Fall Festivities
Fall is arguably one of our favorite times of the year. We just love the cooler temps, changing leaves, and pumpkin spice everything #basic. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite fall activities so you don’t miss out on any of the fun. Whether you’re looking for family activities, beer festivals, or outdoor fun, we’ve got it all!
Family Friendly Events
Pumpkin Nights
There is no shortage of events that are fun for the whole family! The 44th Annual Cider Days Festival on October 5 & 6 will have wagon and barrel train rides and other children’s activities as well as a hard cider tasting. Some Oktoberfests have come and gone - but you can still make the Berthoud Oktoberfest on October 5! Enjoy live music, dancing, food & beer vendors, and kid’s activities. Oktoberfest not your thing? How about CHOCtoberfest?! The Colorado Choctoberfest on October 12 has everything chocolate including tastings, kid’s activities, and a beer garden. The Pumpkin Festival October 11-13 at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms has just about everything you could want: pony rides, live music, train and hayrides, local craft and artisan booths, food trucks, and beer and wine vendors. Next up is Pumpkin Nights (Oct 17-Nov 3), where you’ll walk through different “lands” filled with 3,000 carved pumpkins. Last but not least, the Glow at the Gardens on Oct 21-25 is a must! The Gardens dress up for Halloween, with hundreds of real, hand carved pumpkins designed into larger-than-life sculptures.
For the Grown Ups
Sometimes ya just need a good old fashioned hang with your adult pals. Here are some events geared towards those of you #adulting. There’s one last Denver Oktoberfest on September 27-29. Put on your best Dirndl or Lederhosen and enjoy food, beer (duh), costume contests, and live entertainment. There are three breweries hosting pumpkin carving/painting & brews events: Arvada Denver Beer Co Oct 12-13, Living the Dream Brewing Co Oct 27, and Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton Oct 28. Speaking of beer, the Great American Beer Festival is a MUST for all you beer lovers. It’s a 3 day extravaganza (October 3-5) with unlimited tastings of the best beers from all over the country. If you’re looking for something spookier, we recommend checking out one of Denver’s haunted walking tours. Nightly Spirits offers both Haunted Pub Crawls and Haunted Food Tours around Denver. The Dark Side of Denver provides a 2 hour Denver Ghost Tour most Thursdays-Saturdays. For an adult evening on the farm, check out YA YA Farm & Orchard’s Boofest on October 25. They’ll have all the finest things of Halloween – pumpkin carving contest, themed dinner and drinks, and a Spooktacular film in the orchard. Plus it’s BYOB!
Get Out and Explore
Driving through the mountains with the leaves changing to brilliant reds and yellows is undoubtedly the prettiest time of year. Unfortunately, you usually have a short period of time to catch them and that time is NOW! The number one drive is Independence Pass near Aspen. It is treacherous, with steep drop offs and very narrow roads, but it. is. beautiful. The Peak to Peak Highway is another beaut and an easy day trip. Within an hour from Boulder, you have picturesque views of golden aspens and the Continental Divide. Finally, Rocky Mountain National Park is stunning no matter the time of year. In the fall, it’s absolutely breathtaking and you might even spot an elk (you’ll probably spot an elk - they’re everywhere). Even better, national parks offer free entrance on Sept 28! These are just some of our favorites, but if you get in the car and start driving towards the mountains, you’re bound to find some stunning views. We’d love to hear your favorites below!
Here are some of the top rated pumpkin patches around:
Cottonwood Farms (now - October 31)
10600 Isabelle Rd, Lafayette, CO 80026
Rock Creek Farm (October 5 - October 31)
2005 South 112th Street, Broomfield, CO 80020
7th Generation Farm (October 1 - October 31)
1536 Courtesy Road, Louisville, CO 80027
Maize in the City (September 27 - October 31)
10451 McKay Rd Unit 1, Thornton, CO 80233
That’s a wrap. Let us know if you have any favorite fall activities down in the comments. Happy fall y’all!