About Our Jeep Event
Florida Jeep Jam features a ton of Jeep activities combined with family fun hosted on “The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches”, helping to make it easy to see why so many Jeep families keep choosing Florida Jeep Jam as their favorite Jeep event! This May is the perfect time to enjoy your favorite Jeep beach destination. Gather up everyone from your Jeep club and start making plans for a fun Jeep week vacation in Panama City Beach.
With record Jeep attendance each year, Florida Jeep Jam continues to earn our title of the “Fastest Growing Jeep Event in the Southeast”. Be a part of our largest Jeep rally this year and help us celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary. Check out over 100 vendors and experience all kinds of fun with fellow jeepers. Now is the time to start making plans to join Jeep owners from around the country for the Jeep invasion of Panama City Beach, Florida.
Florida Jeep Jam is scheduled to take place from May 12 – 17, 2025. Jeep week activities start Monday and increase daily, leading into a long weekend full of awesome Jeep activities – hosted at Aaron Bessant Park! Register today and get ready for Florida’s favorite Jeep event. * All events, dates and locations are subject to change.
- Jeep Invasion Parade *
- Topless Tuesday Celebration
- Dunes Day Off-Road Trail Excursions *
- Jeep Obstacle Course
- Jeep Vendor Village
- Jeep Poker Run
- Vendor Welcome Party
- Explore PCB the Game
- Day at the Beach Party
- Topless for Turtles Jeep Beach Krawl (helping protect & preserve Florida’s Habitat) *
- Live Music at On-Site 4×4 Bar & Grill
- FJJ Corn Hole Tournament *
- Bowling Tournament *
- Outdoor Drive-In Movie Night
- Bon Voyage featuring a Sound Off Audio Competition and Jeep Show & Shine Contest
- Charity Raffle *
- Jeep Raffle *
- More to Come
*Additional Fees Apply
Charity and FJJ
Not only do we host the best Jeep beach vacation in the Southeast, but registrations from our Jeep event also help fund many worthy charities. Since 2016, Florida Jeep Jam has contributed over $100,000 in charitable donations and this total continues to grow each year.
View our beautiful beaches live:
Beach Cam courtesy of Courtesy of Calypso Homeowners Association.
About Mark Wayne Hess
Executive Producer, Visionary, Creator
FAMILY BUSINESS
In 1985, Mark Hess moved from Tampa to the Panama City Beach, Florida to work in the family business at Ebro Greyhound Park, now Ebro Card Casino, where he remains today with his brother Rick, and their Father Stockton Hess, in all management aspects.
EVENT PRODUCER
In 1999, Hess realized his shared love for the family business wasn’t enough. So he founded Hess Entertainment Inc. with a vision to provide Bay County with top rated entertainment. Seventeen years later he had done just that, producing events with over 100 National Artists such as Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Kenny Roger, Hank Williams Jr, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Boston, Steve Miller Band, Tony Bennett, BB King to name a few.
NOT JUST JEEPN AROUND
In 2016, Hess’s childhood passion for Jeeps was rekindled and quickly became a primary focus. As a result a new vision was born.
Hess founded Florida Jeep Jam in Panama City Beach, Florida – A Multi-Day Jeep “Beach Vacation” for Jeep owners and enthusiasts.
Hess, with partner Mark Forrest, created “The American SuperJeep Challenge” A Competition Reality show. Following its April 2019 debut, airing on Motor Tread Network, Hess and Forrest set out across country coast to coast filming Season One, ultimately partnering with Courtney Hansen to film our final episode just as the COVID Pandemic began to spread.
SERVING HIS COMMUNITY
Hess has served on a verity of boards in both Washington and Bay County, such as the Washington County Chamber, Panama City Beach Chamber, Gulf Coast College Foundation, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, and as Event Co-Chair with wife Sonja for The American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball.
Most recently, Hess, with partner Mark Forrest, worked with Florida Legislators to successfully pass legislation allowing for the addition of the NEW “Explore Off Road” Florida Specialty License Plate. Annual use fees from plate sales are administered by Florida Off-Road Foundation, Inc, (FORF) a nonprofit corporation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Panama City Beach, Florida
Aaron Bessant Park
We encourage you to explore everything Aaron Bessant Park has to offer, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the Jeeps here for Florida Jeep Jam!
Florida Jeep Jam Event Charity Partners
“On behalf of the entire Florida Jeep Jam staff, we thank all the volunteers for the hard work and commitment made to our charity partners and to our Florida Jeep Jam jeep vendors for donating all the great Vendor Raffle items. As a result tens of thousands of dollars are raised and donated each year to our charity partners. We are proud to be apart of these efforts and thankful to our charity partners for all they do for our community throughout the year.”
Sincerely,
— MARK HESS
Florida Jeep Jam Staff
Our Annual Jeep event has proudly raised over $92,000 for charities since 2016!
CHARITY DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS:
Beach Care Services, IncArnold High School Band Booster, Inc
Arnold High School Culinary
Arnold High School Volleyball
Toys for Kids Foundation
Boys & Girls Club of Bay County, Inc
Tyndall Air Force 325 LRS Booster Club
Tyndall Air Force 325 MDG Booster Club
Navy Booster Club
Navy League/Navy Ball
Lift for The 22
Club FJJ Rewards Program
US Armed Forces
St Jude's Children Hospital
Simply Self Esteem
4 Wheel 2 Heal
Emerald Coast Jeep Lovers
Miracle Strip Women's Club
BAJA
Florida Off-Road Foundation
Forgotten Warriors
Panhandle Jeep Club