given that there were 2,400 Jeepers at last year’s event.

The Jeep Invasion, the parade scheduled to take place in downtown Butler, also is close to being sold out. That will occur on June 12.

Organizers of the parade are trying to break their own record for the most Jeeps assembled in one spot and are trying to get 2,500 Jeeps to register for the event.

However, the Jeep parade is getting competition from a festival in Florida that is trying to break Butler’s record. That event will take place April 26, which means Butler County’s Jeep fest will have time to work to beat Florida’s numbers if needed.

“If they break our record, we’ll have time to organize to try to break theirs,” Cohen said. “We enjoy the challenge.”

Tourism board Chairman Rodney Schaffer said the Jeep festival will use more space at Cooper’s Lake Campground than in the past, if only because organizers expect more attendees.

The festival is growing, Cohen said, and so is its notoriety.

“This will be recognized on the world stage, and we need to make sure we’re at our best,” he said. “It really is a big win for our region.”

To learn more about the festival or to register, visit the event’s website at www.bantamjeepfestival.com.