Saratoga Springs is throwing a quarter-century party for one of its favorite fall traditions. The Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Alliance's 25th annual Fall Festival takes over downtown this Saturday, Oct. 24, from noon to 3 p.m., with most of the action centered on Caroline Street and spilling out along Broadway.
The milestone anniversary was announced earlier this month, with organizers describing the event as a beloved local tradition marking its 25th anniversary this year, according to Saratoga Today. The Saratoga Dispatch lists the 2025 event as happening Saturday, Oct. 25, while the 2026 festival is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Most festivities will be held on Caroline Street, with additional attractions stretching along Broadway, per WNYT, which notes the local tradition is now a quarter-century old. Families can expect downtown trick-or-treating, a Saratoga-themed Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt, face painting, live entertainment and the festival's signature Pumpkin Roll down Caroline Street, as reported by the Saratogian. Saratoga TODAY covered the 2026 festival on Oct. 8, before The Saratogian's reported Oct. 22 coverage.
Pumpkin Roll Draws on Local Farms and Volunteers
The Pumpkin Roll remains a centerpiece of the celebration, with volunteers from The Dance Lab and the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club helping orchestrate the event as pumpkins tumble down the hill. Sunnyside Gardens is supplying the pumpkins, while Vincek Farm is donating the hay bales that line the route, according to Saratoga Today's reporting.
Families hunting for a quieter activity can pick up a downtown trick-or-treating map and Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt clues at the Saratoga Springs Visitors Center, as detailed on the event's listing from Saratoga.com. From there, families can search downtown for Saratoga-themed pumpkins hidden among participating businesses, continuing a scavenger-hunt format the Downtown Business Alliance has used in past years.
Live Music, Magic and a Police Car on Display
Entertainment runs the full three hours of the festival. Road Soda Pop will play live from noon to 3 p.m. on the Salt & Char patio, the same source notes, while Magic Matt performs at Menges & Curtis and Sparkles the Juggler roams the festival grounds entertaining attendees along the way.
Maple Valley Farms will set up at the Spa City Motor Lodge with maple cotton candy and other maple treats, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department plans to park a police car on display in front of Lifestyles of Saratoga, per the same listing. Participating business locations are being added daily on the event page, so the full roster of stops may continue to grow in the days before the festival.
Witch Walk Caps the Afternoon for a Good Cause
The festival wraps up at approximately 2:50 p.m. with a dance by Witch Walk SOSA on Caroline Street, bringing the three-hour celebration to a close. Donations collected during the Witch Walk go directly to local animal shelters, according to Saratoga.com's event details.
The format echoes last year's festival, which the Saratogian reported featured the same mix of trick-or-treating, the Pumpkin Roll, the scavenger hunt, face painting, balloon twisting and live entertainment, including Road Soda Pop on the Salt & Char patio. Twenty-five years in, the formula hasn't changed much — and downtown Saratoga Springs seems to like it that way.
