Holly Oaks ORV Park served as the venue for Detroit 4Fest's eighth year over the weekend, drawing roughly 5,000 people to two days of trail rides, rock racing, live music and food trucks. The 235-acre former sand and gravel mine also hosted Friday night's NightFest, a nighttime trail-wheeling session.
The festival, held in Holly, included Jeep displays alongside the trail activities, with Stellantis' Jeep brand serving as title sponsor. Five concept vehicles and five production models were displayed during the weekend, according to The Oakland Press.
A Homegrown Event That Started With 2,000 People
Detroit 4Fest began in 2019, when it drew about 2,000 people, according to Zielinski. He bought his first Jeep in 1979 and said the festival continued in 2020 with Oakland County's blessing.
“The main purpose is to bring people who are interested in the adventure lifestyle together in a super safe and fun environment,” Zielinski said, per the Oakland Press report.
Jeep Leadership Rides With Local Students
Students from the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy met Jeep CEO Branden Coté during the weekend and rode the trails with him. Zielinski said Jeep leadership participates each year so the students can experience off-roading outside the city.
Beyond the celebrity visit, Detroit 4Fest built in free off-road basic training throughout the weekend, including a beginner ride-and-learn program that paired experienced instructors with newcomers to teach fundamentals, and a women-only basic off-road training session. Jeep owners who completed the course could also earn the Jeep Badge of Honor for Holly Oaks ORV Park.
The Venue Behind the Festival
Holly Oaks ORV Park opened to the public in September 2020 through a 20-year operating agreement between Oakland County Parks and Recreation and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, making it only the second park in the state co-managed jointly by state and county agencies, according to The Lasco Press. The 235-acre site was built on former and active sand and gravel mines and includes Mt. Magna, a 9,000-square-foot simulated rock formation donated by Magna Powertrain to replicate terrain found in Moab, Utah, as detailed by Michigan Snowmobiler Magazine.
Public vehicle access to the park is capped at 300 tickets per day at $30 per vehicle, and every vehicle entering the trails must mount a 10-foot orange dune-style whip flag; the park has also added off-grid solar-powered restroom facilities running on 2,700-gallon freshwater tanks and a solar-powered EV charging station for electric 4x4 vehicles, according to Oakland County Parks.
Holly Oaks sits within Michigan's state-managed off-road network; Michigan maintains more than 4,000 miles of designated ORV trails, scramble areas, and eligible forest roads, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Anyone riding the state’s off-road areas this season is required to buy both a DNR ORV license and a trail permit, totaling $36.25, with the revenue funding trail maintenance and grooming.
A Venue Still Under Scrutiny
The festival’s big crowds and family-friendly programming come two months after a fatal crash at the same park. Hoodline reported that an 80-year-old Shelby Township man died at Holly Oaks in July after losing control of a 2022 Can-Am Outlander ATV on a hilltop trail and being thrown in an overturn crash.
Safety Data and Broader Park Use
The park's role extends beyond public recreation. According to Oakland County Parks, Holly Oaks is available for corporate rentals, including testing, validating and showcasing ground vehicle technologies.
Holly Oaks also hosts Disability Dirt Days, a recurring adaptive recreation program presented by Wheels in Motion, Rehab Without Walls, Disability Network Eastern Michigan and Oakland County Parks, in which volunteer drivers take participants with disabilities on custom trail rides, as reported by CBS News. The festival's growth, the park's adaptive programming and its commercial uses have made Holly Oaks a significant recreation and automotive venue, while the July crash keeps safety, capacity and equipment enforcement in the conversation around off-road recreation in Oakland County.
