Can you believe it's almost October? The spooky season is almost here!
Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday and I'm so excited that there are so many ways to celebrate the season here in Colorado. Today I'm sharing all my favorite events from the Denver area. Whether you like scary haunted houses, colorful jack-o'lantern displays, pumpkin patches, or farm fun there's something for everyone.
Let's take a look...
Glow at the Gardens
Every October Denver Botanic Gardens lights up in the evenings with a spectacular exhibition of light displays, jack-o'lanterns, sculptures made of pumpkins, and characters in costumes. It's a family friendly event with nothing too spooky on display, but you will find the odd skeleton or two in displays. Visitors are welcome to come in costume (no prop weapons or scary masks allowed).
This year's Glow at the Gardens runs from October 18th through 23rd from 6pm to 9pm. The event sells out every year so make sure to get your tickets ASAP. For tickets and more information click here.
Tickets start at $25.00 for adults, $21.00 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
To see one of our previous visits click here.
Chatfield Farms Corn Maze
For a fun day time event, make sure to check out Chatfield Farms Corn Maze. Chatfield Farms is part of the Denver Botanic Gardens and is located in nearby Littleton. Every Fall the farm is home to a 7 acre corn maze that delights visitors. It's family friendly and not spooky at all. Visitors under the age of 10 can also explore the mini corn maze. Barrel train rides are included with every child ticket purchased and, for an additional cost, there is an escape room located on site. Unlike Glow at the Gardens, visitors are asked not to attend in costume.
Chatfield Gardens Corn Maze is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 16th through October 31st from 9am to 5pm.
Tickets start at $15.00 for adults, $11.00 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets must be booked in advance on line. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Chatfield Farms Pumpkin Festival
As mentioned above, the Chatfield Farms Pumpkin Festival runs October 7th through 9th. This event includes a 10 acre pumpkin patch (with pumpkin babysitting available so you can enjoy the rest of the event without lugging around heavy pumpkins), carnival games, hay rides, photo booths, access to the mini corn maze for children 10 and under, family friendly entertainment, lots of yummy food options, face painting, and an antique tractor display. Access to the adjoining corn maze requires an extra ticket.
Tickets start at $15.00 for adults, $11.00 for children (ages 3 - 15), and chicldren ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
Timed and dated entry tickets must be purchased in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Anderson Farms Fall Festival
Located just outside of Erie, north of Denver, Anderson Farms is a favorite Fall destination with Colorado families. You'll find a huge range of Fall and Halloween activities here including a 25 acre corn maze, a 30 acre pumpkin patch with tractor pulled wagon rides, pumpkin canons, a petting zoo, barrel train rides, fun playgrounds, fire pits and plenty of food options.
In the evenings things get a little spookier with the popular Terror in the Corn haunted house and corn maze. This mile long attraction features both a haunted house and a haunted corn maze. An enclosed truck takes visitors to the attraction with a few spooky encounters along the way. The haunted house is probably the scariest I've been to with lots of jump scares and gory scenes. It's not recommended for children under 10, but this is up to parents' discretion.
Anderson Farm Fall Festival is open Wednesdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays) from September 21st through October 31st. Hours vary depending on the day. Terror in the Corn is open Thursday through Sunday evenings.
Tickets for Anderson Farm Fall Festival start at $17.00 for weekdays (Monday - Thursday) and $27.00 for weekends (Friday - Sunday). Children ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets for Terror in the Corn start at $35.00 and include entry to the Fall Festival.
Tickets can be purchased at the event, however they do often sell out so it's best to book in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
You can see our visit to Anderson Farm Fall Festival here.
Four Mile Park Events
Visiting Four Mile Historic Park in Denver is like taking a step back in time to Denver's Old West part. The park is home to Denver's oldest standing structure (now the Four Mile House Museum), as well as replicas of historical buildings and a working farm with horses, goats, chicken and pigs. The park is home to many popular seasonal events including several for Halloween.
Pumpkin Harvest Festival will be held on October 8th and 9th from 9am to 6pm. This event includes live entertainment, a marketplace, face painting, prairie games, demonstrations of blacksmithing, tractor rides, and of course, a pumpkin patch. Add on activities including scarecrow making and axe throwing are also available.
Halloween Haunt will be held on October 29th from 4:30pm to 8:30pm. This event includes spooky live entertainment, creepy crafting, face painting, pumpkin decorating, house tours and more. Visitors are encourage to come in costume.
Tickets for the Pumpkin Harvest Festival start at $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for children (ages 7 -17), and children ages 6 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets for Halloween Haunt start at $20.00 for adults, $16.00 for children (ages 7 - 17), and children aged 6 and under are admitted free of charge.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Fright Lights
Looking for a Halloween exhibition that doesn't require leaving the comfort of your car? I've got just the thing for you! Fright Lights is a drive through light and music experience that the whole family will love. Similar to the annual Christmas in Color exhibition (which you can see here) visitors drive through tunnels of twinkling lights while pumpkins, ghosts and other spooky (but friendly) lighted characters sing and dance along to favorite Halloween songs. Rug up in your favorite Halloween pajamas and sing along as you take in the lights.
Fright Lights is held at Water World, 8801 N Pecos Street, Federal Heights and runs nightly through October 31st from 7pm to 9pm.
Tickets are $30 per vehicle and must be purchased in advance online here.
For more information click here.
Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns
Returning to Colorado this year is Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns at Hudson Gardens & Event Center in Littleton. This fun event features 5,000 hand carved pumpkins and pumpkin displays. You'll find a large array of jack o'lanterns from classics to elaborately carved pumpkins depicting beloved movie and tv characters, sports stars and celebrities. Multi pumpkin sculptures in the form of mythical creatures, movie characters and famous artworks are sure to delight. The gardens are lit up beautifully and music can be heard throughout. You'll find concession stands offering food, drinks and toys on site.
Returning to Colorado this year is Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns at Hudson Gardens & Event Center in Littleton. This fun event features 5,000 hand carved pumpkins and pumpkin displays. You'll find a large array of jack o'lanterns from classics to elaborately carved pumpkins depicting beloved movie and tv characters, sports stars and celebrities. Multi pumpkin sculptures in the form of mythical creatures, movie characters and famous artworks are sure to delight. The gardens are lit up beautifully and music can be heard throughout. You'll find concession stands offering food, drinks and toys on site.
Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns opens Friday September 30th and runs through Halloween. Hours vary depending on the day.
Tickets start at $14.99 for adults, $10.99 for kids (ages 3 - 12), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
For more information and to book tickets click here.
To see our visit to Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns click here.
Fall Flannel Fest
Dairy Block in Denver is home to collection of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants and an alley way filled with street art, quirky installations and al fresco dining. To celebrate the spooky season Dairy Block will be holding their 5th annual Fall Flannel Fest. Visitors will find live music, face painting, photobooths, live pumpkin carving and trick or treating for the kids. Local businesses will have seasonal goodies on offer including Fall pastries and caramel apples.
Fall Flannel Fest is a free event held on Sunday October 23rd from 11am to 2pm.
You can learn more about Fall Flannel Fest here.
You can see one of our visits to Dairy Block here.
Union Station Events
Denver's Union Station is always a fun place to celebrate holidays throughout the year, and Halloween is no different. Boonion Station is a family friendly trick or treating event held on Wednesday October 26th from 4:30pm - 7:30pm. Along with trick or treating throughout the station there will be a children's costume parade, live entertainment, face painting and balloon art. The Howl-a-ween Pet Parade will be held on Sunday October 23rd from 1pm to 3pm.This dog friendly event is open to the public and will feature adorable pooches in their best Halloween costumes.
For more information click here.
7th Generation Farm
7th Generation Farm is our local pumpkin patch. It's a much smaller farm that Anderson Farms and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it does have a good range of pumpkins and some fun activities for the kids. Plus it has lots of great photo opportunities. Here you'll find plenty of pumpkins, a hay bale maze, a hay bale castle, pony rides, a petting zoo, food trucks, a market stand with locally grown fruits and vegetables, and more.
7th Generation Farm is our local pumpkin patch. It's a much smaller farm that Anderson Farms and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it does have a good range of pumpkins and some fun activities for the kids. Plus it has lots of great photo opportunities. Here you'll find plenty of pumpkins, a hay bale maze, a hay bale castle, pony rides, a petting zoo, food trucks, a market stand with locally grown fruits and vegetables, and more.
7th Generation Farm pumpkin patch is open Tuesdays through Sundays in October.
For more information click here.
Fright Fest at Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens in Denver is a popular theme park year round, but in October things get a little spooky with the annual Fright Fest. During the day the scares are family friendly with trick or treating, a costume contest, Halloween bingo and a scream contest. In the evenings the scares get a little more, well... scary! Fright by Night sees gruesome characters haunting the park as well as haunted attractions including two haunted houses (Big Top Freaks and Lock Up: No Escape), Séance, and Terrortories. Fright by Night is recommended for ages 12 and up. For both Family by Day and Fright by Night visitors are welcome to come in costume. Throughout October there will also be special events held in the park.
Elitch Gardens is open Saturdays and Sundays throughout October as well as select Friday evenings. Hours vary depending on the day.
Tickets start at $49.99. Children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge. Additional tickets are required for both haunted houses and Séance. Reservations are required for Séance.
Butterfly Pavilion Events
The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster is home to creepy crawlies all year round, but to celebrate the spooky season they have a special limited time exhibition called Spiders Around the World from October 7th to October 31st. This exhibition will feature 20 different spider species from around the world, including the appropriately named skeleton tarantula and Colombian pumpkin patch tarantula, as well as orb weaver spiders spinning their intricate webs in the Spider Dome.
The Bug-A-Boo event will be held on October 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th. During these days visitors are encouraged to dress up in Halloween costumes and take part in trick or treating among the butterflies and insects that call the Butterfly Pavilion home.
Flashlight Tours for the older kids (ages 5+) will be held on October 22nd and 23rd from 7pm to 8pm, and October 29th and 30th from 8:30pm and 9:30pm. These tours will allow visitors to experience the Butterfly Pavilion after dark by flashlight.
Tickets to the Butterfly Pavilion start at $14.50 for adults, $9.50 for children (ages 2 -12), and children under 2 are admitted free of charge. Spiders Around the World and Bug-A-Boo are included with entry. Tickets for the Flashlight Tours start at $15.00 for adults and $9.00 for children.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
13th Floor Haunted House
Lovers of all things spooky and gruesome should definitely check out 13th Floor Haunted House. This Denver favorite is back with all the thrills and chills this year. The large, and rather creepy haunted house features three different zones: Primal Fear, Midnight Mania and All Hallows Eve. They're all spooky in their own way with creepy characters appearing out of the dark, screams and terrifying sounds, vivid and quite realistic looking gory displays, lots of smoke and strobe lights, and an awful lot of darkness. On site you'll also find Sensory Overload, a maze in complete darkness. I gave that one a miss last year because it was a little out of my comfort zone. Plus I was wearing heels. Don't wear heels! Visitors will also find Shriekeasy Bar with spooky cocktails, axe throwing, blitz bowl, and food trucks on site.
13th Floor Haunted House is open from September 16th to November 12th. Days and hours vary so make sure to check online.
Tickets vary in price depending on the day but start at $19.99.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Wild Fall at Denver Zoo
Celebrate Fall and the Halloween season with all your favorite animals at Denver Zoo! Throughout October visitors will find creature carved pumpkins, roaming costumed characters, festive food and drinks, special animal demos and creepy crawly meet and greets. All of this fall fun is included with regular entry.
On select evening in October things get a little spooky with Trick or Treat Trail. This add on event will be held on October 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th - 31st. Visitors will find a trail that leads through the 84 acre zoo with 8 trick or treating stations along the way. There will also be animal demos with creepy crawlies, festive photo opportunities with characters and sets, a Monster Mash dance party, and special spooky cocktails for the grown ups. Visitors are encourage to attend in costume.
Denver Zoo is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Trick or Treat Trail runs from 5:30pm to 8:30pm on the dates listed above.
Entry to Denver Zoo starts at $20.00 for adults, $14.00 for children (ages 3 - 11), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets for Tick or Treat Trail are $20.00 per person
Tickets must be purchased online in advance. For more information and to purchase the tickets click here.
Fall Festival at Fritzler Farm Park
Much like Anderson Farm, Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle is home to a popular Fall Festival. This Fall Festival features a giant corn maze, a pumpkin house, pedal go carts, a barrel train, a corn pit, slide mountain, a U-Pick pumpkin patch, festive food and drinks, pumpkin canons, fun photo opportunities and so much more.
On Friday and Saturday evenings Fritzler Farm Park ups the spooky ante with Scream Acres. This haunted event features spooky entertainment in a haunt experience like no other.
The Fall Festival runs Fridays through Sundays from September 18th to October 30th. Hours vary depending on the day.
Tickets for Fall Festival start at $19.95 per person. Tickets for Scream Acres start at $37.95 per person.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
For a family friendly spook fest make sure to check out Distortions Monster World. Distortions Monster World in Denver Pavilions is a great place for lovers of all things spooky to check out any day of the year, with interactive displays of horror movie characters and props, but especially so during Halloween. Visitors will find entertainment throughout the exhibition as well as live characters on site. Expect to find Nosferatu, Bigfoot, Alice Cooper, Frankenstein, zombies, aliens, vampires, gargoyles and more.
Distortions Monster World is open Wednesdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays) from 1pm to 8pm.
Tickets start at $25.00 for adults, $18.00 for children (ages 6 - 12), and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
To see our visit to Distortions Monster World click here.
Do you plan on going to any of these Halloween events? Know of any others in the Denver are? I'd love to hear!
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