Once the chill arrives, so do fall festivals. »
Then head to a fall festival in Colorado
As the temperature drops and the days get shorter, Colorado turns into a rainbow of lively colors — the golden-yellow aspens, the fiery-red maples, the bright-orange pumpkins, all set against the backdrop of a vibrant blue sky.
Fall is here, and it’s time to celebrate. Looking for something to do this autumn? Be sure to add these diverse Colorado fall festivals to your calendar.
Aspen Filmfest, various locations in Aspen and Carbondale, Sept. 23-29. Tickets start at $20. aspenfilm.org/aspen-filmfest-2019
For a week of weighty documentaries, award-winning features, panel discussions, fall previews and events with industry guests, head to Aspen Filmfest, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this
year. Crested Butte Film Festival,
various locations in Crested Butte, Sept. 26-29. Tickets start at $15. cbfilmfest.org
With four venues, you’ll have a hard time deciding how to spend your time at the Crested Butte Film Festival, an annual four-day event held in this mountain town. There’s also a bike parade, several parties, an awards ceremony, talks with filmmakers and other events. Mountain Harvest Festival,
various locations in Paonia, Sept. 26-29. Free, but some events have fees. mountainharvestfestival.org
Organizers of the Mountain Harvest Festival want to show off all the North Fork Valley has to offer, and based on the festival’s packed schedule, it seems they’ve done just that. This fourday event in Paonia celebrates the fall harvest with live music, harvest-to-table dinners, farm tours, yoga, a bike parade, a chili cook-off and more. There’s so much to do and see that you’ll want to start planning your weekend ASAP.
Fruita Fall Festival, downtown Fruita, Sept. 27-29. Free. fruitachamber.org/fruita-fallfestival
Fruita ushers in the fall season with an annual three-day festival complete with live music, food trucks, games and more. This year’s headliner is Craig Wayne Boyd, who won Season 7 of “The Voice.” There’s also a carnival, a cornhole tournament, a baking and canning contest, a beauty pageant and a parade. But one event you really don’t want to miss is the Outhouse Race, in which teams compete to see whose outhouse on wheels is the fastest.
Morrison Ciderfest, Bear Creek Center, 150 Spring St., Morrison, Sept. 28. Free. morrisonciderfest.org
Celebrate until dark with beer and live music at Morrison Ciderfest. There’s also a kids area with a bouncy castle, hay and pony rides, a silent auction, arts and crafts exhibits and cider press demonstrations.
Elk Fest, Bond Park, 170 Macgregor Ave., Estes Park, Sept. 28-29. Free. visitestespark.com/events-calendar/ fall-events/elk-fest
Estes Park is gorgeous in the fall (OK, when is it not gorgeous in Estes Park, actually?), which is why it’s worth a trip for Elk Fest, the annual celebration of the majestic animals that roam around town and Rocky Mountain National Park. More specifically, the festival celebrates the elk rut, aka mating season, which is marked by the loud bugling noises these guys make when the leaves start to change colors. There’s live music, a 5K race, bugling contests, a craft beer garden, activities for kids and Native American dancing, singing and storytelling. Of course, there are also elk seminars, elk exhibits and elk arts and crafts.
Applefest, various venues, Cedaredge, Oct. 3-6. Free admission; fees for some events. cedaredgechamber.com/events
Applefest is the ultimate celebration of all things fall. This four-day festival in Cedaredge includes live music, a classic car and tractor show, a pancake breakfast, a 5K race, a chili cookoff and tons of other fun things to do. One event you won’t want to miss is the apple pie eating contest, where contestants race to see who can finish their entire pie first, without using their hands. Grand Junction Downtown
Art Festival, Oct. 4-6. Free; fees for some events. downtowngj.org/signature-events/ downtown-art-festival
The Downtown Art Festival in Grand Junction is a three-day festival celebrating music, visual arts and film. The weekend kicks off with First Friday at the galleries, shops and restaurants downtown. On Saturday, there’s an Artist Expo, demonstrations, performances and vendors, as well as the installation of the newest Grand Junction Art on the Corner temporary exhibit. The weekend festivities wrap up with a film festival on Sunday.
Lone Tree Fall Festival, Schweiger Ranch, 10822 S. Havana St., Lone Tree, Oct. 5. Free. cityoflonetree.com/event/fallfestival
There’s a little something for everyone at the Lone Tree Fall Festival at Schweiger Ranch, whether you love hayrides, walking through the pumpkin patch, scarecrow decorating, food trucks, the petting zoo or tours of the historical ranch. 44th Annual Cider Days,
Lakewood Heritage Center, 801 S. Yarrow St., Lakewood, Oct. 5-6. Cost: $5 to $38. lakewood.org/ciderdays
Lakewood celebrates its agricultural heritage every year with Cider Days, a two-day festival with live entertainment, delicious apple-themed foods and beverages and tons of historical demonstrations ranging from butter churning to sawmilling. There’s a massive tractor pull (the organizers say it’s the largest in Colorado) and you can buy a special ticket that lets you taste more than 50 hard ciders. Pumpkin Harvest Festival at Four Mile Historic Park, 715 S.
Forest St., Denver, Oct. 5-6. Cost: $5-$10; kids 2 and under free. fourmilepark.org/events/eventscalendar
Visit Denver’s oldest house for a weekend of old-fashioned fun, including pioneer games, live music, tractor ride, face painting, a photo booth and more. There will also be historic demonstrations in domestic arts, blacksmithing and summer kitchen, plus craft sessions to make cornhusk dolls and scarecrows.
Telluride Horror Show, various venues, Telluride, Oct. 11-13. Cost: $85-$175. telluridehorrorshow.com
Get in a spooky mood ahead of Halloween with the Telluride Horror Show, an epic three-day
festival dedicated to all things horror in the beautiful San Juan Mountains. The festival serves as the U.S. premiere for many of these films, which include dark comedy, sci-fi, horror, suspense, thriller and other genres.
Botanic Gardens Pumpkin Festival, 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, Oct. 11-13. Cost: $4 to $10; children 2 and under are free. botanicgardens.org
Pumpkins are the main attraction at the Botanic Gardens Pumpkin Festival, held every year at Chatfield Farms. You can pick your own pumpkin from the 10-acre pumpkin patch, then stick around for a full weekend of live music, a corn maze ($8), food trucks, local vendor booths, an antique tractor exhibit, carnival games and more. As a side benefit, the festival event offers free “pumpkin daycare” if you didn’t bring a wagon to cart yours around all day. Knock Your Boots Off Chili Cook-off and Beer Tasting,
Parfet Park, 10th Street and Washington Avenue, Golden, Oct. 12. Cost: $25-$30. goldenbeerchilicookoff.org/home
Chili and beer on a crisp autumn day — what could be better? If you’re drooling at the thought of this pairing, head to Golden for an afternoon of tasting chili from more than 30 competitors and 90 different beers. There’s also live entertainment, vendors and a silent auction, all benefiting the Golden Chamber of Commerce and St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The Bloody Mary Festival,
EXDO Event Center, 1399 35th St., Denver, Oct. 20, 10:30-6 p.m. Cost: $45-$55. thebloodymaryfest.com
In Colorado, we’re all about craft beer festivals. But why not change things up a bit with a festival dedicated to tasting bloody marys, one of the best brunch cocktails around? Your ticket lets you sample bloody marys from tons of local restaurants, bars and bloody mary mix companies, plus food and drink samples from other vendors. At the end of your tastings, you get to vote for your favorite and help crown a winner for the People’s Choice Award. Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival, Riverwalk Center, 150
West Adams Ave., Breckenridge (and other locations), Oct. 18-20. Fees vary per festival event. breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com
The main event of the Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival is the “Still on the Hill” grand tasting, a three-hour craft spirits tasting event featuring more than 40 distillers (and live bluegrass music). But the festivities don’t stop there — you can also participate in tons of other fun events and activities including guided walking tours, a scavenger hunt around town and workshops covering various topics ranging from bitters to tikithemed cocktails. Brighton Harvest Festival,
downtown Brighton, Oct. 26. Free. downtownbrightonevents.com
You can expect a day of fun at the Brighton Harvest Festival, which includes face painting, kids activities, live music, food trucks, a street fair and more. Feel free to wear your Halloween costume!