• Home
  • /
  • 4WD
  • /
  • Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Spring

Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Spring

Lead photo courtesy of Weird Wild West

SOUTHWEST USA

Adventure Van Expo

When: April 13-24, 2024

Where: Scottsdale, Arizona

The Adventure Van Expo series returns for 2024 with a packed schedule of events, including the first of the season in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lively music, food trucks, vendors, and camping converge in this all-ages celebration of the van life community. Enter the DIY contest to win in one of three categories: fit-n-finish, most creative, and best layout.

Free entrance pass for a limited time, $90/camping | adventurevanexpo.com/scottsdale-az

The Adventure Van Expo offers a handful of events this spring season, including San Juan Capistrano, CA (May 4-5), Santa Rosa, CA (May 11-12), and Austin, TX (April 27-28).

Weird Wild West III

When: April 18-22, 2024

Where: Bisbee, Arizona

The free-spirited historic mining town of Bisbee, Arizona, provides the perfect backdrop for getting weird and wild at this year’s Weird Wild West event. Make your own tie-dye apparel, attend the Mile High Music Festival, or join a ravine clean-up before taking in Burnerella, an outdoor art gallery and bazaar at the historic Jonquil Motel.

overland rallies bisbee arizona

$45-$200 | weirdwildwest.net

Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting

When: April 18-21, 2024

Where: Mariposa, California

This event includes motorcycle-specific talks, demonstrations, workshops, and Q&A sessions for anyone who dreams of the road less traveled. A panel of presenters includes Christoph Lüders (who will speak on Morocco, Iceland, and Namibia), Richard Battles on bicycle touring, Mark Donham on riding in New Zealand, and Lorraine Chittock on her latest film, Boda Babes Ride.

$109/four-day pass, $89/pre-registration, $79/weekend-only pass, $20+/camping | horizonsunlimited.com/events/california-2024

East Mojave Trek

When: April 18-21, 2024

Where: Goffs, California

The Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural and California Four Wheel Drive Associations are launching the first annual East Mojave Trek, focusing on adventure, education, and exploration. An integral part of this event is to conduct proper trail assessments and report generation to assist federal land managers in their trail preservation and area conservation activities. Registration includes camping, breakfast and dinners, all educational events, exhibits, trail rides, and more.

$250+/adult, $75+/child | cal4wheel.com/east-mojave-trek

Overland Expo West

When: May 17-19, 2024

Where: Flagstaff, Arizona

With over 400 exhibitors, a wealth of educational programming, demos, roundtable discussions, and more, Expo West is the monumental overland rally of the season. Stop by the Ineos Grenadier Ride and Drive course, the Fieldcraft Survival ADV skills area, or the Storytelling Pavilion for the Overland Expo Film Festival. New this year: a business-to-business buyer’s showcase.

overland rally jeep recovery

Photo by: John Allen

$235+/weekend pass with camping, $175/moto weekend pass with camping, $80+/weekend pass, $20+/day pass | overlandexpo.com/west

WESTERN USA

Outside Film Festival

When: May 31-June 2, 2024

Where: Denver, Colorado

Outside’s inaugural film festival will take place at Denver’s Civil Center Park with a lineup of 21 films and a weekend of entertainment and music. Film screenings are scheduled to run at the Denver Art Museum and feature “some of today’s most innovative and diverse adventure filmmakers,” says Outside’s Chief Entertainment Officer Jon Dorn. Headliners include the Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, and more.

$114/VIP Packages, $69/full weekend, $44 single-day pass | theoutsidefestival.com

AMERICAN MIDWEST

Moore Overlanding and Off-road Expo

When: April 19-20, 2024

Where: Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, Missouri

Eighty-five thousand square feet of floor space and 290,000 square feet of outdoor exhibitor space culminate in a massive overland event that brings the latest adventure travel innovations, premium aftermarket parts, camping, and a wealth of expert knowledge to the Midwest. The course schedule covers everything from Hi-Lift jack mastery to road trip lunch ideas.

$150+/camping, $60/VIP admission, $35/general admission | mooreexpo.com

AMERICAN SOUTH

Jeep Beach 2024

When: April 19-28, 2024

Where: Daytona Beach, Florida

This multi-day Jeep-exclusive event builds up to the main event weekend where participants roam the Jeep Village at Daytona International Speedway, participating in scavenger hunts, grooving to live music, and checking out merch from various vendors. Jeep Beach has donated over $4.1 million to local charities through the event’s weeklong fundraising efforts, supporting over 150 non-profit organizations in the process.

$100 per Jeep | jeepbeach.com

INTERNATIONAL

Alberta Outdoor Adventure Expo Gear Up 4 Spring

When: May 10-12, 2024

Where: Rival Trade Brewing Co, Alhambra, Alberta, Canada

This overland rally begins with a Friday night VIP experience with live music from guitarist Jessy Roads, a panel of guest speakers, a collection of food trucks, and a brewery tour. The weekend continues with giveaways and vendors on display. Sign up for a community paddle, try Ferrata climbing, or go mountain biking or river rafting.

$10/Friday night VIP experience, free admission/Gear Up 4 Spring | aoaexpo.com

Overland Adventure Expo Sweden

When: May 24-26, 2024

Where: Skytteholm, on Ekerö, Sweden

The venue for this year’s Overland Adventure Expo lies thirty minutes from Stockholm and will host fifty exhibitors, countless attendees, presenters, and more. The Sweden Overlanding Academy will host eight lectures daily about vehicle knowledge, driving techniques, healthcare, food, travel planning, film and photography, and travel writing. Set up camp with like-minded folks at the Overland Camp, which is included in the ticket price.

overland rallies sweden

$24/weekend ticket including camping (per person), $17/day ticket | overlandadventureexpo.com

Our No Compromise Clause: We carefully screen all contributors to ensure they are independent and impartial. We never have and never will accept advertorial, and we do not allow advertising to influence our product or destination reviews.

Read more: Jeep Unveils Four Concept Vehicles at the 58th Easter Jeep Safari

Ashley Giordano completed a 48,800-kilometer overland journey from Canada to Argentina with her husband, Richard, in their well-loved but antiquated Toyota pickup. On the zig-zag route south, she hiked craggy peaks in the Andes, discovered diverse cultures in 15 different countries, and filled her tummy with spicy ceviche, Baja fish tacos, and Argentinian Malbec. As Senior Editor at Overland Journal, you can usually find Ashley buried in a pile of travel books, poring over maps, or writing about the unsung women of overlanding history. @desktoglory_ash