Rock crawling buggies, mad mudders, and side-by-sides tearing through a variety of off-road expo courses? Sounds like a party to us.

Extreme ORV Expo at the Ionia Fair Grounds bills itself as the largest outdoor off-road expo style event in the Midwest. Knowing how much the Midwest loves off-roading and a good time, that’s a big claim.

The event backs it up quite healthily with no fewer than nine different off-road competitions in which to participate. There are classes for SxS machines, quasi-road legal rigs, and even extreme rock crawling buggies. The best part? All of the competitions have payouts.

An off-road course has been carved out of the surrounding area for those who want to wheel. Organizers describe it as about five miles of mild to wild wheeling and say just about every type of off road vehicle can participate. There are by-passes around the extreme obstacles for those without lockers and 37-inch tires. A scenic cruise through the woods and along the river, it sounds like fun for the family while testing your rig in a bunch of off road adventures.

But getting your author’s vote for most fun of all? The event’s Play Bog, made up of nearly 10 acres of black river bottom mud. Organizers have multiple jumps placed in the arena for all sizes of vehicles from stock rigs to gonzo mega trucks. They have thoughtfully placed a wash station on one side of the ring so drivers can either rinse off their rig and plow on for another pass or simply head back to the staging area.

You gotta check out these images and video footage from the event two years ago.

Spectators are welcome and camping sites are available. Being at a fair grounds, you know there’ll be food vendors and live music, too. If you’re in Michigan near Ionia this weekend, be sure to check it out.