Mt. Holly ski slopes will be buried under fresh powder this weekend, and so will the Holly Oaks Off-Road Vehicle Park.
Just in time for the Detroit Winterfest off-road-palooza.
For just $25 on Saturday, hundreds of attendees can take their own Jeeps, Broncos, Rams and Chevys off-road in the 250-acre sandbox-turned-snow globe. Winterfest also is the only time that Holly ORV Park is open on a Saturday night so riders can experience the three-dimensional landscape and its 250-foot elevation changes under the stars.
The event, the largest winter off-road event in the Midwest, coincides with the Detroit Auto Show so you see the shiny metal on the show floor, then take your four-wheel-driver out at Holly Oaks for winter-wheeling 101 (aka, Off-road 101) in its natural habitat. Off-road 101 (an extra $25) teaches drivers to slide, drift and articulate across the challenging landscape.
“We spend a ton of money on lights to light up the park. With all those amazing lights, it’s really cool for night-wheeling,” said Winterfest CEO Tom Zielinski, who also runs Detroit 4fest in the fall. “The biggest thing at Winterfest is winter-wheeling 101. We’ve got an amazing number of signups already — 178 of them first-timers.”
With the boom in overlanding and off-road vehicles, Winterfest encourages owners to get comfortable with their steeds’ incredible capabilities. Ford introduced another model of the Bronco, the RTR, at this year’s show, and Jeep is rolling out 12 special-edition Wranglers in 2026 — one for each month of the year. Three of them are on display at this year’s show.
“Off-road 101 instruction is gaining so much momentum. We’re getting more people out that otherwise would not have thought of it,” said Zielinski. “When they’ve got a guiding hand, it’s a great way to learn. A lot of off-roaders have never been off-road in the winter, even if they have done it in summer. They’re eager to learn how to navigate in the snow which, conveniently, also makes them much better drivers on I-75.”
The Detroit Auto Show media week has been dominated by Ford with new vehicles from Bronco (RTR), Mustang (Dark Horse SC) and the Ford Racing season launch Thursday night at Michigan Central.
But Jeep will be front and center at Winterfest as the chief sponsor.
That coincides with the appearance of an eyeball-burning, purple, V8-powered, 470-horsepower Moab 392 (for 392 cubic inches) that Jeep dropped on the Detroit Auto Show floor this week — part of a “Twelve 4 Twelve” series of special edition models. A new trim debuts on the 12th day of every month for a year as part of Jeep’s 85th anniversary.
The Moab name is an homage to the legendary red rock off-road park in Utah where Jeep holds its Easter Jeep Safari each year.
Zielinski said Jeep may bring a Moab 392 to Winterfest as part of a display that includes a Scrambler concept (also stuffed with a 392-cubic inch V-8) as well as other concepts on Jeep’s toy shelf. The Detroit Winterfest village includes food trucks and branded clothing. Workshops include Off-road 101, winching-and-recovery techniques, and vehicle setup.
The Moab name is an homage to the legendary red rock off-road park in Utah where Jeep holds its Easter Jeep Safari each year.
Zielinski said Jeep may bring a Moab 392 to Winterfest as part of a display that includes a Scrambler concept (also stuffed with a 392-cubic inch V-8) as well as other concepts on Jeep’s toy shelf. The Detroit Winterfest village includes food trucks and branded clothing. Workshops include Off-road 101, winching-and-recovery techniques, and vehicle setup.
“Bring your own Jeep, Bronco, or any four-wheel-drive vehicle out — motorbikes are excluded — and enjoy the adventure lifestyle and camaraderie,” said Zielinski, an experienced off-road racer and park builder.
“And the best part? Free hot chocolate.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
