If you have been looking for a low-key way to get your holiday shopping started without the mall crowds, HollyFest is about to make its annual return. This year it falls on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake Park, and as always, it is free for all ages. The market is a Holly Springs tradition, and the 2026 edition is being put on by the Town of Holly Springs, so it is as much a community gathering as it is a place to buy gifts.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Raleigh and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The core of the day is what people come for: a spread of local artists, businesses, food vendors, children's activities and local entertainment. It is the kind of market where you can pick up something handmade from a neighbor and grab lunch from a local vendor in the same trip. Because it is free and family-friendly, it tends to pull in a mix of serious shoppers and people who just want a reason to get out of the house on a Saturday morning.
What makes this year different is that the Town is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and Genentech is sponsoring a layer of extras on top of the usual market. Every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 8 Count Country leads a guided line dancing session, so there is something to do between browsing the stalls. There is also a single-day festival scavenger hunt that runs the length of the event; you download the free HollyQuest app to play, and teams can win a special prize at the Town's 150th booth, though those are only available while supplies last. For the kids, Needmore Farms is sponsoring a mini pumpkin patch where the first 1,000 children get to pick and decorate a free mini pumpkin, with crafts taking over once the pumpkins run out. A historical timeline display lets you walk through the Town's history, and tents from virtually every Town department give you a chance to meet the staff and see the emergency vehicles, fire engines and yard waste trucks up close. At those tents, you can also pick up a 150th anniversary Holly Springs shirt or a commemorative pint glass, though those are credit card purchases only.
A few ground rules are worth knowing before you head out. There is no smoking or vaping, unauthorized drones are not allowed, pets need to stay on a leash with waste disposed of properly, and non-sanctioned activities or unauthorized selling are prohibited. If you lose something, there is a Lost & Found tent set up at the Holly Springs Police Department tent.
The setting is part of the appeal. The Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake Park is 117 acres of pastures and woods with access to Bass Lake, all overseen by the Triangle Land Conservancy, so it is a pleasant place to spend a few hours even if you do not buy anything. Needmore Farms, the sponsor of the pumpkin patch, is a local farm and garden center over in Fuquay-Varina. Between the market, the anniversary extras and the park itself, it is a full morning and afternoon without costing you anything to be there.
Published Date
27 October 2026
More information
