HUNDREDS OF MINIS TO DESCEND ON BETHLEHEM AUG. 8-9
Musikfest is one of 15 stops on this year’s road rally, the largest of its kind for MINI owners

Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley will cruise into the national spotlight when MINI owners from across the country pull into Musikfest this August as part of the legendary cross-country road rally MINI TAKES THE STATES (MTTS). More than 700 MINIs are already set to take part in the rally, which gets underway July 26 in San Francisco, Calif.

MTTS, the largest official MINI road rally for MINI owners, takes place every other year. In 2012, several thousand people took part in the rally, with 83 MINIs making the entire cross-country trip.  This year’s MTTS will pass through 18 states and 15 cities over 14 days, finishing in Boston on Aug. 10.

“It’s truly and honor for Bethlehem and Musikfest to be included in this year’s MINI TAKES THE STATES,” says ArtsQuest Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advancement Kassie Hilgert. “This is something that our partner, MINI of Allentown, has been working on for nearly three years. MINI of Allentown owner Gary Daniels and General Manager Bill Stoeckel have been tremendous advocates for bringing this road rally to Bethlehem to showcase not only the festival, but everything our region has to offer. We’re looking forward to hosting MINI owners from throughout the nation, giving them the opportunity to experience this unique musical celebration and our beautiful, historic city.”

On Aug. 8, MTTS participants will depart from Buffalo, N.Y., making the 300-plus mile drive to Bethlehem to experience an evening of music, food and fun at Musikfest, the nation’s largest free music festival.  Guests will enjoy a reception in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks that evening, as well as breakfast on the Air Products Town Square the following morning. In between, they’ll take in more than 50 free performances at Musikfest.  Plus, one hundred lucky rally participants will be chosen at random to attend Musikfest’s headlining show on Aug. 8 featuring country legend Alan Jackson.

“MINI of Allentown is proud to sponsor Musikfest again this year. Musikfest presents the best opportunity to bring MINI cars and MINI spirit to the largest gathering of people in the Lehigh Valley,” says Bill Stoeckel, General Manager at Daniels BMW/MINI of Allentown. We are excited to announce that Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley will have one of the highest MINI participation rates in the history of MINI TAKES THE STATES. People from across the country will experience the festival and the warm Pennsylvania hospitality. On Aug. 8and 9 patrons of Musikfest will see why hundreds of passionate MINI owners band together. There is no other car owner with this much spirit.”

On the morning of Aug. 9, Hundreds of MINIs are expected to line up on First Street on the SteelStacks campus as they prepare to depart for the 6-hour trip to Boston, where they’ll finish the rally at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Bethlehem is one of the smallest cities on MTTS 2014, which also includes stops in Reno, Nev.;  Wendover, Utah; Grand Junction, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M.; Lubbock, Dallas and Austin, Texas; St. Louis, Mo.; Chicago, Ill.; Memphis, Tenn.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo.

“We’ve seen so much excitement and anticipation from the MINI community online and on our social channels that we really hope this year’s MINI TAKES THE STATES sets a new record,” says David Duncan, Vice President MINI of the Americas. “This will be my third MINI TAKES THE STATES and I’m calling on all owners to come out and motor with us. You won’t be sorry!”
Cruising for more info on MINI TAKES THE STATES? Visit www.minitakesthestates.com for the MTTS 2014 route map and details on this year’s rally. For more information on Musikfest 2014, stop by www.musikfest.org.