When Toyota Jamboree posted "Something new is brewing..." this summer, I knew I'd have to check it out. It turned out to be Toyotas & Taps, a free Toyota & Lexus show and social at Hoppin' Grapevine on Saturday, September 26, 2026. No trails, no mud, and no broken CV axles this time (sorry Keith). Just rigs, cold drinks and some familiar faces right here in DFW. So yeah, I decided to go, packed my camera and drove over to Grapevine.
The event ran from 11 AM to 2 PM, entry was free, and the only rule was that all Toyotas & Lexus were welcome: stock, modified, lifted, lowered, overland builds, trail rigs, classics and daily drivers. Honestly, that's my favorite kind of rule, because you never know what's going to park next to you. I didn't register for the show this time, by the way. My GX 460 was just parked there with everyone else, and I spent my time taking pictures instead.
If you've never been to Hoppin', it's a self-pour taproom. You get a wristband linked to your card, walk up to a wall of taps and pour your own beer, wine or cocktails, paying by the ounce. That makes it very easy to lose track of time when everyone around you wants to talk about their builds.
A bit of history, because I got curious: Hoppin' started in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in 2017. Fun fact: they poured 35,000 ounces in their first 24 hours. The first Texas Hoppin' opened in Fort Worth's Foundry District in August 2024, and Grapevine followed that October, as the first Hoppin' with a full kitchen. So it's not just beer. The menu has burgers, tacos and their Texas poutine, which is fries topped with queso, birria and a fried egg.
At Jambo this spring I called two days of rain perfect weather, way better than the melting Texas heat. Well, Grapevine gave me the other side of that deal. It was really warm, and honestly, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Here are some shots I got walking the rows:
One thing I really liked about this event was the canned food drive for the North Texas Food Bank. Every canned item you donated got you one giveaway entry. I had to leave a little early, so I skipped the raffle this time, but here's my tip for next time: bring a few cans with you. It costs almost nothing, it helps people right here in North Texas, and it's basically free raffle tickets.
Vendors came out too, and the sponsor list was pretty stacked for a three-hour meet: names everyone in offroading knows, like Dometic, Baja Designs, Dobinsons and 4WP, right next to Off-Road Place, Cali Raised, Lifted Trucks and Apache Offroad. The full list is at the bottom of this post.
But to be honest, the main reason I came was people. Back at Toyota Jamboree this spring I finally understood that people are the most important piece of Jambo, and Toyotas & Taps proved it again, just without the 15-minute drive back to camp every time I forgot something. There were a lot of people, and I ran into some friends I'd met at Jamboree. I took some cool pictures and, as always, shared them with the community.
Compared to four days at Barnwell Mountain, three hours in a parking lot sounds small, but in my opinion that's exactly why it works. You don't need camping gear or a free weekend, you just show up. I really hope Toyota Jamboree and Hoppin' make this a regular thing. If they do, bring your Toyota or Lexus, bring a can, and come say hi.
Here is the full gallery:
Big thanks to Hoppin' Grapevine and Toyota Jamboree for hosting, and to all the sponsors and partners: Off-Road Place, Lifted Trucks (@liftedwithdave), Wolfbox, Cali Raised, YesWelder, MKW, Apache Offroad, 4WP, Dometic, Dobinsons, Midland, Trailmark Auto & Offroad, Gridbase, Gabe Auto Tech, Heatwave, Baja Designs and onX Offroad.
Get out there, you won't regret it. Also, if you see me at the next one, please don't be shy and ask me to take a picture for you! And if you want your rig shot somewhere a bit wilder than a parking lot, say hi 😄
