October is a magical month for those who cherish the changing seasons. Crisp mornings, leaves turning from green to shades of gold and crimson, pumpkin spice everything…what’s not to love? The coming weeks across the Front Range are packed with fall festivities and events. Here are 10 ways to soak up autumn before winter settles in:
- Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms – This weekend, head to Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms for a day of pumpkin picking, live music, magic shows, wagon rides, carnival games, face painting, and more. Tickets include entry to the Corn Maze too! Littleton, October 10-12, 2025
- Aurora Borealis Festival – Experience the Northern Lights recreated with cutting-edge technology. Visit High Prairie Park in Painted Prairie, just minutes from the Gaylord Rockies Resort, and bring your chairs and blankets to experience a dazzling light show synchronized to music. Enjoy performances by local musicians on the main stage both nights. Aurora, October 10-11, 2025
- Maize in the City – This family-owned rural fall event features a 40-acre corn maze, a shorter mini maze, and a wide-open pumpkin field with pumpkins, gourds, and fall décor. Admission is free, with food, merchandise, and activities priced a la cart (think corn launchers, face painting, and wagon rides). Thornton, Through October 31, 2025
- Pumpkin Harvest Festival at Four Mile Historic Park –Pan for gold, build a scarecrow, play prairie games, and enjoy live music and performances while sipping cider and snacking on apple cider churros. This autumn event on the grounds of Denver’s oldest standing structure (the Four Mile House Museum) is perfect for the whole family. Denver, October 18-19, 2025
- Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns at Hudson Gardens – Stroll through Enchanted Hollow, a 1/3-mile glowing path filled with light displays, fall scenes, and twinkling trees. Discover pumpkin artworks and stop to toast marshmallows at one of the s’mores stations along the way. Littleton, Through November 2, 2025
- Cottonwood Farms Fall Festival – This family farm transforms into a fall wonderland at its annual Fall Festival. Pick out pumpkins and winter squash, then hitch a ride on a tractor-drawn wagon as it rolls through the patch. Get lost in the hand-cut corn maze while the rustling stalks signify the coming harvest. Meet the farm’s animals—goats, chickens, and sheep—as they roam their home. Lafayette, Through October 31, 2025
- Ghosts in the Gardens – Feeling a little daring this Halloween season? Venture through the shadowed paths of Denver Botanic Gardens after dark, where storytellers share eerie tales of real staff and security guard encounters in what was once known as “The Boneyard.” Denver, Various dates through October 30, 2025
- Castle Rock Fall Festival –Browse dozens of food and craft vendor stands and pick up treats, fall produce, roasted chiles, and more. Get artsy at the pumpkin decorating and craft stations, then pick out a locally grown pumpkin to take home. The festival also includes Creepy Crawlies Around the Rock, an animal booth with critters like snakes, toads, and other invertebrates. Castle Rock, October 19, 2025
- Elitch Gardens Fright Fest – Fall in the Mile High City wouldn’t be the same without Colorado’s largest Halloween extravaganza, Fright Fest. Daytime activities for little ghouls and goblins include harvest-themed attractions, trick-or-treating, and other seasonal delights. When the sun sets, the big kids can brave haunted houses, scare zones, thrilling rides in the dark, and more. Denver, Weekends through November 2, 2025
- Mile High Farms Fall Festival – Venture east of the city to Mile High Farms for a day of down-home family fun. Explore the imaginative harvest village, with structures built with corn stalk roofs and hay bale walls. Wander through two corn mazes and take a barrel train ride around the farm before hopping on the vintage carousel. Bennett, Weekends through October 26, 2025
With light shows, farm fun, cozy festivals, and all the pumpkins you could dream of, it’s time to get outside and make the most of this delightful time of year. Happy fall from TGRP!
