Autumn has arrived! Discover 8 fun things to do around Northern Colorado this October, from fall festivals to trick-or-treating and bar crawls.
How is it already October? Weren’t we just deciding what the song of the summer would be? (By the way, was there even a song of this summer?)
Okay, but back to October. The month when we fully embrace fall, with crunchy leaves underfoot, pumpkin spice in every aisle, Spirit Halloween popping up in the empty strip malls, sticky-sweet candied apples, simmering homemade soups, the first hot coffee of the season, earlier sunsets, flannels, crisp mornings, pumpkin patches… I could go on and on, but I’ll get to the point.
The cooler weather brings plenty of fun to Northern Colorado. From family-friendly activities to bar crawls and spooky nights, here are 8 things to do this month.
1. FoCo Fall Fest
When: Oct. 9-11
Where: Old Town Square
Price: Free to attend
A local favorite and tradition, FoCo Fall Fest spans a full weekend, kicking off Friday night (Oct. 9) with live music and drinks. On Saturday and Sunday, enjoy the two-day street festival with everything from local artisans and shopping to live music, food trucks, pumpkin painting, and drinks. You can even start your weekend mornings with a yoga session before heading out to enjoy the festivities.
With two stages featuring live music from local bands, a kids’ zone with inflatables and other activities, bars, and more than 100 local vendors, there’s something to keep everyone in the family busy and having fun.
2. Downtown Pumpkin Festival
When: Saturday, Oct. 10
Where: Downtown Loveland
Price: Free to attend
Downtown Loveland is hosting its seventh annual Pumpkin Festival, and this year it’s even bigger, happening on three blocks of 4th Street: the Farmers Market Block, Pumpkin Decorating Block, and Entertainment Block. One of the festival’s most popular activities is pumpkin decorating. For $15, you get a large pumpkin, festival tote bag, decorating supplies, and the opportunity to work with a local artist on a unique pumpkin design.
If you’d rather observe, you can watch talented artists create their own pumpkin carvings and enjoy music from a live DJ. For the kids, there are a bunch of pumpkin games like pumpkin ring toss, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin golf, and more. And when you get hungry, there are plenty of food trucks and local vendors to try.
3. Frights on Fifth
When: Saturday, Oct. 17
Where: Downtown Frederick
Price: Free to attend
Break out the Halloween costume a little early this year at Frederick’s Frights on Fifth (love the alliteration!). On Oct. 17, downtown Frederick hosts a family-friendly evening of trick-or-treating at local businesses and community partners along Fifth Street. In addition to trick-or-treating, there’s also the Big Beast Bazaar Pet Costume Contest, so your furry friends can join the Halloween fun, too.
4. Candlelit Creeps and Howl-O-Ween
When: Saturday, Oct. 18
Where: Centennial Village Museum, Greeley
Price: $20/ticket
Up for a scare? Head to Centennial Village Museum in Greeley for Candlelit Creeps. On a one-hour, lantern-lit tour through the historic village, you’ll hear five unsettling and spooky stories from Greeley’s past. The event is intended for ages 13 and older, and attendees aged 13 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
If your little ones aren’t quite ready for the creepy stories, they can still get in on the Halloween fun during Howl-O-Ween Trick-or-Treat on Oct. 17 and 18. Kids can dress up, trick-or-treat through the historic village, make fall crafts, and even go on a wagon ride.
5. Pumpkins on Parade
When: October 22-25
Where: 2145 Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526
Price: $12-15/adult & $8-10/child
Pumpkins on Parade is back at The Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins. For a weekend, the popular botanical gardens become a festive Halloween world. This annual favorite features hundreds of pumpkins and gourds arranged throughout the gardens in creative, artistic displays, along with themed areas, Halloween games, nightly live entertainment, and plenty of photo-worthy spots. You can also enter the Community Carved Pumpkin Contest for both adults and kids. You can purchase tickets here.
6. Halloween Organ Extravaganza
When: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6, 8, 10 p.m
Where: 1778 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Price: No Charge/CSU Students, $10/youth (under 18), $15/senior (62+), $20/adult
For 21 years, Colorado State University’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance has put on the Halloween Organ Extravaganza. You can expect an evening of classical spooky music, including the famous “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach. While the music is certainly the main draw, it’s not all there is at this event. Every year, there’s also a secret theme, complete with costumes and comedy sketches, plus lighting and projections thanks to the university’s theater department.
Over the years, the concert has become increasingly popular, so if you want to guarantee a spot, purchase your ticket early before the concert sells out.
7. FoCo Boo Crawl
When: Oct. 31, 7 p.m.-1 a.m.
Where: Downtown Fort Collins
Price: $5-$15
Isn’t a bar crawl just the adult version of trick-or-treating? Grab your costume and your going-out friends for a night of Halloween fun in downtown Fort Collins. The FoCo Boo Crawl is back for its sixth annual year. The crawl stops at 10 downtown venues with exclusive food and drink specials, live music, Halloween photo ops, and a costume contest. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight, followed by an after-party at The Exchange from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring free games, haunted mini golf, drink specials, and outdoor fire pits.
General admission is $5, or you can opt for the $15 T-Shirt Challenge, which gives you a stamp card and a limited-edition Boo Crawl shirt. The event is 21+. If you plan on drinking, be sure to have a designated driver or plan to take a ride share.
8. Pumpkin patches
You can’t make it through the month of October without a pumpkin (well, you can…but why would you?). The process of pumpkin picking, carving, and decorating can fill your entire weekend with fun, and you can pick any October weekend for it!
Northern Colorado is filled with pumpkin patches to choose from. Anderson Farms in Erie has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and plenty of other fun at its Fall Festival (Sept. 23 to Oct. 31). In LaSalle, Fritzler Farm Park has its iconic corn maze, pumpkin cannons, pedal go-karts, and more. Miller Farms in Platteville offers a unique experience that allows you to go out into the fields, get your hands dirty, and be a farmer for a day.
In Johnstown, Hankins Farms has two corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, pedal car races, a corn cannon, and other activities included with admission. Osborn Farm in Loveland is a family-friendly spot with pumpkins, gourds, hayrides, a barrel train, and a small petting zoo. Just north of Fort Collins, Bartels Pumpkin Patch is another popular spot for pumpkin picking, hayrides, a corn maze, and U-pick vegetables. Also in Fort Collins, Something From the Farm and Spooky’s Pumpkin Patch offer two more local farm experiences.
