The last weekend of September is peak fall-festival season on the Front Range. Every item below was checked against the organizer’s own page on Sept. 24; click through for details and ‘know before you go’ notes.
Friday, Sept. 25
- Denver Oktoberfest, weekend two opens at 3 p.m. on Larimer Street. Free admission, runs through Sunday.
- Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns lights up Hudson Gardens in Littleton Friday through Sunday nights (timed tickets).
- Chatfield Farms corn maze is open Friday-Sunday, 9-5, online tickets only.
- Free museums: the Denver Firefighters Museum is free Friday and Saturday for Doors Open Denver, and Four Mile Historic Park is free Friday, 10-4, as its fourth-Friday SCFD day.
Saturday, Sept. 26
- Highlands Ranch Oktoberfest: free street party 1-9 p.m. in Town Center, with a 9 a.m. 5K and pancake breakfast.
- Timnath Fall Festival: free, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., pumpkin decorating, ropes course, bounce houses and a beer garden.
- Windsor Oktober Fest: free on 5th Street, 11-5, with a German car show and oompah band.
- Left Hand Brewing Oktoberfest in Longmont: $5, kids 12 and under free, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Osborn Farm opens its Loveland pumpkin patch for the season (no admission fee, free parking).
- Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle runs OctoberFest with Fireworks on the Farm at dark.
- Markets: Golden Farmers Market (8-1, two Saturdays left) and the Larimer County Farmers’ Market in Old Town Fort Collins (9-1, through Oct. 31).
- Do some good: the final giveSPORTS equipment drive takes new and gently used kids’ sports gear at Ball Arena, 9-11 a.m.
- Fort Collins art: the free ‘Beyond the Box’ opening reception at the Lincoln Center, 5:30-7 p.m., celebrates 20 years of the city’s painted transformer cabinets.
Sunday, Sept. 27
- Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison: free exhibit-hall entry 9-5 and a Paleo ArtFest 9-3, per the SCFD calendar.
- Loveland Farmers Market holds its last Sunday of the season at Fairgrounds Park, plus the monthly artist market.
- Denver Oktoberfest wraps up 11 a.m.-6 p.m., the calmest window for families.
Worship this weekend, beyond Sunday morning
Denver United’s 660 Prayer Gathering meets Saturday 8:30-9:30 a.m. on South Broadway. Looking ahead, Mission Hills Church in Littleton hosts a Worship Night on Thursday, Oct. 1. See the full Faith + Community section for midweek services, studies and concerts.
Also open all weekend
Anderson Farms in Erie (early-bird pricing through Oct. 2), and the free field-trip stops in our homeschool section, from the Hammond’s Candies tour to the Littleton Museum farms.
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