Rochester Public Library District Fall Festival

06/26/2025

✨ Big news, Rochester! ✨

We're handing over the reins for the Fall Festival to the Sparks in the Park Committee! Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 18th, and follow their Rochester Sparks in the Park page for vendor applications, announcements, and more! 🍂🍁

11/22/2024

Dear Patrons, Vendors, and Community Members,

As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible support and engagement from our community. In 2024, the Rochester Library Fall Festival proudly welcomed 3,000 attendees and showcased over 60 diverse vendors!

The positive feedback and heartfelt comments we received from the community highlighted the importance of this event in providing opportunities for small businesses and creating treasured memories for all. We were truly amazed by the community's support and enthusiasm, which fueled our excitement to plan an even bigger and better Fall Festival for the upcoming year.

However, we are saddened to share that the recent referendum did not pass, leading to significant budget cuts for our library. Starting January 1, 2025, some difficult decisions will take effect as we begin implementing these cuts. Among the first programs to be discontinued is the Rochester Library Fall Festival.

This decision was not made lightly. We have been happy to offer the Fall Festival to our community for 5 years, and we are disappointed that we will not be able to host it again for 2025.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our vendors, patrons, attendees, and community members. Whether you were a newcomer last year or have been part of our journey since the beginning, your participation and support have been essential to our success. Thank you for your dedication to making our Fall Festival a staple of the Rochester community.

11/05/2024

10/29/2024

🍂✨ A stunning day at the Rochester Library Fall Festival! Check out this amazing drone footage capturing all the fun, food, and fantastic people who made it unforgettable. Huge thank you to our incredible vendors, volunteers, Rochester Fire and Police Departments, and special shoutouts to Grover Schrock & the No Limits Car Club for putting on an amazing car show and David Taft for donating his time & horse and buggy. Community spirit at its finest! ❤️

10/22/2024

🎉 Thank you, Rochester! 🎉

What an amazing day at the 5th Annual Rochester Public Library's Fall Festival! We were thrilled to welcome over 3,000 attendees from all over the area. The day was filled with smiles, fun, and community spirit, and we couldn't have done it without our incredible staff, volunteers, story time readers, the Rochester Illinois Police Department & Rochester Fire & Rescue, and our wonderful vendors!

✨ Festival Highlights ✨
🍁 60+ vendors and 4 food trucks kept everyone busy and satisfied. (Greenie's Grill- Food Truck, The Taco Joint, Blessings & More Bakery, Johnnie O's Mini Donuts)
🚗 Our Car Show had 127 cars on display! Grover Schrock
🏛 The Historic Stonehouse welcomed more visitors than ever before.
🎶 We enjoyed fantastic live music from Alex Pearce.
🐴 A huge thanks to David Taft for donating his time and providing delightful horse & buggy rides.
👑 38 contestants lit up the stage at the Rochester Fall Festival Pageant!
🎈 The Kid Zone was packed all day with fun, pumpkin painting (Thank you Indian Knoll Pumpkins ), games, face painting, and balloon art by The Unique Twist (Doug Smith) and bounce houses from Cdubs Funhouse

None of this would be possible either without Friends of the Rochester Public Library District donation! So THANK YOU!

It was truly a perfect day— Thank you to everyone who came out to support the festival. We love you, Rochester! 🍂

10/19/2024

Congrats Fall Featival Pageant winners!

10/17/2024

🎉 Come one, come all! 🎉
It’s almost time for the 5th Annual Rochester Library Fall Festival, and you won’t want to miss it! 🍂
THIS SATURDAY!!!

🗓️ Saturday, October 19th | ⏰ 9 AM - 3 PM | 📍 Rochester Community Park

Join us for a day packed with fun:
- Over 60 vendors
- Delicious food trucks
- Crafts, pumpkin painting, and games
- Bounce houses
- Horse-drawn buggy rides
- A fantastic car show 🚗
- Historic Stonehouse will be open!
- Touch-a-Truck with the Rochester Fire Department and Rochester Police Department 🚒👮‍♂️

Plus, enjoy live music by Alex Pearce from 11 AM - 2 PM! 🎶

Bring the whole family for an unforgettable day of fall fun—see you there!

10/17/2024

🍁🎃 A huge thank you to Indian Knoll Pumpkins for providing the Library with a discount on materials for our 5th Annual Fall Festival! Come check out our fun pumpkin painting at the library tent on Saturday, October 19th from 9am-3pm! 🍁🎃

10/15/2024

🍂🎉 Get ready to fall in love with flavor at Greenie's Grill during the Fall Festival! 🍔✨ Dive into their mouthwatering smashburgers, crispy fries, savory phillies, onion rings, and so much more. Bring your friends, bring your appetite, and let's make this festival unforgettable! 🌟👨‍🍳