COLORADO, USA — Summer is great, but anyone who loves leaves, apple cider, sweaters and some good old-fashioned fun knows that autumn is where it’s at.
Luckily, Colorado has more than its fair of these fall treats, which also happen to come with sweet pumpkin patches and amazing corn mazes, great local food and all sorts of activities that will make you wish this season never ends.
With festive autumn celebrations scheduled through October, we have you covered when it comes to fall festivals in Denver, Estes Park, Golden, Castle Rock, Greeley, Brighton, Aurora and across the Centennial State.
September 27-29
ESTES PARK — To celebrate the annual elk rut, the city of Estes Park hosts Elk Fest in Bond Park. The festival offers the chance to see elk rutting season in the wild. Elk bulls will be bugling to win the affection of females all while guests enjoy seminars, educational areas, live music, American Indian storytelling, craft vendors, elk viewing tours, kids craft area and more. Elk Fest begins Saturday with the Rut Run 5K at 8:30 a.m. Check out the complete Elk Fest schedule at VisitEstesPark.com.
PAONIA — The annual Mountain Harvest Festival runs Thursday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 29 in Paonia. The community-oriented event features entertainment by local musicians, poets, dancers, comedians and dramatists, farm and winery tours, arts, crafts, food vendors and a farmers' market. On Friday alone there's a chili cook off, bike parade, pie contest, pub crawl and more. Most of the festival is set at Town Park, just a few blocks from downtown. To see the complete event schedule, head to MountainHarvestFestival.org.
DENVER — The Denver Oktoberfest 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). Tickets and a complete schedule can be found at TheDenverOktoberfest.com.
GREELEY — The 2019 OktoBREWfest is Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29 at Greeley's historic Lincoln Park. The celebration begins Friday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. with great beers, brats, games and a free concert. Saturday will be a full day of fun at the downtown park from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, craft beer from Northern Colorado breweries, food vendors, kids' area with face painting, obstacle course, arcade games, inflatable slide and more. Kids and adults will enjoy pie-eating contests, stein-lifting contests and life-size beer pong. VIP beer tasting tickets can be purchased online.
FRUITA — The three-day Fruita Fall Festival features over 100 vendors selling arts, crafts and foods to attendees from across Colorado. The festival has a carnival, food trucks, beauty pageant, baking and canning contest, beard rally, cornhole tournament, and more. Wayne Boyd, winner of Season 7 of The Voice, will be performing live Saturday night at the Bank of the West Circle Park Stage with more national and local artists scheduled during the festival. Check out the complete schedule for the free celebration at FruitaFallFestival.com.
TIMNATH — The Town of Timnath welcomes autumn with a fun, fall festival which benefits the Food Bank for Larimer County. The festivities begin with the Timnath Scarecrow 5K Fun Run through the rolling hills of the Timnath countryside. The race begins at the intersection of Kern Street and 4th Avenue and finishes at the fall festival site. Registration can be completed at Timnath.org. The fall festival will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 with free kids' activities, pumpkin decorating, inflatables, wagon rides, goat petting zoo, face painting, rock climbing wall, craft fair, homemade artisan goods, food, drink, and more.
IDAHO SPRINGS — Have a "blast" at an event that celebrates the mining history of Idaho Springs. The 7th annual Dynamite Days is Saturday, Sept. 28 at Citizen's Park. From 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be live music, food, over 20 vendors, kids' activities, entertainers and a chili cook-off.
GOLDEN — Colorado Mountain Fest is a two-day, family-friendly event celebrating outdoor adventure and Colorado lifestyle. Held at the American Mountaineering Center, the event offers a vendor village with gear demos, giveaways, film festival, entertainment, food trucks, craft beer garden from Odell and more. Attendees can sign up for sports clinics, free outdoor skill seminars or visit the Mini-Mountain Fest for kids. Colorado Mountain Fest runs Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29.
BRUSH — The town of Brush has a late-September weekend schedule packed with events. On Friday there will be a cruise-in followed by a street dance in downtown Brush with local restaurants offering food and drink. The 37th annual Oktoberfest begins Saturday with an authentic Volksmarch, followed by a dog show contest, food, crafts, games, beer garden, kids' activities, live entertainment, car and motorcycle show, truck and tractor pull, plus live polka band at the VFW building. Visit BrushChamber.org to see the complete Oktoberfest weekend schedule.
CASTLE ROCK — Castle Rock's free Oktoberfest is Saturday, Sept. 28 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. More than a dozen local breweries will be filling steins at downtown Castle Rock’s Wilcox Square. There will also be a corn hole tournament, face painting, kids’ activities, balloon artists, giant beer pong, Oktoberfest merchandise, German food vendors, live music and more.
FORT COLLINS — The Oktoberfest celebration at Anheuser-Busch arrives Friday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Fort Collins brewery. Guests can enjoy a special menu of Anheuser-Busch Oktoberfest beers and food specials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday is a "Fire Pit Friday" with the ever-popular Twirling Zucchinnis on the Biergarten patio. "Stangtoberfest" is set for Saturday with a Mustang Club Car Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday is the Disc Golf Tournament to benefit Animal House dog rescue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekend festivities include live music, food, and authentic German beer such as Spaten Optimator, Spaten Oktoberfest, Fransiskanner and Breckenridge Oktoberfest. For a full schedule of events, visit BudweiserTours.com.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The 8th annual Colorado Springs Oktoberfest opens Friday, Sept. 27 at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. Festivities scheduled through Sunday include food vendors, live bands, dancing, wiener dog races, stein hoisting contest, costume contest, keg tapping, retail vendors, beer school and more. Skip the lines and get your tickets now at CSOktoberfest.com.
WESTMINSTER — German American Heritage Colorado presents the Westminster Octoberfest in downtown Westminster on Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29. The German festival will have pavilions with German-style beer gardens and tables, dancing, European crafts and food, artisan crafts, face painting, and family-friendly activities. Performers include Rick Borger's AGB, The Polkanauts, The Continentals, Polka Folka, Polkamates, and German Folk Dancers. Westminster Octoberfest will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Westminster Downtown (what used to be Westminster Mall).
ELIZABETH — The Town of Elizabeth holds its Hops Fest on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The $25 admission price includes unlimited beer tastings from breweries such as Accomplice Beer Co., Goat Patch Brewing Co., Iron Mule Brewery, Two22 Brew, Welcome Home Brewery, and more. Elizabeth Hops Fest will be held at 165 South Main Street.
ALAMOSA — The annual Oktobrüfest in Alamosa offers tastes from Colorado breweries, distilleries and food vendors, as well as games, contests, fun activities, and great live music. Oktobrüfest runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Alamosa's Sunset Park. Admission is free to anyone who comes in traditional Oktoberfest costume. General admission and VIP tickets will be available to the festival. Check out the complete brewery list at AlamosaChamber.com.
MORRISON — The Morrison Ciderfest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 on the grounds of Bear Creek Care & Rehab at the corner of Highway 8 and Summer Street in downtown Morrison. The event kicks off in the morning with plenty of family-friendly activities including cider presses, kids' area with bounce castle, arts and crafts exhibits, hay and pony rides and live music from Denver's Thirsty Five, That Damn Sasquatch, Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels, and Graham Good & the Painters. The Morrison Ciderfest runs Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to dark and admission is free.
BRECKENRIDGE — Autumn has arrived and that means it's cider time. Cider and wild ale lovers won't want to miss the Strings, Ciders & Sours in beautiful Breckenridge. The Grand Tasting is Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with live music from bluegrass bands, commemorative glass and dozens of cider and ale vendors. A Cider & Food Pairing Dinner is set for Friday, Sept. 27 and a brunch on Sunday morning, both of which will overlook Maggie Pond, at "SAUCE on the Maggie" Italian restaurant. Breckenridge Strings, Ciders & Sours tickets can be purchased online.
DENVER — South Gaylord Street in Denver is toasting local breweries, distilleries and wineries on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the 4th annual Farm to Bottle Fall Festival. There will be tastings from over forty Colorado establishments, plus local food vendors and live music. The festival will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with VIP ticket holders getting early entry at 2 p.m. Farm to Bottle tickets are available online.
TELLURIDE — The 5th annual Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors is an automotive celebration set against the stunning gold leaves of the San Juan Mountains. Several events are planned from Thursday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 29 including Concours on the Golf Course, Motorcycle Concours, and Cool Cars on Colorado car show. Single-day, two-day, and four-day passes for the Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors, plus a complete event schedule, can be found at CarsAndColors.com.
October 4-6
DENVER — Celebrate autumn with old-fashioned fall fun at this beloved annual event at Four Mile Historic Park on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6. 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.
CEDAREDGE — One of Western Colorado's biggest outdoor festivals runs from Thursday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 6. Cedaredge Applefest celebrates the local apple harvest with live music, beer, wine and over 200 arts and crafts vendors. The Cedaredge Fire Department kicks off festivities on Thursday with a chili cook off. The weekend also features pancake breakfasts, a junior rodeo, a classic car and tractor show, a beer stein challenge, Applefest 5K and more. Applefest will take place at Cedaredge Town Park and Main Street and admission is free.
LAKEWOOD — Lakewood's signature fall festival arrives Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 for two days of family fun! Cider Days will take place at Lakewood Heritage Center with activities for adults and kids. Festivities include cider pressing, cider tasting, pie-eating and baking contests, trick pigs, a straw maze, face painting, train and burro rides, balloon twisting, a petting zoo, magic tricks, axe throwing demonstrations, live bluegrass and folk music, Colorado’s largest antique and vintage tractor pull and more.
PENROSE — Since 1935, residents and tourists have celebrated Apple Day in Penrose. A pancake and sausage breakfast and fun run at Penrose Elementary kick off the festivities followed by children's parade and the annual Apple Day Parade on Saturday, Oct. 5. Saturday afternoon there will be an apple slice giveaway, pie judging and auction, live concert, pet parade, kids' activities, free pony rides, volleyball and horseshoe tournaments, archery, cider tasting and much more. Check out the full Apple Day schedule at PenroseChamber.org.
CARBONDALE — The 110th annual Potato Day Parade & Celebration begins Saturday, Oct. 5 at 9 a.m. with a farmers and artisan market in Sopris Park. The Potato Day Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. Following the parade there will be a kids' bounce house, carnival games, live music, potato sack races, Mr. Potatohead pinata, BBQ lunch and more.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Harvest Festival at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. There will be wagon rides, old-time music, pumpkins for pickin' and a handcrafted folk art silent auction. Kids will love the festival's straw maze, candy scramble, pony rides, rope making and photo opportunities. For tickets and information, head to RockLedgeRanch.com.
LONE TREE — The City of Lone Tree and the Schweiger Ranch Foundation host this annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5. Festivities include pumpkin patch, hay wagon rides, crafts and tours of the historic ranch.
COLORADO SPRINGS — It's never too early to grab a pumpkin for Halloween! The Miners' Harvest Festival will help you get into the fall spirit with a pumpkin patch, hayrides, vendors, crafts, pumpkin decorating, and more. The Harvest Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry.
BERTHOUD — Fickel Park is the site of the annual Berthoud Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 5. The autumn celebration will have food, beer, music, vendor booths, kids' activities and more. Contests on the Saturday schedule include stein holding, lederhosen, dirndl, and pretzel eating. Berthoud Oktoberfest runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
OURAY — The 55th annual Ouray Jeep Raffle and Oktoberfest Celebration takes place Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Ouray Community Center. The Ouray Jeep Raffle is a community-oriented fundraiser that supports local student scholarships, Ouray fireworks on Independence Day and New Year's Eve, free community events and more. Jeep Raffle tickets are available at OurayColorado.com. The town's Oktoberfest celebration features polka music, authentic German food and beer, door prizes, kids' activities, costume and stein hoisting competitions and more.
LA VETA — Now in its 33rd year, La Veta Oktoberfest returns Saturday, Oct. 5 and starts with a 5K Fun Run. The festivities continue with music, dancing, a beer garden, car show, giant street fair, food and more. Registration for the 5K Fun Run can be completed online.
MONTROSE — The 13th annual Montrose Oktoberfest begins Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. in downtown Montrose. The festive fall event will have dozens of award-winning craft breweries, as well as live music, food, a stein-hoisting competition, costume contest and more. Tickets for the Montrose Oktoberfest, which will be held at Centennial Plaza, can be bought in advance here.
October 11-13
LITTLETON — Denver Botanic Gardens' Chatfield Farms' Pumpkin Festival features a 10-acre pumpkin patch, plus family and children's activities. The festival includes local craft and artisan booths, food trucks and vendors, beer and wine vendors, entertainment and live music. Admission includes pumpkin patch access, an antique tractor exhibit, pony rides, horse-drawn hayrides, photo booths, mini-maze, bounce houses and slides, face painting. Additional costs include the Chatfield Farms' corn maze next door and the perfect pumpkin you'll want to pick out. Chatfield Farms' Pumpkin Festival runs Friday, Oct. 11 to Sunday, Oct. 13. Tickets can be found at BotanicGardens.org.
ARVADA — The 23rd annual Festival of Scarecrows in Olde Town Arvada will be held Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with hayrides, music, chili cook-off, pumpkin patch, kids' costume parade, giant pumpkin contest, community booths, and free activities. Attendees can tour the streets to see all the scarecrows and vote for their favorite.
BRIGHTON — The Friends of Barr Lake's annual Harvest Festival arrives Saturday, Oct. 12. Barr Lake State Park will be home to kid-friendly midway games, face painting, kids' crafts, hayrides, petting zoo, kiddie train and more. The Friends of Barr Lake will be accepting donations in exchange for snacks, beverages and pumpkins grown at the state park. The free Harvest Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WELLINGTON — The 17th annual Harvest Farm Fall Festival and Corn Maze features a 10-acre corn maze, pig races, corn cannons, petting zoo, hay wagon rides and much more. The festival will be open weekends through Sunday, Oct. 27.
ESTES PARK — Estes Park's Bond Park is the site of the 6th annual Pumpkins and Pilsners on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be plenty of kids' activities including face painting, pony rides, pumpkin patch, bounce house, live music as well as food vendors, a beer garden and games.
CARBONDALE — Carbondale will celebrate the Irish with authentic beers, wines, dancing and music on Friday, Oct. 11 with the annual Celtic Fest from 5 to 9 p.m. Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 12 will feature an atmosphere of German food, spirits, music, root beer, children's activities and more. Celtic Fest and Oktoberfest take place at the 4th Street Plaza and Park on Main Street.
GOLDEN — The annual Chili Cook-Off & Beer Tasting in Golden is set for Saturday, Oct 12. General admission includes free samples from over 30 chili competitors, 90 different beers, and live music. Chili cooks will compete for the People's Choice award in three categories: Red Chili, Green Chili, and White Chili. The tasty event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Parfet Park in Downtown Golden. Tickets are sold online.
October 18-20
WESTMINSTER — Westminster holds its Halloween Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The free, family-friendly event has carnival games, trick-or-treating, live music, ropes course, inflatables, face painting, hot air balloon show and admission to a pumpkin patch. There will also be food, drink and artisan vendors. For a complete Halloween Harvest Festival schedule, head to City of Westminster's website.
BRIGHTON — For the second year in a row, Coloradans can celebrate the autumn season by exploring an impressive display featuring thousands of jack-o'-lanterns. Pumpkin Nights is described as a family friendly, multi-sensory festival including more than 3,000 hand-carved pumpkins The 18-night event will be held at the the Adams County Fair and Regional Park Complex in Brighton from Friday, Oct. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 3.
DENVER — The Denver Zoo's 35th annual Boo at the Zoo will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, Sunday, Oct. 20, Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27. The Colorado fall tradition offers trick-or-treat stations, creepy-crawly animal demonstrations and fun, family-friendly entertainment. All Boo at the Zoo activities are included in the price of zoo admission. You can find your Boo at the Zoo tickets at DenverZoo.org.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo begins its annual Halloween celebration on Friday, Oct. 18. Boo at the Zoo will have fun trick-or-treat stations with candy made with sustainable palm oil to help protect wild orangutans. Kids 11 and under are encouraged to wear costumes for the festivities which Friday to Sunday evenings the next two weekends and on Halloween night. Boo at the Zoo tickets can be bought online at CMZoo.org.
CAÑON CITY — The Royal Gorge Bridge Park will hold "Boo at the Bridge" on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The festive event features trick-or-treat goodies dished out by local businesses and non-profits, carnival games and live entertainment. "Mummies" and daddies can find tickets at BooAtTheBridge.com.
October 25-27
MANITOU SPRINGS — After coming to Manitou Springs in search of a cure for her tuberculosis, Emma Crawford succumbed to the disease and was buried on a nearby mountain in 1891. After years of harsh winters and spring rains, Emma's coffin came racing down the mountainside. Some say she still haunts the area, but the only sure way to see Emma is to attend the Coffin Races in Manitou Springs. For 25 years, festival-goers have been remembering Emma with a parade, coffin races and festival. This year's parade starts at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 with coffin races to follow.
9NEIGHBORHOODS: Explore Manitou Springs
BRIGHTON — Historic Downtown Brighton District will host a day of free, family-friendly autumn fun on Saturday, Oct. 26. The celebration includes face painting, bounce house, kids' activities, street fair, food trucks and more. Over 100 different businesses and vendors will host a street fair at the festival which runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
DENVER — The Denver Zoo's 35th annual Boo at the Zoo will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, Sunday, Oct. 20, Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27. The Colorado fall tradition offers trick-or-treat stations, creepy-crawly animal demonstrations and fun, family-friendly entertainment. All Boo at the Zoo activities are included in the price of zoo admission. You can find your Boo at the Zoo tickets at DenverZoo.org.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's annual Halloween celebration will take place Friday, Oct. 18, Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20. Boo at the Zoo will have fun trick-or-treat stations with candy made with sustainable palm oil to help protect wild orangutans. Kids 11 and under are encouraged to wear costumes for the festivities. Boo at the Zoo tickets can be bought online at CMZoo.org.
Through Nov. 3
ERIE — The Fall Festival at Anderson Farms just may be your one-stop-shop for all things ‘autumn.’ The festival features a 25-acre corn maze, jump pads, wagon rides to a pumpkin patch, pumpkin cannon, combine slide, kids' rainbow maze, backyard pedal karts, mine cars, barrel train, tire mountain, fire pit, farm animals, sand diggers, gem mining, face painting, pony rides, five-minute escape rooms and much more. The farm's fall festival runs through Sunday, Nov. 3. Various ticket options can be found at AndersonFarms.com.
DENVER — Elitch Gardens Theme Park's annual hair-raising autumn celebration will run for six weekends of chills and thrills. The annual event will have "Family by Day" and "Fright by Night" activities, plus the park's popular theme park rides. Fright Fest is free with park admission while some haunted attractions are an additional charge. Family by Day activities will take place from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during Fright Fest. Fright Fest opens Friday, Sept. 27 and runs weekends through Saturday, Nov. 2, including Halloween night. Elitch Gardens Fright Fest tickets are available at ElitchGardens.com/Fright-Fest.
AURORA — 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.
BRIGHTON — For the second year in a row, Coloradans can celebrate the autumn season by exploring an impressive display featuring thousands of jack-o'-lanterns. Pumpkin Nights is described as a family friendly, multi-sensory festival including more than 3,000 hand-carved pumpkins The 18-night event will be held at the the Adams County Fair and Regional Park Complex in Brighton from Friday, Oct. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 3.
LaSALLE — Each autumn, Fritzler Farm Park has over 15 attractions, in addition to its famous corn maze, including pedal go-carts, paintball, pumpkin patch, volleyball, human foosball, corn box, corn hole, spider web, field of fun, barnyard ball toss, slide mountain, beer garden and more. Fritzler Farm Park will be open weekends through Saturday, Nov. 2. Tickets can be purchased at FritzlerFarmPark.com.
COLORADO — Grab the apple cider and sweater and get lost in a unique corn maze. We've found over two dozen corn mazes across Colorado this fall. 9NEWS put together a handy map and list of corn mazes in Colorado.
COLORADO — For those of us who enjoy the thrill of being scared, Colorado is home to some scary haunted houses and other spooky events. Check out our roundup of some of the best to check out this Halloween season... if you dare.
Do you have another fall festival you'd like included? Email alexander.kirk@9news.com.
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