Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy today announced the 2nd annual Fall Festival and 5K on the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail and at the adjacent Firefighter’s Memorial Park, to be held Saturday, September 30 from 11am to 4pm.

In collaborating with localities, the 5K race will kick off at 11am in the Hilton Barn area in the Town of New Scotland, run its course route down the length of the Albany County Rail Trail, and finish across the bridge at the Slingerlands trailhead. The county’s running event is dubbed the “Barn to Bridge Fall Fest 5K,” and it is being managed by ARE (Albany Running Exchange) Event Productions.

The Fall Festival portion of the event is free and open to the public and will also start at 11am at the Slingerlands trailhead area of the County Rail Trail as well as the Firefighter’s Memorial Park at 1510 New Scotland Avenue, Slingerlands, NY through a partnership with the Town of Bethlehem. Fall Fest will feature a kids fun run, yoga sessions, food, drink and other vendors, a bounce house, dunk tank, rock climbing wall, face painting, a tug-of-war competition, and musical performances from local entertainers Ten Most Wanted, A-Blast, and Bethlehem Traditional Irish Dance.

“Last year’s inaugural Fall Fest and 5K was a huge success. It was an important opportunity to promote health and wellness on the County Rail Trail, to support our local businesses, and to bring the community together for some family fun,” said County Executive McCoy. “This year, we’re going to make this event even bigger and better than the last. We’re raising the cap on runners to 500 and bringing in more activities for everyone to enjoy. Can’t wait to see there!”

Registration for the Barn to Bridge Fall Fest 5K can be found at the link here. This year, the cap on runners will be raised from 300 to 500 total participants. The price of the race for adults is $10, and it includes a commemorative t-shirt and one free meal ticket at participating food trucks at Fall Fest. The kids fun run is free to enter. 

Albany County businesses who would like to have a presence at the Fall Festival as a vendor or simply to table to raise awareness and connect with potential customers are encouraged to contact the Albany County Parks & Recreation Department at (518) 655-7948. Aside from local businesses being showcased at Fall Fest, Albany County’s various departments and agencies will also be tabling at the event to help residents learn about county government programs and services.