Presented by Hankook Dynapro Tire
One of the largest Jeep events in the USA isn’t held in California, it is a gathering each summer in the charming town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The statistics are impressive, with over 50,000 attendees, 20,000 Jeeps, 300 vendors, and one of the coolest street cruises I have ever seen. The event is a ton of fun and exudes Jeep enthusiasm at every turn.
The success of the event is owed to the Smoky Mountain Jeep Club, whose members volunteer to help coordinate trail rides, the show and shine, an obstacle course, and ticket sales. Their efforts bring significant attention for the club, but also serves to boost the local economy, generating an estimated $30,000,000 in tax revenue for the county. All of this has been accomplished in just 13 years, with the event continuing to grow and thrive.
Our crew had already been in the area for the Bronco Stampede, so we switched vehicles to a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4Xe and loaded up the cameras to document all the happenings. Our first impression was how well attended the vendor area was, with many premium brands in attendance, like Bestop, Currie Enterprises, Warn, Hankook Tires, Windshield Defense, Rough Country, and others. We spent several hours drooling over all of the custom Jeeps, accessories, and food trucks. When the rain started, we found respite under their massive food tent.
Jeep Invasion always has a test track to push the limits of your Jeep, and this got even more sporty with the rain coming down. We watched several owners “send it” up a muddy hill to make it to the top, their engines pinging off the rev limiter. It was fun to watch and see the wide range of vehicle (and driver) capabilities. I did find it curious that Tennessee drivers seem to be allergic to airing down (grin).
Hankook had a significant presence at the event with a large display and skilled event staff. There were several product experts in attendance with a deep knowledge in tire technology and which model is best suited to the overlander’s needs. There were also two influencer-owned Jeeps, like Jacob Delacruz’ four door JLU with 37-inch Hankook Dynapro MT2. A few days later, we hit the trail with Jacob and put the tires to the full test (see a future episode to watch Jacob’s Jeep in action).
One hilarious part of the Jeep Invasion is all of the ducks. Massive ducks, tiny ducks, dashes filled with ducks, and as we would soon discover. . . duck launchers. On my first night coming into Pigeon Forge, I had the window down in the Uber, and caught my first duck experience with a tiny nurse duck smacking me in the forehead through the open window. What I thought was an impressive arm and aim turned out to be a well-tuned duck launcher. During the street cruises, we caught a dash full of ducks through open windows or the freedom panels we had removed. It became part of a fun evening of laughter, duck jokes, and great footage. Overall, the Jeep Invasion exceeded the fun expectations, and showed both the hospitality of the south, and the region’s love for a Jeep party.
