Jeeps on the beach this weekend as 5th annual event kicks into gear in downtown Myrtle

Rainy weather made for the perfect day for Jeep lovers to play in the mud as the the 5th Annual Myrtle Beach Jeep Jam kicked into low gear Friday in Myrtle Beach.

With the old mall site downtown between Oak Street and Kings Highway converted into an obstacle course and mud pit, called the “proving grounds,” jeep drivers can show off their skills and machines during the three-day event ending Sunday.

A special permit from the City of Myrtle Beach allows participants in the “Sunrise Beach Crawl” to drive on the sand 6-9 a.m. daily during the event from 24th Avenue North traveling along the sand to 2nd Avenue North.

Hundreds of Jeeps, many decorated for Halloween, filled the parking lot Friday as spectators gathered to watch tricked-out newer models, as well as classic four wheelers, attempt to climb obstacles and spin through the muck. Attendants in safety yellow shirts rushed from one disabled vehicle to the next quickly attaching straps to bumpers to pull them from the mire so the next driver could push their machine its limits.

In the parking lot, Britni Williams, of North Carolina, led her daughter Billie through the maze as the 4-year-old carefully placed rubber duckies, a traditional sign of appreciation, on her favorite Jeeps.

Jeep Jam organizers have also partnered with The Hangout at Barefoot Landing on Thursday, Hard Rock Cafe on Friday and the Crooked Hammock Brewery in Barefoot Landing on Saturday for evening after parties, so expect to see the four wheelers all around town this weekend.

Registrations for the popular “Show and Grime” jeep show event are already sold out, but spectators can gain entry to all of the events for $10 a day and children under 12 years old are free.