By Kara de Alvare
City of Holland
After being cancelled last year due to Covid, Downtown Holland’s annual Fall Fest is back…and this year is bigger and better than ever before! Downtown Holland and the Holland Farmers Market have partnered with the Holland Visitors Bureau, Tulip Time, and Windmill Island Gardens to expand this year’s Fall Fest offerings. During this two-day event held Friday, Oct. 8, and Saturday, Oct. 9, the entire community is invited to celebrate everything there is to love about fall, with professional pumpkin carving, children’s activities, family hayrides, community tulip planting, an artisan market at Windmill Island Gardens, fall walking tours, and more.
Fall Fest kicks on Friday, Oct. 8, with Community Tulip Planting from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., 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. All volunteers will be treated to complimentary donuts from Bowerman’s Blueberry Market and coffee from Biggby Coffee of Holland. Gardening gloves are recommended, but all other tools and instructions will be provided onsite.
Fall Fest continues on Friday, October 8 with eight of the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers, including Food Network alumni, appearing in Downtown Holland from 3 – 7 p.m. The carvers will spend the afternoon and evening carving jack-o-lanterns all along 8th Street in Downtown Holland. At 7 p.m., the jack-o-lanterns will be lit from within and will remain on display until 10 p.m. that night for visitors to explore while strolling through Downtown Holland.
On Saturday, Oct. 9, the professional pumpkin carvers will appear at the Holland Farmers Market from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., carving 3D sculptures onsite. Children can also paint their own pumpkins to bring home during that time for just a dollar per pumpkin, with all painting supplies provided by Fris Supply Shop in Downtown Holland. Market vendors Visser Farmers also will be offering hayrides from the Holland Farmers Market to Downtown Holland and back again from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hayrides are just $3 per person for the round trip.
The Holland Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. that day. Visitors will find seasonal décor items, including pumpkins, gourds, mums, and corn shocks at the Market, along with apples of every variety, squash, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. And as always, you can pick up bread and baked goods, farm-raised and fresh caught meat, honey and maple syrup, and a wide variety of specialty foods and beverages while you’re there.
The Community Tulip Planting will continue on Saturday morning at Window On The Waterfront from 8 a.m. – noon. Tulip Time also will be offering guided fall walking tours throughout Downtown Holland that day from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Each tour is approximately an hour and a half long and covers one and a half miles. Tour highlights include Hope College, Dimnent Chapel, Pillar Church, Centennial Park, and unique architecture sites. Tours are $25 per person and tickets must be purchased in advance at www.tuliptime.com.
Tulip Time will also be hosting an all-new Artisan Market at Windmill Island Gardens from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. as part of Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 9. More than 50 local artisans and crafters will be selling their works as part of this juried show. Visitors can shop for hand-crafted jewelry, home décor, artwork, clothing, specialty foods, and more. Entry to the Artisan Market is just $5 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. Professionally-carved pumpkins will also be on display throughout Windmill Island Gardens during the Artisan Market.
The Fall Fest fun continues in Downtown Holland on Saturday, October 9 too! The professional pumpkin carvers will return to 8th Street from noon – 7 p.m. that day to continue carving 3D pumpkin displays. Watch these talented artists at work all afternoon long, then be sure to return later on in the evening from 7 – 10 p.m. to see their finished masterpieces. To add to the fun for families, street performers will also be performing on 8th Street from noon – 4 p.m., including musicians, face painters, balloon twisters, and more.
