Last October, families who wanted to trick-or-treat down the Halfway Creek Trail at Holmen Pumpkin Fest had to wait until 3 p.m. This Saturday, October 24, that trail closes at 2 p.m.
That one change affects the whole week. Pumpkin Fest has moved from late afternoon into the morning and midday. That leaves Holmen with three trick-or-treat windows in one week, and they don't overlap: a midday trail on Saturday the 24th, an after-school hour at the library on Wednesday the 28th, and an evening on village streets on Saturday the 31st. Each one runs at a different time of day.
Last October the candy trail started at 3
The 2025 Pumpkin Fest schedule on the Holmen Area Community Center calendar billed it as the Fourth Annual Pumpkin Fest. It ran on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with most of the activity in the back half of the day. The trick-or-treat trail and the kids' games both ran from 3 to 6 p.m. The vendor market started at 10 a.m., and the bake sale ran until 5 p.m. or until the treats ran out.
The 2026 Pumpkin Fest page from the Holmen Area Community Center shows the whole event inside a 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. window. The event's Volunteer Wisconsin listing opens with "New Times- New Events!"
| Pumpkin Fest piece | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall hours | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Halfway Creek Trail trick-or-treat | 3 to 6 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Kids' games and activities | 3 to 6 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Craft and art vendor market | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Community bake sale | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Costumed pet parade | 1 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Costume Family Walk Run | Not on the schedule | 9:30 a.m. |
The trail and the kids' games shifted the most. In 2025 they were the last things to start. In 2026 they open at 11 a.m., the same hour the Family Resource Fair begins.
The new morning block fills the space
Moving everything earlier made room for something new at the start of the day. The Holmen Area Community Center lists a Costume Family Walk Run as new this year. It's on the Holmen Middle School track, registration opens at 9 a.m., and the walk/run goes from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Awards go to the Best Costume Theme, Most Generations Represented, and Largest Group. Two of those three categories reward bringing more people, so a grandparent in costume helps the family's chances.
Laid out in order, Saturday runs like this:
- 9 a.m. The Craft, Art & Vendor Market and Community Bake Sale open at the Holmen Area Community Center, 600 N. Holmen Drive, Suite 200. Registration for the walk/run opens at the Middle School track.
- 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Costume Family Walk Run.
- 11 a.m. The Halfway Creek Park trail opens for trick-or-treating with a candy trail, photo booth, and farm animals. Kids' games, entertainment, and food start at the Community Center, and the Family Resource Fair opens.
- 1:30 p.m. The costumed pet parade begins.
- 2 p.m. Everything wraps up.
In 2025 the pet parade came two hours before the trail opened. This year it comes at the end of the day, after the trail and games have been running for two and a half hours.
Where the trail actually starts
The festival materials say the candy trail is at Halfway Creek Park but don't name an entrance. The Village of Holmen's park directory lists two entrances to Halfway Creek Park, both with trail access. The East Side entrance is at 300 W. Roberts Street, and the West Side entrance is at 400 Walnut Drive. The Village describes the full Halfway Creek Trail as 3.4 miles along Halfway Creek with five bridges. The candy trail only uses part of that, so families with a stroller or a tired four-year-old may want to call the Community Center before choosing a parking spot. The contact on the event listing is Kari Siverhus at (608) 399-1870.
The 2025 trail had a few details families may remember. Holmen fifth graders decorated pumpkins along the path, costumed middle and high school students handed out candy, and Brutus the mini-pig made an appearance just off the trail. The 2026 listing promises farm animals and a photo booth but doesn't name the animals.
Three trick-or-treat windows in one week
Pumpkin Fest now ends at 2 p.m., so Holmen's Halloween week has three trick-or-treat events, each at a different time of day.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Pumpkin Fest candy trail | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Halfway Creek Park trail |
| Wednesday, Oct. 28 | Halloween Trick-or-Treat at the Library | 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Holmen Library, 121 W. Legion St. |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | Village trick-or-treating | 4 to 8 p.m. | Village of Holmen |
The Wednesday event is listed on the Village's library trick-or-treat page. Holmen Park & Recreation and Holmen Library staff host it, with local organizations and businesses running games, treats, and stories. It's free, and costumes are encouraged. It runs for one hour on a weekday right after school, which makes it the shortest of the three.
For October 31, the Holmen Police Department's FAQ lists trick-or-treating from 4 to 8 p.m. That FAQ is a standing answer and isn't labeled with a year. This year, October 31 falls on a Saturday, so the village's evening window lands exactly one week after the Pumpkin Fest trail.
There's also an event between those two Saturdays. The Holmen Area Community Center calendar lists an ADRC Halloween Party on Friday, October 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Great Pumpkin Hunt runs on its own clock
One part of Pumpkin Fest runs before the festival. The Community Center describes the Great Pumpkin Hunt as an activity "in the weeks leading up to the Fest," where participants look for the best pumpkin display in the Village of Holmen. The center's October 2026 newsletter describes it the same way.
In 2024, the hunt ran Saturday, October 12, through Saturday, October 19. Participants collected marks from at least 10 participating businesses on a card, voted for a display, and turned the card in at the Community Center. The 2026 pages don't repeat those rules or give a deadline. If the hunt still uses a turn-in card, it will likely be due before Pumpkin Fest, and the Community Center front desk can say how this year's version works.
After Halloween, the calendar turns to holidays
November starts quickly. The Holmen Booster Club's Fall Craft & Vendor Show is Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Holmen High School, 1001 McHugh Road. On Monday, November 9, the Community Center hosts a Granny Basketball game between the La Crosse Does and Holmen eighth-grade girls. Proceeds go to the center and the La Crosse Area Boys & Girls Club's Dave & Barb Skogen Club in Holmen. Brunch with Santa and Mrs. Claus follows on Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $12, and you have to register in advance.
Two of those three are on the Holmen Area Community Center calendar, which also lists Pumpkin Fest, so it's the place to check for times through December.
If you're putting together your family's Halloween week, I'm glad to talk through which Halfway Creek Park entrance is closest to you. And if you're thinking about a move next year, I can also tell you how Holmen's neighborhoods line up with places like the trail and the library. Jake Ramey is happy to help. Let's Connect.
