Jeep outfitter Barricade Offroad claims to be the “Home of ‘Go Topless Day” and its officials said they have no affiliation with the Galveston event. Credit: Instagram / barricadeoffroad

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Barricade owner Turn5.

An annual event for Jeep owners once again brought rowdy crowds to Galveston County over the weekend, resulting in more than 200 arrests, news station KSAT reports.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office told the station that it made 233 arrests at the gathering, which brings thousands of Jeep owners to the Bolivar Peninsula every spring.

Local officials also reported 50 hospitalizations over the weekend, including two people in critical condition, Galveston TV station KTRK reports. At least three people were shot and another robbed at gunpoint.

Jeep owners worldwide convene at events around the globe to celebrate the start of spring by taking the tops off their vehicles, according to Pennsylvania-based Jeep outfitter Barricade Offroad, which claims to be the “Home of ‘Go Topless Day.’”

Over recent years, the Galveston-area event has emerged as one of wildest such gatherings, resulting in numerous arrests. In a statement supplied to the Current, Barricade owner Turn5 said the Texas Gulf Coast event is in no way related to its “Go Topless Day.”

KSAT sister station KPRC reported that this year’s stats are a steep increase from years prior. In 2022 and 2021, Galveston County authorities made 100 and 200 arrests were made, respectively.

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This article appears in May 17-30, 2023.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...