{"id":31444,"date":"2023-09-09T10:09:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T14:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31444"},"modified":"2023-09-09T10:09:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T14:09:04","slug":"5th-annual-detroit-4fest-a-celebration-of-automakers-dirt-and-off-roading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/5th-annual-detroit-4fest-a-celebration-of-automakers-dirt-and-off-roading","title":{"rendered":"5th annual Detroit 4fest: A celebration of automakers, dirt and off-roading"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Holly<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 If the Detroit auto show is an indoor showcase of the auto industry\u2019s latest trends, then Detroit 4fest is an outdoor showcase for the industry\u2019s hottest segment: off-roading.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Thousands of off-road enthusiasts from all over the Midwest will descend on Holly Oaks ORV Park\u2019s 235 acres this weekend to play in one of Michigan\u2019s best sandboxes, with 200-foot elevation changes, swampy courses, and epic trails. Where there are consumers, companies follow, and there will be display tents and vehicles from title sponsor Jeep as well as from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford and Toyota. Michigan dealers LaFontaine and Szott are also on site with new chariots as well as eye candy like the Ford Bronco DR desert racer.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Open to anyone with an off-road-capable vehicle \u2014 and to those who want to test the latest from Jeep\u2019s Wrangler stable \u2014 4fest takes over Holly Oaks ORV Park 30 miles north of Detroit for a weekend of filthy fun.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799465007-detroit-4-fest-tires.jpg?width=660&amp;height=369&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Detroit 4fest takes over Holly Oaks this weekend with any and all off-road vehicles and their drivers welcome to play in the sand and mud.\" width=\"488\" height=\"273\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799465007-detroit-4-fest-tires.jpg?width=660&amp;height=369&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799465007-detroit-4-fest-tires.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Detroit 4fest takes over Holly Oaks this weekend with any and all off-road vehicles and their drivers welcome to play in the sand and mud.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Detroit 4fest takes over Holly Oaks this weekend with any and all off-road vehicles and their drivers welcome to play in the sand and mud.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThis is an event where u can bring your own vehicle and enjoy the adventure lifestyle,\u201d said Detroit 4fest CEO Tom Zielinski. \u201cFor new attendees, we have Off-Road 101 lessons this weekend. This all started very organically \u2014 it was some people off-roading on the weekend, then all of a sudden we had thousands of people joining us. All the manufacturers are here with their finest off-road wares.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In addition to manufacturer displays, 4fest\u2019s Vendor Village features some 60 off-road equipment makers with accessories, performance parts and more to make off-road bruisers even more capable. Vendors include Bilstein, General Tire, JKS Manufacturing, General RV Center, Blacklake Research and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The event&#8217;s kick-off event Friday night? Twilight off-roading from 7-9 p.m. over Holly Oaks\u2019 40 miles of trails and tribulations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799461007-detroit-4-fest-jeepbabesholly.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"From left, Robin Johnson, 64, of Rochester Hills; April Gala, 59, of Shelby Township, and Melissa Tomassi arrived early at Holly Oaks for 4fest.\" width=\"488\" height=\"275\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799461007-detroit-4-fest-jeepbabesholly.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799461007-detroit-4-fest-jeepbabesholly.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"From left, Robin Johnson, 64, of Rochester Hills; April Gala, 59, of Shelby Township, and Melissa Tomassi arrived early at Holly Oaks for 4fest.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"From left, Robin Johnson, 64, of Rochester Hills; April Gala, 59, of Shelby Township, and Melissa Tomassi arrived early at Holly Oaks for 4fest.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Three members of the Jeep Babes off-road club came early Friday to help with organization and play in the mud. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to take my Wrangler 392 out on the trails,\u201d said Melissa Tomassi, 44, of Troy. \u201cI love the Tetons rollercoaster hills and the technical Mt. Magna.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Mt. Magna is a recreation of some of Moab, Utah\u2019s most fearsome obstacles, including Mashed Potato Hill, Gravy Bowl and the Golden Crack. Tomassi was joined by fellow Jeep Babes April Gala, 59, of Shelby Township and Robin Johnson, 64, of Rochester Hills. The Babes are 4,300 strong in Michigan \u2014 14,000 nationally \u2014 and are planning their own weekend at Holly next month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Such events are testimony to the explosion in off-road interest across the country as automakers have responded to Americans\u2019 pandemic wanderlust with more overlanders like the Ford Ranger Raptor, Bronco Sport Heritage Edition, Chevy ZR2, Toyota Tacoma TRD, GMC Canyon AT4X, Land Rover Defender, Ram TRX and so on.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The torrential rains of recent weeks challenged Zielinski\u2019s team as they manicured the park to be safe and secure for the weekend. In addition to Mt. Magna, drivers will enjoy Holy Oaks staples like Darlene\u2019s Ridge, Flat Top, Bathtub, the Big Easy and Holly Glen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cHolly Glen is my favorite section,\u201d said pro race car driver Aaron Bambach, who has competed in everything from Indy Lights racers to the Super Truck series. \u201cI took a 480-horse Wrangler 392 with 37-inch tires down there once and really put it to the test.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799466007-detroit-4-fest-jeeprides.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"At Holly Oaks this weekend, it's a Jeep thing.\" width=\"511\" height=\"288\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799466007-detroit-4-fest-jeeprides.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799466007-detroit-4-fest-jeeprides.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"At Holly Oaks this weekend, it's a Jeep thing.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"At Holly Oaks this weekend, it's a Jeep thing.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Master the Glen and Mt. Magna and Zielinski will point you to even more challenging corners of the Oakland County Park that rose from an abandoned sand and gravel mine. \u201cWe got the notch, which is pro-level off-roading,\u201d said Zielinski. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s all sorts of sketchiness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In addition to production mules, organizers expect a flood of ATVs, buggies, side-by-sides, and even race trucks over the two-day event. Four Ultra4 race trucks will put on an exhibition Saturday afternoon featuring local off-road racing hero, Casey Gilbert.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Everyone has a chance to learn at Holly Oaks, including students from the Jalen Rose Academy. The ex-Michigan basketball star himself will help introduce kids to the off-road world along with Jeep CEO Jim Morrison.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799433007-detroit-4-fest-broncodr.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Rough riders like the Ford Bronco DR will be tackling Holly Oaks during 4fest.\" width=\"504\" height=\"284\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799433007-detroit-4-fest-broncodr.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/08\/PDTN\/70799433007-detroit-4-fest-broncodr.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Rough riders like the Ford Bronco DR will be tackling Holly Oaks during 4fest.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Rough riders like the Ford Bronco DR will be tackling Holly Oaks during 4fest.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Detroit 4fest has spawned a Winterfest in January at Holly Oaks as well as spinoffs in Jay, Oklahoma, and Austin, Texas. Total national 4fest attendance last year? Over 50,000 people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThis is a very engaged audience , they are very committed to what they do. Everybody wants to be part of this,\u201d said Zielinski. \u201cIf you\u2019re new, come out. If you\u2019re a veteran, we have stuff to challenge you.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Holly\u00a0\u2014 If the Detroit auto show is an indoor showcase of the auto industry\u2019s latest trends, then Detroit 4fest is an outdoor showcase for the industry\u2019s hottest segment: off-roading. Thousands of off-road enthusiasts from all over the Midwest will descend on Holly Oaks ORV Park\u2019s 235 acres this weekend to play in one of Michigan\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31444"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31444"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31445,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31444\/revisions\/31445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}