Harlan County Jeep Crawl delights young and old alike

Published 3:27 pm Monday, May 1, 2023

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Friday and Saturday saw Jeepers, off-road enthusiasts, and many others gather in downtown Harlan for a weekend of Jeeps, food, fun and games for the annual Harlan County Jeep Crawl.

Most of the event took place on the grounds around the Harlan Center, as visitors of all ages participated in multiple activities throughout the day. Activities included numerous Jeep rides to places such as Martins Fork Lake and the Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area.

On the grounds around the Harlan Center, folks were lined up to enjoy inflatables, archery, and just to view the customized Jeeps lined up for all to see. For those looking to grab a bite to eat, food vendors were on tap, offering all sorts of fun food items such as cotton candy, tacos, nachos, sandwiches, baked goods, strawberries with cream, cookies, candies, and soft drinks. A cornhole tournament was up and running for those with a competitive streak.

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Inside the Harlan Center, the Mountain Market was in full swing. Marketgoers ambled through the Harlan Center, stopping at vendor’s displays to grab a desert or shop for items such as figurines, homemade jewelry, books, blankets, woodcrafts, toys, and other knickknacks. There was even a selection of apparel, with hats, shoulder bags, shoes and shirts all available for purchase.

Live music was a big part of Saturday, with local favorite Brooklyn Collins performing for the crowd from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Following Collins, fans of the Eagles were in for a treat as Night Flyer, an Eagles tribute act. hit the stage at approximately 5 p.m. Night Flyer kicked off their set with the familiar Eagles hit “Take it Easy” and proceeded to perform a collection of Eagles favorites to the delight of the crowd, many of whom had brought along their lawn chairs so they could watch the performance in comfort.

“I’m just here to have a little fun,” said event attendee Danny Lankford. “We can all use more of that.”