One of the most highly anticipated fall festivals in West Michigan will return to Downtown Holland this weekend, on Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4! The Downtown Holland Fall Fest features two days 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, children’s activities, community tulip planting, an artisan market, hayrides, a Touch a Truck event, and more! Fall Fest is supported by the Courtyard Marriott and Fris Supply Shop.

 

“The entire community is invited to join us in Downtown Holland for our annual Fall Fest to celebrate everything there is to love about the season,” said Downtown Holland Marketing Coordinator Kara de Alvare. “With a variety of fun activities planned throughout all of Downtown Holland with our incredible community partners, Fall Fest truly offers something for everyone.”

 

Fall Fest kicks off on Friday, October 3 with Community Tulip Planting from 10:30 am – 4:00 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 1 - 10, 2026. Gardening gloves are recommended, but all other tools and instructions will be provided onsite. Volunteers are also needed to plant tulips at Window on the Waterfront on Saturday, October 4 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

 

Tulip Time will also be hosting their second annual Fall Fest Artisan Market inside the Holland Civic Center Place this year, a new location for the event. The Fall Fest Artisan Market will be held on Friday, October 3 from 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm and Saturday, October 5 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Artisan Market features over 65 local artisans and crafters selling hand-crafted jewelry, home décor, artwork, clothing, specialty foods and more! 

 

The Holland Farmers Market will be open from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 4 for customers to shop for all of their favorite fall products, including fresh 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 and paint supplied by Fris Supply Shop, along with 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.

 

For the first time ever, Windmill Island Gardens will be hosting a Fall Fest Touch a Truck event, on Saturday, October 4 from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. Families are invited to see a variety of emergency vehicles and construction trucks up close and meet the drivers that use them every day at their jobs! Admission to Windmill Island Garden is just $5.00 for adults (ages 15 and under are free), which also includes the opportunity to tour all of the Dutch attractions on the Island, including the famous DeZwaan Windmill and historic Dutch carousel. Windmill Island Gardens will also be offering hayrides around the Island for Fall Fest for just $1.00 per person. 

 

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 3 and Saturday, October 4. This

year’s line-up of the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers includes:

 

  • Chad Hartson (Featured on Food Network’s “Cake Wars”)

  • Danny Kissel (Winner of Food Network’s “Outrageous Pumpkins”)

  • Dean Murray (Featured on Food Network’s “Halloween Wars”)

  • Greg Butauski (World Champion Carver)

  • Greg Demaline (Renowned Pumpkin Carver)

  • Maryse Swanson (Winner of Disney's "Foodtastic”)

 

The carvers will spend Friday afternoon and evening carving pumpkins on 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 professionalcarvers in action, attendees can stroll the decorated streets while visiting shops and restaurants, experience the sights and sounds of street performers from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Saturday, and even enjoy an adult beverage a drink as part of the Downtown Holland Social District, which is open daily form 11:00 am – 11:00 pm. Over 20 Downtown Holland businesses and organizations will also have custom professionally carved pumpkins on display all along the sidewalks throughout the weekend.

 

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.