KUSA — There's no shortage of stuff do in the Summer, but Fall has its share of fun too. The best part? You can still enjoy getting outdoors without all the heat!
Starting this weekend and lasting well into October, we have you covered when it comes to fall festivals.
Downtown Boulder Fall Fest Sept. 14-16
Celebrate the imminent arrival of fall with a trip to Boulder for their annual Fall Fest along the Pearl Street Mall. Filled with arts and crafts, live music, kids' activities and a beer/wine/margarita garden, the three-day tribute to the changing seasons offers plenty of fun in the beautiful foothills setting of Boulder.
Salida Bike Fest - Sept. 13 - 16
West of Colorado Springs, the Salida Bike Fest celebrates everything you can pedal. The kickoff party Friday night has live music at local brewery Soulcraft, and you can ride right on through the brewery itself. The rest of the weekend has bike races and rides of all kinds and even a parade on Sunday.
Telluride Blues and Brews Festival - Sept. 14 - 16
Live music in one of Colorado's most eclectic (and high end) small towns. The Telluride Blues and Brews festival is an iconic event in the community, bringing big name bands and singer/songwriters to the box canyon of Telluride. Music lovers can camp, drink, and enjoy the sounds of the live music in an atmosphere unlike nearly anything else in the state.
Loveland Oktoberfest - Sept. 14-15
Held at Grimm Brothers Brewery, enjoy fresh brews, friends, fun, and even a Barbarian dinner at the Loveland Oktoberfest.
Parker Oktoberfest - Sept. 14-16
Enjoy all things German while you explore a beer garden and a kids' area that's full of activities and fun, There are live performances throughout Parker Oktoberfest.
The event is free! Food and drinks available for purchase.
Colorado Mountain Wine Fest - Sept. 13-16
Take a relaxing drive across the western slope and spend a weekend in Palisade, Colorado, for the Colorado Mountain Winefest. Food and wine pairings, lovely mountain views, changing fall colors, and local vendors are just a few of the attractions available over the long weekend celebrating local wine.
Summerset Festival - Sept. 15
The Summerset Festival is one of South Jefferson County’s largest community-fueled fundraising events to drive support for the Foothills Parks & Recreation District.
It celebrates the setting of summer and the transition to fall with craft beer tastings, non-profit and craft exhibitors, food, and a vintage car show.
Steamboat OktoberWest - Sept. 14-15
Beer and beef. That about sums up Steamboat Springs' OktoberWest festival with more than 40 brewers, local food, and festivities to keep you out perhaps a bit past your bedtime. Join the event's kickoff Friday night with a beer stroll through historic downtown and stay for the beef cook-off Saturday on the mountain.
FORToberfest - Sept. 15
Fort Collins' last music festival of the summer has more than ten hours of free jams on the Old Town Square Stage, local beers and food.
Mountain Harvest Festival - Sept. 27 - 30
A creative celebration in Paonia, the Mountain Harvest Festival has food, activities, and local flair found only in a small town. Bike races, grape stomps, bountiful local food, music, and kid-friendly fun highlight the week in late September in the North Fork Valley.
Oktoberfest Denver - Sept. 21-23 & Sept. 28-30
The Denver Okotoberfest takes over Larimer Square between 20th and 22nd Streets, just as it has every year since 1969. Head downtown for everything from beer to dancing to DJs and happy hour specials (oh, and a yodeling competition).
Fruita Fall Festival - Sept. 21-23
Full of arts, crafts, and food, the Fruita Fall Festival is worth a trip to the town near Grand Junction. Live music takes the stage all weekend, and you can bring the family to participate in a golf tournament, street dance, cooking contest and more. The event is free.
Autumn Gold Brats and Beer - Sept. 22-23
Estes Park is the perfect backdrop for a fall festival. The Autumn Gold Festival is held on a weekend when the aspens have turned golden and the elk are bugling. Enjoy the sounds of live, local bands, stroll through vendor booths, and sip a fresh-squeezed lemonade while munching on roasted almonds. Bring the kids for some games and face painting and enjoy this special mountain town in one of its most beautiful weekends.
OktoBREWfest - Sept. 28-29
Greeley's take on a German beer fest takes over historic Lincoln Park downtown the final weekend of September. Beer, brats, games and free concerts highlight the event, which has plenty of activities for active kiddos, a pie eating contest, and stein lifting contests. Oh, and there's rumored to be life-size beer pong.
Louisville Oktoberfest - Sept. 29-30
The Louisville Oktoberfest takes place at Community Park, 5 blocks south of Old Town. There's music, food, games, kids area, dancing.
All ages welcome, kids 17-under free. There's an entry fee of $5 for those 18 and over.
Montrose Oktoberfest - Sept. 29
Costume contests, group chicken dances, polka, a stein hoisting competition, local food, and lots of beer come to Montrose at their annual Oktoberfest gathering. Join the small town on the western slope for a Saturday of family fun in a beautiful fall setting. Proceeds benefit a local nonprofit that helps seniors get around.
Pumpkin Festival - Sept. 29
Jared’s Giant Pumpkin Festival and Weigh-Off is the largest pumpkin weigh-off in the state of Colorado. The festival will include bouncy castles, music, giant pumpkins, a pumpkin drop and lots of family fun. It all takes place at Jared's Nursery and Garden Center in Littleton.
Nick's Fall Festival - Every day in October
Nick's Garden Center and Farm Market in Aurora hosts a fall festival every day in October. There are games, rides, mazes, photo opportunities, an inflatable obstacle course and so much more.
Four Mile Historic Park Pumpkin Harvest Festival - Oct. 6 -7
Celebrate the arrival of autumn with old-fashioned fall fun at this beloved annual event! Build your own scarecrow, select your favorite pumpkin from the patch, and tour the Park in a horse-drawn wagon. Explore how 19th-century Coloradans lived and prepared for the season, with historic demonstrations and tours of the Four Mile House Museum. Try your luck at county fair games, and enjoy delicious treats from the beer garden and local food trucks.*
Admission is free! Additional charges apply for refreshments and some activities.
Punkin Chunkin - Oct. 6-7
Aurora's annual festival celebrating how far you can chuck a pumpkin is back! It takes place Saturday and Sunday at Arapahoe Park Racetrack. This fall festival has it all-a pumpkin patch, pony rides, fall crafts, live music and performances, a corvette car show, plus food vendors and a beer garden! New this year-enjoy Carve War’s chainsaw carving competition for a unique and fun fall experience!
Durango Oktoberfest - Oct. 6
Durango's premier beer festival celebrates the combined creativity and downright tastiness of the town's local brews. Sip beer and enjoy live entertainment from local musicians as well as delicious food, games and more!
Oktoberfest Durango is a family friendly event.
Berthoud Oktoberfest - Oct. 6
Vendors, German-style food, live music and polka dancing bring a taste of Germany to the small northern town of Berthoud. Enjoy local brews and family fun.
Ouray Oktoberfest - Oct. 7
Every year the town hosts an Oktoberfest, and every year a Jeep is raffled off. Listen to German music, enjoy authentic food and local drinks while you hoist a beer stein and admire the lederhosen surrounding you.
Cider Days - Oct. 6-7
Celebrate Lakewood's agricultural heritage with all things apple cider. Spend a day riding on a wagon, enjoying activities with the kids, and sipping all the cider you could want. Bring your best recipe to the baking challenge and enjoy live entertainment, too!
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield's Pumpkin Festival Oct. 12-14
Denver Botanic Gardens’ Pumpkin Festival features a variety of fall activities at Chatfield Farms. The festival features a massive pumpkin patch, corn maze, family and children’s activities, live music, over 30 local craft and artisan booths, and food, beer and wine vendors.
Fall Festival at 17 Mile House - Oct. 13
Enjoy free family fun at the Arapahoe County Fall Festival. Celebrate our County’s agricultural heritage as you step back in time at this historic home and ranch.
The Fall Festival is hosted at the historic 17 Mile House Farm Park, 8181 S. Parker Road, Centennial.
Pick your favorite pumpkin from the patch, enjoy a scenic hayride, listen to live music, try your luck at gold panning, explore skins and skulls, experience farm life activities in the kids’ corral and say hello to your favorite barnyard friend in the petting farm. Take a guided tour of the historic house, explore the Cherry Creek and listen to toe-tapping tunes.
Historic Olde Town Arvada's Festival of Scarecrows - Oct. 13
The 22nd annual Festival of Scarecrows is free family fall fun! The festival features a scarecrow contest, giant pumpkin contest, hay rides, cone (corn) maze, pumpkin sales and painting, DJ, kids parade and booths.
Bring a non-perishable can of food for donation for the cone maze and hayrides to benefit the food bank at The Rising Church.
Pumpkin sales benefit Ralston House.
Halloween Harvest Festival - Oct. 20
This family-friendly event is bigger and better than ever because this year, it will now be combined with another one of Westminster’s signature events—the annual Westy Fest that is usually held each August.
Bring the whole family to kick off the fall season with free carnival games, trick-or-treating, a hot-air balloon glow, live musical performances by local bands, a beer garden, food trucks, arts and crafts, jumping castles, local vendors, a bonfire and a barbeque competition. You can even pick out the perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch!
