St. Augustine, FL (July 23rd, 2018) – On July 20th, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in St. Augustine hosted their first annual “Ugly Truck Parade” to celebrate National Ugly Truck Day. The event was one of many events this summer celebrating Ripley’s 99 Strange Days of Summer.
Trucks from north and central Florida joined in a procession led by the St. Augustine Police department. The parade began south on San Marco Ave and continued to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! where trucks were greeted by a number of spectators and judges who would critique their vehicles in four areas:
- Exterior Appearance
- Interior Appearance
- Drivability
- The back story of how they came to own the vehicle
The participants had a variety of trucks on display ranging from models in the 1960’s to early 2000’s. There were ten contestants in all and Ripley’s hopes to grow the event and host it annually.
The grand prize of $500 and a trophy went to John Labutti and his 1968 Kaiser M715. The truck/Jeep was a monster size measuring close to 8 feet tall. The interior driver’s side floor was patched with old license plates. When asked what made his truck special, John said “Chuck Norris would drive it.”
Matt Rowland brought his 1963 F250. This beauty has been buried for decades under “25 years of chicken poop and farm equipment.” Matt spent several weekends restoring his truck in preparation for the parade.
Jay Woodley showcased his custom “Zombiemobile” that his friends have dubbed the “Walker Plow 9000.” It was adorned with skulls, barbed wire and bloody handprints.
Don’t miss out on future summer events! Visit ripleys.com/staugustine/ for more event details. For more photos from this event, please visit Dropbox folder here.
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Media Contacts
Kim Kiff
Regional Manager
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Saint Augustine
kkiff@ripleys.com
Office: 904 – 824 – 1606
Suzanne Smagala-Potts
Public Relations Manager
Ripley Entertainment
smagala@ripleys.com
Office: 407-345-8010 Cell: 727-439-0136
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 100-plus attractions in 11 countries each year. In addition to its 30 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in countries around the world. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada.
