Battle Alley is the short cobbled street at the centre of downtown Holly, lined with restored brick storefronts from the 1880s and 1890s. The name is supposed to come from the brawls that broke out here when the saloons emptied. Today it is one of the most photogenic blocks in Oakland County.
The Holly Hotel anchors one end. Antique stores, gift shops, and a couple of small restaurants fill the rest. The Christmas tree lighting at the start of December is the town's signature event — the gas lamps come on, carolers fill the alley, and the whole block looks like a Currier and Ives print.