Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and that is also the day Holly Springs holds HollyFest. The town's free fall festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 31 at Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake, 2401 Grigsby Ave. The town's fall guide says it outright: "Make the HollyFest tradition part of your Halloween plans!"
That gives the day an unusual shape. The festival closes in the late afternoon, and trick-or-treat starts in the evening. Most of the places that fit in between have opened since spring, and many of them sit in one development on the north side of town. A year ago this was a festival day. This year it's a full day, and planning it means knowing the newer map.
The festival closes at 4, and the evening is still ahead
HollyFest is free and family-friendly, and the town promises "Extra treats" this year as part of its yearlong 150th anniversary. The fall guide lists free live entertainment, kid-friendly activities, local businesses and "150th-anniversary surprises," without spelling out what they are.
Last year's festival gives a good sense of the setup. On October 25, 2025, HollyFest at Sugg Farm had entertainment, food, children's rides and activities, artists, businesses, nonprofits and a beer garden. Cars leaving used the Teal Lake Drive exit, and both the Teal Lake Drive and Grigsby Avenue exits opened once the festival ended. That was the 2025 plan. Before you load the car, check the town's HollyFest page for this year's parking and exit details.
The 4 p.m. close matters this year. Families who stay until the end will get home with a couple of hours to fill before porch lights come on, and costumed kids will already have spent six hours at a farm park. How you plan those hours shapes the whole day.
A costume test run, one week early
Holly Springs puts a warm-up on the calendar. On Saturday, October 24, the Holly Springs Farmers Market goes Halloween-themed from 8 a.m. to noon, with Halloween activities and an open invitation to wear your costume. The market is at 300 W. Ballentine St., the same address as the Holly Springs Cultural Center.
That makes the 24th a good chance to test a costume. If a cape trips your preschooler or a mask fogs up, a downtown morning with produce stalls is a gentler place to find out than a six-hour festival on the 31st.
Midweek, the Cultural Center adds a free option for younger kids. On Wednesday, October 28, at 10 a.m., the theater shows a free family-friendly movie.
The places that fill the afternoon are mostly new
In May, Holly Springs lost one of its longest-running gathering spots. According to the News & Observer, Bass Lake Draft House closed for good on Monday, May 11, after 23 years. It had opened in 2003. The same report notes the owner still runs Village Draft House in Raleigh's Village District.
Since then, a lot of the town's new food and coffee has opened in Peterson Station, the newer development off Sunset Lake and Stephenson roads. Several other openings landed at Oakview Commons and Holly Springs Towne Center.
| Spot | Where | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Perch | 1125 McChesney Hill Loop, Peterson Station | Coffee and tabletop games, opened to the public August 4 |
| Burger Love | 2000 McChesney Hill Loop, Suite 3133, Peterson Station | Eight signature burgers, kids' meals, build-your-own shakes |
| Limra Mediterranean Restaurant | 3109 McChesney Hill Loop, Peterson Station | All-halal menu, reported open in October |
| The Flying Biscuit Café | 161 Oakview Commons Dr. #105 | Opened June 1 |
| BIBIBOP Asian Grill | 169 Grand Hill Place, Holly Springs Towne Center | Build-your-own bowls, menu certified gluten-free |
The Perch was built to be a place to spend time. Western Wake's story on the opening says the front counter serves Cat & Cloud coffee and baked goods from Bestow, Apex Cheesecakes, Lutra Cafe and Bakery, and Guglhupf Bakery. In the back, $5 gets you access to more than 200 tabletop games. In late July, owner Jacob Williams planned to stay open until about 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. He was still settling hours then, so look up the Saturday schedule before you count on it. For a family coming off a day at the festival, a game table and a hot drink can be a calm way to pass the hours before trick-or-treat.
Burger Love's kids' meals and shakes suit a pre-trick-or-treat dinner. Suburban Living listed it as open in Peterson Station in its August 19 update. The same update listed BIBIBOP as open at Holly Springs Towne Center and noted that everything on its menu is certified gluten-free. That is helpful for a household where one trick-or-treater has to be careful about the candy haul.
Limra opened most recently. WRAL reported on October 9 that the Peterson Station spot is open and serves 100% halal food. Suburban Living's earlier preview described kebobs, platters, bowls and wraps, plus baklava made fresh daily.
Over at Oakview Commons, The Flying Biscuit Café opened June 1. In the same WRAL roundup, Malli, which bills itself as "Indian Reimagined," announced a fall grand opening at 131 Oakview Commons Drive, Suite 109, without a set date. If it opens before Halloween, it adds another dinner option.
One way to lay out the 31st
Here is a sample plan using only what's on the calendar and what's open:
- Breakfast at Oakview Commons. The Flying Biscuit Café is at Holly Springs New Hill Road and Green Oaks Parkway.
- HollyFest from 10 a.m. Go early, before the kids' energy and the parking lots run out. Let the little ones wear costumes, and keep a change of clothes in the car for the walk home later.
- Leave around 4 p.m. Last year the festival opened a second exit at closing. Check the town page for this year's plan.
- An early dinner in Peterson Station. Burger Love, Limra and The Perch are all along McChesney Hill Loop.
- Home to put on fresh costumes before your neighborhood's trick-or-treat begins.
If six hours at the farm is too much for your household, flip it. Start with a late breakfast, arrive after lunch for the last stretch of the festival, and you'll still have the evening for trick-or-treat.
Check Holly Springs Road before you go
If your route to Sugg Farm or Peterson Station uses Holly Springs Road, plan for gas-line work. A town notice posted October 5 said Enbridge would begin upgrading lines on the north side of the road, across from the Holly Ridge schools, between Flint Point Lane and the new bridge over Middle Creek. The road stays open in both directions, but the northernmost lane is temporarily closed and parts of the sidewalk on the opposite side are affected. The notice gives no end date, so expect the lane closure to still be there on Halloween weekend.
The 150th keeps going after Halloween
The anniversary started with the fireworks festival in July, and the 150th celebration site says it runs into spring 2027. The next big date downtown after HollyFest is Light the Springs on Saturday, December 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. Visit Raleigh's listing includes games, live music, festive food and drinks, free crafts, a holiday menorah lighting, and a tree lighting by Santa and the mayor. Admission is free. The anniversary site lists the Happy Holly Days Parade on the second Saturday of December, running along Main Street through downtown.
That puts the Cultural Center at 300 W. Ballentine St. on the calendar three times this season: the costume market on October 24, the free movie on October 28, and the tree lighting on December 5. HollyFest at Sugg Farm on the 31st is the one big gathering of the fall away from downtown.
We love seeing Holly Springs come out for days like this, and we'll be watching for the 150th surprises at Sugg Farm along with everyone else. If you're spending Halloween at HollyFest and thinking about what a future fall here could look like for your family, DiProfio Homes is glad to talk it over whenever you're ready. Contact Us.
