How to Grow and Market Seasonal Events Year-Round

Whether it’s a Christmas parade, a fall apple picking experience, or a summer series at the museum, seasonal events create cherished traditions that people look forward to every year. Seasonal events are tied to a specific time of year, which often makes it challenging to stay top of your attendees' minds. With strategic marketing, year-round engagement, and the right tools, however, you can get your attendees pining for a Christmas tree event in the middle of the summer. This blog will teach you how to grow and market your seasonal event all year long. Let’s dive in!

Types of Seasonal Events

Unlike recurring weekly events or permanent year-round attractions, seasonal events only take place for a limited window of time each season. Below are some of the most common types of seasonal events. 

Agricultural Events 

In agritourism, events follow the earth’s natural rhythms of sunlight and temperature. Think spring tulip fields, summer peach picking, fall pumpkin patches, and winter Christmas tree farms. These events provide more than just delicious fresh produce; from petting zoos and hayrides to cider tastings and apple pie workshops, they offer memorable experiences that families and individuals look forward to each year. 

Holiday Events

‘Tis the season! For many people, nothing says seasonal quite like holidays and holiday events. These events are rooted in celebration, nostalgia, and community spirit. They tap into deep emotional connections, making them prime opportunities for building brand loyalty and word-of-mouth buzz. Popular holiday events include Halloween haunts, Christmas parades, Easter egg hunts, and New Year’s Eve Celebrations. 

Annual Attractions

Annual attractions recur on a regular annual schedule, although they may not be tied to a specific holiday or crop. These are the county fairs, the summer concert series, the fall harvest festivals, or art walk weekends, that bring the community together year after year. Because these events typically span multiple days or weeks, they offer opportunities for multi-tiered ticketing, VIP experiences, and add-on sales like parking or food vouchers.

When to Market a Seasonal Event

One of the biggest mistakes event organizers make is waiting too long to market a seasonal event. Just because it’s a sweltering 100 degrees outside now, doesn’t mean it’s too early to start marketing those crisp apple afternoons around the corner. Here are a few marketing tips to get you started.

Emphasize Early Commitment

The earlier you build anticipation, the better. Save-the-date emails and early bird promotions will help lock in your core audience months in advance. Early commitment increases cash flow upfront and gives you a better pulse on event demand well before the big day.

Budget for the Offseason

Seasonal events naturally have ebbs and flows of income. Farms, for instance, tend to stay pretty quiet between Christmas tree season and spring flower picking. Stay proactive by planning for the offseason lull ahead of time. 

Time it Right

🗓️1 year out (at the end of this year’s event): Tease next year’s event even if the details are still TBD. Offer a membership or share a returner's discount.

🗓️6 Months Out: Preview the upcoming season with behind-the-scenes content or throwback posts.
🗓️ 3-4 Months Out: Incentivize with early bird ticket offers with limited-time discounts.
🗓️2 Months Out: You’re in full promotion mode now. Launch email campaigns, social ads, and influencer collaborations.
🗓️ Final 2-4 Weeks: Ramp up urgency with countdowns, social proof, and last-chance offers. 

Engaging Customers Year-Round

Out of season doesn’t have to mean out of sight or out of mind. Here’s how to keep your audience engaged even when it’s not your event season.

Share Offseason Content

Everyone loves a dose of seasonal nostalgia. In the dead of winter, a sunny post of a juicy peach or an outdoor concert can brighten someone’s feed. Share tips, memories, or fun facts related to your event’s theme.

Build a Community

Create spaces—online or in person—where your fans can stay connected. Facebook groups, email newsletters, and even local meetups can help stoke the excitement fire all year long.

Incentivize with Exclusive Offers

Reward loyal attendees with pre-sale access, discounts, or limited-edition merch. This drives offseason revenue and keeps your audience invested in your event.

Host an Offseason Event

The stretch between annual events is long, so why not host a smaller offseason gathering? You might consider a farm-to-table dinner, a seed starting event, a fundraising gala, or a volunteer clean-up day to keep your brand visible and add a touch point between the main event seasons.

How TicketSpice Helps Seasonal Events Thrive

Every year, TicketSpice helps hundreds grow and stay successful year after year. Whether your season lasts for a weekend or an entire summer, here are some of the tools we give you to grow. 

Key Features for Seasonal Events:

➡️ Email Drip Campaigns - Create a series of pre-scheduled automated emails, and stay connected with your attendees year-round

➡️ Total Branding Control - Control the aesthetic, layout, and branding during every season and every event. The spotlight is where it should be—on your event and your brand.

➡️ Timed Entry & Capacity Management - Make your busy days more manageable by selling tickets for a certain date or time range. 

➡️ Upsells & Add-Ons - Boost revenue by offering upsells at checkout. This might be a VIP pass at the concert, an extra hayride at the farm, or a photo with Santa at the Christmas event.

➡️ Group Ticketing - Check in an entire family in seconds with group ticketing and QR code scanning.

➡️ Data Analytics - Keep a pulse on your event’s marketing efforts to see what’s working and what's not, so you can improve next season.

➡️ Purchase Protection - Maybe your seasonal event overlaps with other seasons, like the flu. Give your attendees peace of mind by offering purchase protection. They’ll get a full refund if an unforeseen circumstance prevents them from attending your event.

➡️ Text Messaging - Whether it’s alerting guests about a thunderstorm or sending them a flash discount for your fourth of July drone show, text messaging allows you to reach attendees instantly with real-time updates, last-minute reminders, or exclusive offers.

Proven Success Stories

TicketSpice is designed to maximize revenue and enhance the experience of seasonal events. But you don’t have to take our word for it. These are real customers who are seeing real results.

🎄Christmas at the Princess grew by 450% using TicketSpice while maintaining a 5-diamond experience. 

🌱These six agritourism attractions used TicketSpice to grow, manage the crowds, and communicate with customers. 

👻The famous Haunt, Blood Prison, leveraged flexible ticketing to create an immersive haunted attraction that scaled with ease.

Final Takeaways

Seasonal events may only run for part of the year, but with the right tools and strategy, their impact can last all year long. At TicketSpice, we’re here to help you make every season your strongest yet. 

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Ready to grow your seasonal event and keep customers coming back year after year? Get started with TicketSpice today! As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team.

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Here to help you have the best event ever!

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—The TicketSpice team

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