DENVER – Every weekend, Denver7 compiles a list of some fun events you might enjoy. Here are our picks for the 7 best things to do in the Denver metro area and beyond this weekend. Have a fun event you’d like us to showcase? Send an email to thingstodo@denver7.com.
1. Celebrate spooky season at the Broadway Halloween Parade in Denver
The annual Broadway Halloween Parade is back for its 7th year on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. with more than a dozen hearses, 20 hot rods, horses, ghostbusters, zombies, giant skeletons and tons of spooky creatures. The parade travels down Broadway from 5th to Alameda Avenue. All attendees are encouraged to join in the fun by wearing a Halloween costume. Denver7 meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo will emcee the event. More info. can be found here.
2. Welcome the arrival of autumn at the Arvada Fall Pumpkin Festival
Step into a world of autumn enchantment at our Fall Pumpkin Festival on October 21! There will be live music, a pumpkin patch, pumpkin and face painting, a nursery exploration, food and treats and much more. Admission is free. The event is taking place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. More info. here.
3. Love scary movies? Then Colorado Springs is where you’ll want to be this weekend
If you’re a fan of the horror genre, then you’ll want to spend the weekend in Colorado Springs for the Three Nights of Horror Film Festival. The festival, now in its eighth year, will have 10 features films, stop the killer board games, special guests, and more. It’s hall happening at the Lon Chaney Theatre from Friday through Sunday. Tickets range from $12-$18. More info. here.
4. It’s time to “haunt the rails” in Golden if you haven’t done so already
The Harvest Haunt Express – the Colorado Railroad Museum’s annual Halloween-themed steam-up event is back for another year this Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the Olde Railroaders Silly Graveyard, “not-so-spooky” Haunted Railcars, and a hay bale maze. Tickets and info. can be found here.
5. Get lost with your family or friends in a corn maze not too far from Denver
If you like country music and corn mazes, you’ll want to head to Fritzler Farm Park this weekend. This year, the maze honors country music start and actress Reba McEntire. Need more convincing? The usual staples will still be available this season, including the U-Pick-Pumpkin Patch, corn maze, pillow jumps, slides, ball zones, Orbeez shooting gallery, pumpkin cannons, beer gardens and Scream Acres. The farm is open through Oct. 29. You can find more information on ticket prices the rest of the season and hours of operation here.
6. Pumpkins on Parade Halloween Celebration
Pumpkins on Parade is the premier family-friendly Halloween event in Fort Collins and northern Colorado. The fourth annual Pumpkins on Parade is a fun-for-all-ages celebration of Halloween and the harvest, featuring hundreds of pumpkins and gourds arranged across The Gardens in artistic displays and festive activities for the whole family. The event is candy-free. For tickets and more info. can be found here.
7. Día de Muertos Exhibition
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a time to celebrate our deceased loved ones and keep their memories alive. The Día de Muertos exhibition returns to the Longmont Museum’s Swan Atrium featuring ofrendas (altars) built by community members and the work of local artists. Running since the year 2000, it’s the longest-standing Day of the Dead exhibition and celebration in Colorado and attracts more than 6,000 people annually. It’ll be on display from Oct. 14 through Nov. 5. Admission is free. The museum is located at 400 Quail Rd. in Longmont.
BONUS –
Fall Whale of a Used Book Sale
The Jefferson County Library Foundation will host its fall 2023 Whale of a Used Book Sale Oct. 19–22 at the Jeffco Fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6th Avenue in Golden. More info. can be found here.
