One of the most highly anticipated fall festivals in West Michigan will return to Downtown Holland on Friday, October 64and Saturday, October 6! The Downtown Holland Fall Fest is two days packed full of fall fun, hosted in partnership with the Holland Farmers Market, Tulip Time, and Windmill Island Gardens. During Fall Fest, the entire community is invited to celebrate everything there is to love about fall, with professional pumpkin carving, pumpkin painting, community tulip planting, an artisan market, hayrides, street performers, live music and more! Fall Fest is proudly sponsored by Crown Motors, member of West Michigan Honda Dealers, with in-kind support from the Courtyard Marriott, Fris Supply Shop, and Tulyp Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
“Crown Motors and West Michigan Honda Dealers are thrilled to return as the exclusive sponsor of the Downtown Holland Fall Fest,” said Craig VerBeek, Crown Motors Executive Sales Manager, “We invite the entire community to come join the fall fun from October 4-5. And while you’re here, be sure to check out the latest Honda models on display throughout the festival.”
Fall Fest kicks off on Friday, October 4 with Community Tulip Planting from 10:00 am –12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, hosted by Tulip Time. Visitors and community members can visit the Tulip Time website (www.tuliptime.com) to sign up for a time slot to help plant 75,000 of Holland’s famous tulip bulbs at Window On The Waterfront in Downtown Holland! Tulips are planted in October so they will bloom in the spring in time for the annual Tulip Time Festival from May 3 - 11, 2025. Gardening gloves are recommended, but all other tools and instructions will be provided onsite. Volunteers are also needed to plant tulips on Saturday, October 5 from 8:00 am – 10:00 am and 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.
Tulip Time will also be hosting their second annual Fall Fest Artisan Market at the beautiful Windmill Island Gardens on Friday, October 4 from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm and Saturday, October 5 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Artisan Market features over 75 local artisans and crafters selling their works as part of this juried show. Visitors can shop for hand-crafted jewelry, home décor, artwork, clothing, specialty foods and more! Food trucks will also be available at the Artisan Market. Entry to the Windmill Island is just $5.00 per person, which also includes the opportunity to tour the beautiful gardens at Windmill Island and to visit the Dutch attractions, including the DeZwaan Windmill, the historic Dutch carousel, the miniature Dutch village and much more. Windmill Island Gardens will also be offering fall hayrides on Saturday, October 5 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm for just $1.00 for ages 3 and up. (Under 3 are free.)
The Holland Farmers Market will be open from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 5 for customers to shop for all the fresh products that fall has to offer including apples, gourds, mums, pumpkins, and squash, along with a wide variety of seasonal produce and specialty gourmet food items. From 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, children can also enjoy pumpkin painting for just $1.00 with pumpkins supplied by Boeve Farms, free barrel rides from Visser Farms, and a variety of fall games with prizes. Professionally carved pumpkins will also be on display at the Market.
Of course, the highlight of Downtown Holland’s Fall Fest is undoubtedly the professional pumpkin carvers, who will be carving live in Downtown Holland on both Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5. This year’s line-up of the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers includes World Champion Carver Greg Butauski, Danny Kissel, winner of Food Network’s “Outrageous Pumpkins,” who has also been featured on the Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” and “Best in Snow” on Disney), and Dean Murray, who has also been featured on Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” and “Foodtastic” on Disney +.
The carvers will spend Friday afternoon and evening carving pumpkins all along 8th Street in Downtown Holland, including a display of giant pumpkins in GDK Park. Carvers will be carving from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Friday and again from 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Saturday. In addition to the watching the professional carvers in action, attendees can stroll the decorated streets while visiting shops and restaurants, enjoy the sights and sounds of street performers from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Saturday and sip a drink as part of the Downtown Holland Social District, which is open daily form 11:00 am – 11:00 pm. Over 30 Downtown Holland businesses and organizations will also have custom pumpkin carvings on display all along the sidewalks throughout the weekend.
And for the first time ever, Fall Fest will conclude with a live concert at the Knickerbocker Theatre (86 East 8th Street) on Saturday, October 5 at 7:00 pm. Popular folk band Michigan-IO will perform an hour and a half long set of timeless folk tunes in a contemporary way that honors the stories and celebrates the folk music tradition throughout the Great Lakes. Tickets to the Michigan-IO concert can be purchased online at www.hollandfallfest.com or www.tuliptime.com.
For more information on all the Downtown Holland Fall Fest happenings and a complete schedule of events, be sure to visit the official event website at www.hollandfallfest.com, follow the Downtown Holland Fall Fest event page on Facebook or call 616.796.1210 with questions.
