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Dirt in the D: Detroit 4fest off-road-palooza descends on Holly Oaks
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 5, 2025
Detroit transitions from summer to fall dream cruisin’ this weekend. The seasons change, but Motown automobile events continue.
First up, the seventh annual Detroit 4fest at Holly Oaks ORV Park sponsored by Jeep on Friday and Saturday.
If the Dream Cruise celebrates boulevard hot rods then 4fest embraces off-road dirt kickers. Some 1,000 vehicles and 5,000 people will descend on southeast Michigan’s premier off-road vehicle park for two days of driving, food, music and ogling across the property’s 235 acres of hills, dunes, dirt and rock quarries. Highlights include the Notch Challenge, Bilstein’s 850-horsepower Jeep off-roader built by America’s Most Wanted, Off-Road 101 and Chrysler’s Pacifica Grizzly Peak Concept.
Ross Batchelder, Detroit 4fest
“This is year seven for Detroit 4fest at Holly Oaks ORV Park. Can you believe it?” said Detroit-based 4fest President Tom Zielinski, who also runs 4fest events in Texas and West Virginia. “We start Friday afternoon, and then we do something that’s really unique to Detroit 4fest: it’s the only time you can come to Holly Oaks and go off-roading at night. We call it Nightfest, it’s sponsored by TYRI Off-Road Lighting, and it’s amazing to see hundreds of vehicles out there with their super-bright lights on going up and down the hills.”
When the sun rises Saturday, the park — designed by Zielinski’s company, Z-Performance, on the site of an old gravel mine — becomes a giant adult sandbox crawling with four-wheel vehicles of all makes and sizes from Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos to side-by-sides and modified dune buggies.
Off-road veterans and rookies alike are welcome.
Detroit 4fest hosts Off-Road 101 all day to teach attendees the fine points of trail driving over Holly’s 40 miles of trails. Participants can also jump into Jeeps for tours with product specialists. And Chaos Motorsports will be at the ready to take attendees on thrill rides in their off-road race vehicles.
Ross Batchelder, Detroit 4fest
“We want to encourage people to go off-roading in their vehicles and to do it in a safe manner,” said Zielinski, a former bike racer who is a fixture in the U.S. off-road community. “Off-roading is different and our Off-Road 101 lead-follows teach the finer points.”
A sprawling 4fest show paddock overlooking the park welcomes attendees. Jeep anchors the outdoor vendor display with four concept vehicles (JT Convoy, JL Blueprint, JL Rewind, JL Bug Out) and six production models, including the Wrangler Rubicon 392, Gladiator Rubicon, Grand Cherokee 4xe, Grand Wagoneer, new 2026 Cherokee Overland and Compass Trailhawk.
The display is an indication of how manufacturers have expanded their interaction with customers beyond traditional auto shows to events such as 4fest, where participants can take the vehicle for guided tours while interacting with Jeep trivia, play a Duck Tank game, Gladiator “Guess How Many Ducks,” and enter a $100,000 vehicle sweepstakes.
4Fest Events, Detroit 4fest
English off-road automaker Ineos will have a display showcasing its rugged Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster pickup. The luxury automaker has taken aim at Land Rover in the U.S. market with its ladder-frame-based dirt-kickers.
“Our vendor count grew by over 25% this year,” said Zielinski. “It’s really a testament to how people feel about the event, and frankly, how much fun it is.”
Other vendor displays include Dana, Easton, TYRI Off-Road Lights, Magna, LaFontaine Automotive Group, Tread Lightly, Bilstein and America’s Most Wanted.
The latter pair have collaborated on an 850-horsepower, off-road Jeep monster with 43-inch all-terrain tires.
Speaking of new vehicles, expect Chrysler to be part of the mix with the new off-road-focused Pacifica Grizzly Peak minivan concept. The Grizzly features a Rhino-Rack roof rack with auxiliary lights, roll-out awning, 3-inch suspension lift and 31-inch all-terrain tires so it can take on Holly’s trails.
Thomas Patterson, Detroit 4fest
When not ogling the latest hardware, participants are welcome to cruise the park’s multiple obstacles in their own vehicles, from Darlene‘s Ridge to Mount Magna.
For serious off-roaders, 4fest hosts the Notch Challenge through a Holly Oaks rock valley.
“It is arguably the hardest rock climb the side of the Mississippi,” smiled Zielinski.” We do a time trial competition up the Notch. There are 1,000 people lining the sides of the Notch while these guys try to navigate it. Not just navigate it, but navigate it for time.”
Detroit 4fest, Detroit 4fest
Modeled on the famed “Back Door” rock crawl at the King of the Hammers off-road-palooza in Johnson Valley, California, the Notch Challenge will feature three classes: 1) Rock Crawler, 2) Street and 3) Side-by-Side.
“We’ll have some pretty wild-looking vehicles going up in the Notch in the Rock Crawler bouncer buggy vehicles with unlimited horsepower,” said Zielinski. “Then if your vehicle has a license plate and it’s currently registered, it qualifies for the Street class. And there’ll be some folks in side-by-sides that just have to have a go at it. I don’t know if any of them can actually do it, though.”d
The off-roading ends at 5 p.m. Saturday, but that doesn’t mean the end of 4fest. Fenton-based band Itchycoo Park will headline an evening of music, food and fun at the Mount Holly ski park next door.
“We’ll have food and festivities and bands and all kinds of amazing things,” said Zielinski. “And we’ll go until, well, until everybody’s too tired and they have to go home.”
After which there are more auto events on the horizon, including Cars at the Station in Detroit Sept. 19-20 and the American Speed Festival at M1 Concourse in Pontiac Oct. 3-5.
Detroit 4fest
Website: https://4festevents.com/detroit-4fest-detroit-mi-off-roading-event/WHEN: 3-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 59 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6
WHERE: Holly Oaks ORV Park, 14551 Shields Road, Holly, MI 48442
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.