One of the Lakeshore's most highly anticipated fall festivals returns once more for 2022. The Holland Fall Fest—taking place Friday and Saturday, October 7-8—is packed with fall-themed fun perfect for the whole family.
Hosted by Downtown Holland and in partnership with the Holland Visitors Bureau and Tulip Time, Fall Fest is an invitation for the community to come together and celebrate everything there is to enjoy about the autumn season, from professional pumpkin carving and painting to community tulip planting, an artisan market at Windmill Island Gardens, street performers, and more!
Fall Fest kicks off on Friday, October 7 with Community Tulip Planting hosted by Tulip Time from 10 a.m. – noon and 1 – 3 p.m. Visitors and community members can visit the Tulip Time website 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. These tulips are planted in October and will bloom in the spring in time for the 2023 Tulip Time Festival, taking place from May 6 – 14. All volunteers will be treated to coffee from Biggby Coffee of Holland. Gardening gloves are recommended, but all other tools and instructions will be provided onsite. Volunteers are also needed to plant tulips on Saturday, October 8 from 8 – 10 a.m. and 10 a.m. – noon.
Tulip Time will also be hosting their second annual Fall Fest Artisan Market on beautiful Windmill Island Gardens on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Artisan Market features nearly 80 local artisans and crafters, who will be selling their works as part of this juried show. Visitors can shop for handcrafted jewelry, home decor, artwork, clothing, specialty foods and more. Entry to the Artisan Market ($5 per person) includes the opportunity to tour the Windmill Island gardens and a visit to Dutch attractions including the DeZwaan Windmill, the historic Dutch carousel, the miniature Dutch village and much more.
On Friday, Fall Fest sees 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 before being lit up and displayed throughout the evening for visitors to enjoy. As part of the Downtown Holland Social District, patrons ages 21+ can now purchase an alcoholic beverage at one of 13 approved establishments to enjoy while strolling along the sidewalk from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily.
On Saturday, the professional pumpkin carvers will appear once more, this time at the Holland Farmers Market where they'll be carving incredible 3D sculptures right onsite. Children can also paint their own pumpkins to bring home during that time for $1.00 per pumpkin, with all painting supplies provided by Fris Supply Shop in Downtown Holland. The Holland Farmers Market—open from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. that day—will be stocked full of seasonal items such as pumpkins, gourds, mums, and corn shocks, along with apples of every variety, squash, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. As always, you can shop for bread and baked goods, farm-raised meat and fresh caught fish, honey, maple syrup, jam and a wide variety of specialty foods and beverages.
To add to the fun for families, street performers will also be performing for free on 8th Street on Saturday from noon – 4 p.m., including musicians, face painters, balloon twisters, and more.
Fall Fest is proudly sponsored by West Michigan Toyota Dealers with in-kind support from CityFlatsHotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, the Courtyard Marriott, and Fris Supply Shop.
For more information on all the Fall Fest happenings and a complete schedule of events, visit Holland Fall Fest or call 616.796.1210. Information on local lodging options can be found on the Holland Visitors Bureau website.
Courtesy of West Michigan Woman.
Photo courtesy of Holland Fall Fest.
