Inaugural Holley Ford Fest Promises to Be the Ultimate Blue Oval Party

Legendary performance parts maker Holley is throwing its first ever all Ford party with a can’t-miss lineup of events.

If you’re like us, your interests span far beyond just Ford trucks. In fact, we’re huge fans of the entire spectrum of Blue Oval products, whether they be vintage street rods or modern Mustang drag racers. And if you feel the same way, you’ll undoubtedly be as excited as we are about Holley’s first-ever Intergalactic Ford Festival, which takes place September 26-29 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. After all, the iconic producer of go-fast goodies has been putting on the wildly popular LS Fest for years now. It’s only right that they throw us Ford fans a proper annual celebration, too.

It might be the Ford Fest’s inaugural year, but Holley’s got quite an amazing lineup headed to (ironically) the home of the Corvette. For starters, attendees will get a chance to scope out Bob Chandler‘s original Bigfoot. The monster truck that started the entire monster truck trend has starred in films including Take This Job & Shove It! and Police Academy, of course. And that’s more than enough reason to make the trip this fall, but it’s far from the only one.

Holley’s Ford Fest will also serve as the stage for the NMRA’s World Finals – their largest race of the year. Holley is also chipping in, upping the payouts for winning drag racers to make this the largest NMRA payday of the season. And we aren’t just talking about professional million-dollar race cars here, either. A variety of Shootout Eliminator classes are available, including the Hellion Turbo Battle, IDIDIT Performance King of the Street, Tremec Stick Shift Shootout, McLeod 10R80 Throwdown, and the Mickey Thompson Terminator/GT500 Shootout.

If straight-line racing isn’t your thing, Ford Fest has plenty of corner carving action to offer as well. That includes the obligatory autocross, of course. There’s also a 3S Challenge to test your vehicle’s ability to speed, stop, and steer. Participants start out with a drag race, then complete a 180-degree turn, followed by a slalom and stop box. Holley is also offering a Road Course Challenge at nearby NCM Motorsports Park.

Rounding out this incredible event are pro-level and amateur drifting, a dyno challenge, and an Australian style burnout contest. And for those who just want to display their killer rides, there’s the UPR Products Show-N-Shine. And if all of that isn’t enough, a host of celebrities will be on hand as well. Right now, that includes Mustang Pro Formula Drift drivers Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa. As well as insanely popular YouTuber Cleetus McFarland and his GT500-powered Crown Victoria known as “Neighbor.”

There’s only one rule at Holley’s Intergalactic Ford Fest. And that’s the requirement that every vehicle participating must be powered by a Ford engine. And judging by their stellar lineup of events, we don’t doubt that this will quickly become the best Blue Oval-centered event on the planet. So whether you’re interested in participating in any of the events or just showing up to check it all out, you can find registration info and tickets by heading over here!

Photos: Holley Performance

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.