Solon's ninth annual Fall Festival is set for Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Solon Community Park. Admission and activities are free, with food trucks, live entertainment, contests and other family activities planned while portions of the park remain under construction.
The festival, presented by Swagelok and covered by Cleveland.com, is taking place during a multi-year modernization of Solon Community Park. Solon Parks and Recreation Director Rich Parker told the outlet that construction will continue during the 2026 festival, with organizers expecting full use of the park to return in 2027.
That renovation carries real numbers behind it. The project has been divided into targeted phases, according to Cleveland Magazine, and the City of Solon is working to modernize park infrastructure, expand athletic fields and update recreation facilities. Solon City Council approved budget adjustments that raised the overall modernization budget to $12,850,982 in early 2025, as reported by Chagrin Valley Today.
What's Coming When the Dust Settles
Phase one of the redevelopment, expected to wrap in 2026, includes 10 to 12 new drop-in pickleball courts — two of them ADA-accessible championship courts — along with an outdoor stage and amphitheater space, concession facilities and updated restrooms, Cleveland Magazine reports.
Despite the construction backdrop, this year's lineup is packed. The festival will feature live music, demonstrations, food trucks, inflatables, children's crafts, contests and a corn box, Cleveland.com reports. The lineup is designed to appeal to visitors of all ages.
Pumpkins, Contests and Food Trucks
The pumpkin decorating contest, which debuted in 2024, returns this year with three age groups: Peewee Pumpkins for children 12 and younger, Teen Pumpkins for ages 13 to 17, and Pumpkin Pros for adults 18 and older. Registration is free. Children can pick out and decorate free pumpkins during the festival, while contest pumpkins must be decorated beforehand. Contest entries must be dropped off at the park on October 10, when public voting and pumpkin pickup also will take place.
Food trucks will attend, according to the report. Additional offerings will be available throughout the day.
More Festival Features
The festival also offers activities and amenities for visitors.
Presenting sponsor Swagelok, a global fluid system developer with more than 5,700 corporate associates, has kept its corporate headquarters in Solon since moving its main operations from Cleveland in 1965. Founded in 1947, the company opened a Global Headquarters and Innovation Center on its Solon campus, folding engineering, executive leadership and technical innovation into one site.
How Solon Pulls It All Together
The festival brings together entertainment, contests and other activities for families.
The park is also connected to a broader regional trail project. Cleveland Metroparks is developing an accessible, 10-foot-wide paved all-purpose trail along the former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad corridor, with an eventual off-road connection toward Chagrin Falls.
According to Cleveland Metroparks, the trail's first phase, from SOM Center Road to the Deer Run cul-de-sac near the Solon-Bentleyville line, is complete and open. A second phase is planned to begin construction in 2026 and connect the end of Phase 1 with the existing trail at Chagrin River Road; the documented milestones include design and permitting before construction, rather than the park redevelopment's budget or schedule.
The pickleball expansion also has regional parallels, although the available records document projects rather than explaining their planning rationale. Hilliard City Council records show that the city authorized $232,177.80 for four Municipal Park courts, including an accessible route and lighting, while a City of Cleveland capital-project update lists new pickleball courts at Archmere Park among its 2026 improvements.
Organizers are urging visitors to dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. Severe weather may still force changes to the event, and any updates will be announced through the city's official communication channels. Visitors are encouraged to check the city website and social media for parking and weather information before heading out on October 10.
