Go and see thousands of carved pumpkins.
Pumpkin Nights
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton
One of the artsiest ways to celebrate Halloween is by taking in 3,000-plus hand-carved real and fake pumpkins at the Adams County Fairgrounds in an extravaganza dubbed Pumpkin Nights. There you will find Pumpkin Land, where a festive spirit known as the Heroes will guide you through the glowing orange orbs, starting with 600 hand-carved pumpkins positioned in a tunnel. At the end of the journey, convene with other attendees in Pumpkin Central, which includes food vendors, the nine-foot-tall Jack-O-Lynn pumpkin, a movie screening, activities and more. This event is happening now until Sunday, November 3, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.; tickets run $20 for ages 13 to 59, $18 for 60-plus, $16 for ages 4 to 12, and 3 and under get in free.
Enchanted Hallows
Denver Zoo
2300 Steele Street
720-337-1400
When the sun goes down, the creatures of the night come out to play, and at the Denver Zoo, you'll never know what animals to expect. What you can count on during Enchanted Hallows are ax-throwing, cornhole, pumpkin carvings, a scary-oke sing-along and chats about wildlife, spooky or not. It's a fun way to see the eighty-acre zoo at night, plus the glowing decorations add a new sheen to the experience. Come Saturdays and Sundays in October from 6 to 10 p.m. Purchase tickets starting at $9 for kids (best for ages eight and up) and $20 for adults.
Victorian Horrors at the Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
303-832-4092
Every year, this prestigious house opens the doors to regale tales of horror as written by some of history's most famous scary story authors. Each room of the museum will feature an actor dressed as one of these long-dead prose professors, delivering readings from their most popular tales. Catch this annual show October 18, 19, 25, 26 and 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. and get your tickets before they sell out.
Haunts of Littleton
5800 South Prince Street, Littleton
Brace yourself for supernatural shenanigans right on the streets of Littleton, as Haunts of Littleton celebrates its seventeenth anniversary. During this 45- to 60-minute family-friendly walking ghost tour, you can learn about the historic downtown area as well as some of the spookier sides of past residents and buildings. The event runs October 18, 19, 25 and 26 starting at 7 p.m., and period-attired guides meet at the Littleton Light Rail Station. Tours depart from this spot every fifteen minutes until the last rendezvous at 8:30. Tickets for adults are $15 each and $8 for those under eighteen. Pick up tickets at La Vaca Meat Co. (2489 West Main Street, Littleton) or buy at 6:30 p.m. from the guide positioned at the station each night of the tour.
Clara in the Underworld: A Zombie Nutcracker, Spectres of the Shadowland
Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre
19 Park Avenue West
October 18 to 19
Christmas just came early for Halloween fans who have always wanted to enjoy The Nutcracker getting a ghastly makeover. Put on by Thrive Ballet, this performance runs October 18 at 7:30 p.m. and October 19 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre. Expect Tchaikovsky’s original score to remain the same but with a spooky twist, while scenes and the crux of the characters change drastically. For example, Clara starts her adventure in the catacombs. Tickets start at $15 when bought in advanced or are $20 at the door.
First Annual Southern Spooktacular
Julep
3258 Larimer Street
Saturday, October 19, 6 to 11 p.m.
303-295-8977
On Saturday, October 19, from 6 to 11 p.m. join the fray at Kyle and Katy Foster's downtown restaurant Julep, and get into Halloween with a spike of Southern hospitality. Expect spooky treats, plenty of drinks and a whole roast hog with all the fixings. Dress your best to win the costume contest and cut a rug with the Raratins, who will be playing all night long. There's also an otherworldly slide show, an oddities shop for all your Halloween needs and festive carnival games.
MOXY Halloween Party
240 Josephine Street
Friday October 23, 7. p.m.
Head to Cherry Creek and the decorative MOXY hotel for a frighting good time, all free to those who want to pop in on Friday, October 23. Sample from the caramel apple bar and dress in your best costume for the contest. While skulking around, try your hand at shuffleboard and foosball and enjoy the danceable wailings being spun by DJ 2AR. Grab one of the devilish drink specials at the bar and maybe consider staying the night if you have had a few too many. Don't worry. The party might have ghosts and goblins, but the rooms are free of any hauntings.
Nightly Spirits Pub Tour
Put your best mask forward and head out into the night to try Denver's most ghastly bars. Delve into the city's haunted history, while vanquishing a few choice spirits into your gullet as you listen to the stories. Choose from the Baker tour and visit a haunted distillery; or the LoDo tour that brings you to spooky spots around Union Station. Each jaunt lasts about two-and-a-half hours and starts at $25 per person. Check the website for various times, meeting points and dates. Just remember, no matter how scary you are, everyone must be at least 21-years-old.
Haunted Tour of Smokin' Gun Apothecary
492 South Colorado Boulevard, Glendale
If you're from Denver, chances are you have an idea of what and where Shotgun Willie's is in Glendale. Well, turns out it and the neighboring Smokin' Gun Apothecary have a few ghosts to contend with, and you can learn all about them on October 25 and 26 at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Book the fifteen to thirty minute tour online and come in costume to hear tales of the Lonely Lady in Red and other spirits hanging around. You'll receive a goodie bag full of candy, a single-serve edible, in store discounts and a draft beer token (with a purchase at Smokin' Gun Apothecary).
Drag Nation "Haus of Mirrors"
Exdo Event Center
3500 Walnut Street
Friday, October 25, 9 p.m.
Get ready for the circus to come to town and with it, the House of Mirrors, featuring performances by Ginger Minj and Eureka O'Hara, both from RuPaul's Drag Race, on Friday, October 25, at 9 p.m. Though it will be hard to dress as fab as these stars, don your best Halloween outfit and try and win the costume contest for a $500 cash prize. It's just one part in a four-night extravaganza of theater, music, dance and spooktacular outfits leading to the big Funhouse Halloween night, October 31, at 7 p.m., where the whole space will become a fun house of horrors and the person with the best costume will walk away with $2,000. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online.
Cemetery Tours
What better way to raise the dead than by going to where they are buried. Join a guide for the History and Mystery Tour at Fairmont Cemetery, 430 South Quebec Street, on October 26, at 4 and 7 p.m. There's also one at Riverside Cemetery, 5201 Brighton Boulevard, on Friday, October 25, at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Tickets for the ninety-minute tours start at $30 and can be purchased online. When you go, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, and prepare to get acquainted with these cemeteries' most famous and infamous residents.
3rd Annual Adult Trick or Treating
This year DRiNk RiNo has brought its popular event back on the calendar for October 27, but sorry kids, this candy-fueled event is just for adults. Actually, sub candy for booze, and you have the ultimate pub crawl, complete with costumes and your very own DRiNk RiNo adult trick-or-treat bag to take along for the ride. The $30 price tag includes this handy tote as well as a punch card to wander around and get a treat from fourteen participating locations all within walking distance of each other. Buy tickets online or at the RiNo Art District Office, 3525 Walnut Street, from noon to 3 p.m., which is the same place you go to pick up the punch card. The event starts at 1 p.m. and runs until 6 p.m.
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