Jeeps came from far and wide to invade the Mexico square Saturday for the first-ever Jeep Thing.
“I could not have asked for a better day overall,” event chair Barb Jones said. “It was great – it went as planned.”
Jones, co-owner of The Salty Heifers Co., was the driving force behind the operation with the help of co-owners Lindsy Swaim, Jacie Jones and the Village Square Association.
The Jeep Thing was a fundraiser as much as it was a way of getting people into Mexico’s local businesses.
“I think overall everyone was pleased,” Jones said. “I know Salty Heifers was swamped from the minute we opened the door and we were still there with customers long after the Jeep event was over.”
And it wasn’t just the Salty Heifers who saw an uptick in foot traffic. Despite the street being closed, Color Me Bleu owner Sharon Koontz said she experienced more customers than usual.
“I think having the scavenger hunt really helped people who were not familiar with Mexico, get into the stores on the square,” Jones said. “I had a lot of people say, ‘I had no idea that Mexico had these cool stores down here.’”
All proceeds from the Jeep Thing will go to support the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico and Mainstreet Mexico.
Jones said that while she doesn’t have the exact numbers yet, they were definitely profitable.
Centralia VFW Post 6276 was there to present the colors and welcome the veterans in attendance.
“We want to thank the Mexico veterans home for bringing the veterans down,” Jones said. “They had an amazing time.”
Eighty-one Jeeps registered for the event and while there were 136 spaces to fill, Jones said it was still a good turnout.
“I would have been perfectly happy if we would have hit the 50 Jeep mark, so I think it exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Jones said. “I think next year will be even better.”
The 2026 Mexico Jeep Thing is already in the works and scheduled for June 27. Jones already has plans on how to make the event, specifically the cruise, a little more inclusive to encourage more participation.
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