Many areas in and around Boulder have wonderful displays of autumn colour, usually starting in late September and going through to November, depending on where you are.
Fall is also a great time to buy in the Boulder/Broomfield area. Sellers whose homes have been on the market all summer are getting anxious. Interest rates are at record lows. And with school already started and fewer families moving into the area this time of year, buyers are in the driver’s seat! Check out the Flatirons Tour of Homes this weekend Sept 25-26, or access all homes on the market on our website ColoradoLandmark.com.
Here is a list of some Fall area activities you and your family might enjoy:
Elk Bugling in Estes Park – September/October
If you want a National Geographic experience, head up the highway to Estes Park to catch elk antics during their annual mating season. The characteristic rutting call of bulls can be heard from just before dusk to dawn. Head into Rocky Mountain National Park and stop at Horseshoe Park. In the early evening, local volunteer guides called the Bugle Corp are on hand to give interpretive information. Find a good place to camp out for a while, take a picnic lunch or dinner, some folding chairs and blankets, and watch this unique animal activity!
Drive the Peak to Peak Scenie Byway – September/October
Explore one of Colorado’s most scenic byways during this glorious time of fall foliage. Less than an hour from Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins, this 55-mile-long route provides matchless views of the Continental Divide and its timbered approaches. The Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway also traverses an area rich in early Colorado history. The area was once a mining belt of valuable gold and silver deposits. Plenty to see and places to stop along the way!
Fall Festival – Sept 24 (5-10pm) Sept 25 (11am-10pm) Sept 26 (11am-6pm)
This has been one of the most beloved community events in Boulder for over 20 years! This 3-day autumn festival features food, brews and music as well as a Children’s Carnival and many regional artisan booths.
Guided Nature Hikes and Programs – various dates in September
Boulder Open Space Mountain Parks division has a number of great Fall programs, including night hikes, wheelchair outings, kids animal talks, and star and planet gazing.
See Fall Foliage Colors – on your own!
Check out this local hiking guide for some great places to enjoy our natural surroundings and the beautiful fall colors.
Anderson Farms Fall Festival and Corn Maze – Sept 25-Oct 31, 2010
Home of Colorado’s Oldest Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch. They offer many activities at their Fall Festival, including pumpkin patch, wagon hay rides, pedal karts, pumpkin launching, barrel train, mine cars, farm animals, kiddie korral, hay bale maze, and terror in the corn! Enjoy spectacular views of the Front Range, Longs Peak and the serenity of this country farm as the beautiful backdrop for a fun fall day. Check website for prices.
Other Pumpkin Patch Options – various, through October 31, 2010
Check out this HUGE list of area pumpkin patches! These farms range from the low-key pumpkin and vegetable patches, to carnival-style festivals. Close in our area are Munson Farms, Cottonwood Farm, and Rock Creek Farm. Call ahead to find out if the pumpkin patch you’ve chosen is offering wagons to transport pumpkins from the field or whether you should BYOW – Bring Your Own Wagon. At the same time, find out if the pumpkins are actually in the field or in a big pile (it may differ during the week). Prices vary greatly, so be sure to inquire about the price of a 10-lb and 15-lb pumpkin before you leave home. Of course, the carnival-style farms will charge admission fees and tickets for rides.
Boulder Farmers Market – Wednesdays thru Oct 7 (4-8pm), Saturdays thru Nov 7, 2010 (8am-2pm)
The quintessential event in Boulder EACH week! The Boulder County Farmers’ Market brings you locally grown organic and conventionally grown vegetables and fruits, meats, flowers, plants, gourmet cheeses and wines sold by the area farmers that produce them. Local bakeries and chefs will have delicious confections and savory treats for your culinary enjoyment too!
Louisville Farmers Market – Saturdays thru Oct 16 (9am-2pm)
Enjoy quaint downtown Louisville and the weekly Farmers Market there. Fresh produce, local artisans, area restaurants, market meals, live performances and activities for kids.
Pearl Street Stampede – Fridays, before CU home football games, 7pm
Start at 13th Street and stroll down Pearl Street cheering on your favorite University of Colorado Buffaloes and listen to the traditional sounds of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. A big community pep rally and great family fun!
CU Football Games – Saturdays, October 2, 16, 23 and November 13, 30 – times TBA
After the pep rally make your way to the Coors Field at CU to watch our very own Colorado Buffalo football team own the field! Watching college football is a staple of most everyone’s fall activity list – since CU is in our backyard, why not go to a game and enjoy a fall day outside?
Open Studios Fall Studio Tour – October 2-3, and 9-10, 2010, noon-6pm
Drive around Boulder’s various neighborhoods and look at the fall colors between your stops at dozens of artists’ studios. Once a year, the private studios of Boulder’s best artists are open for you and your family! Enjoy a fall day with friends while you experience the world of creation and imagination. Everyone is welcome at this FREE event.
Erie Harvest Fest – October 2, 2010 (10am-5pm)
The Erie Chamber of Commerce hosts this wonderful harvest festival. The event features live entertainment all day. While enjoying these perfo
rmances, try the Turkey Legs, Roasted Nuts, German Brats, Polish Sausage, Cabbage Rolls, Pretzels, Funnel Cakes, Curley Fries, Giant Pretzels and more. Chili Cook Off and Pie Baking Contest! And …new this year- Talent Contest!
CU Family Weekend – October 15-17, 2010 – check website for times
For families of CU students – CU invites you to join other CU-Boulder parents and families for a special weekend on campus during one of Boulder’s most beautiful seasons. This annual fall event provides an opportunity for you to visit your student’s campus home, talk with university faculty and staff, attend classes and presentations, tour the campus and Boulder, cheer the Colorado Buffaloes to a Big 12 football victory over the Baylor Bears, and meet other CU-Boulder families.
Meet the Spirits at the Columbia Cemetary – October 17, 2010 – 12-5pm
Columbia Cemetery (also known as “Pioneer Cemetery”) has been an important part of Boulder’s heritage since its establishment in 1870. Come and meet some of Boulder’s most dearly departed! Costumed “spirits” will rise from their graves in Columbia Cemetery for just one afternoon to tell their stories. Get into the Halloween spirit with Victorian mourners, funeral music, vintage hearses, and a reenactment of a solemn Masonic burial service. $10 adults, $5 kids.
Broomfield Spooktacular – October 23, 2010 – 11am-2pm
You’ll have an unhauntingly good time at Broomfield Recreation Services Great Broomfield Pumpkin Festival. The Festival is held at the 1STBANK Center this year. Come in costume! They will have carnival games, prizes, wagon rides, crafts, and a trick or treat street. The $5.00 fee is for one series of carnival games and treat street, an additional visit cost an additional fee. This Halloween party is guaranteed to be a treat for kids of all ages!
Trunk or Treat and Spooky Fest – October 30, 2010, 4:30pm
You have heard of going door to door, why not consider going trunk to trunk? Vehicles decorated by volunteers and area businesses will line the parking lot of the Erie Community Center for this year’s 5th Annual Trunk or Treat and Spooky Fest. This spooktacular event should prove to be SAFE and plenty of fun with and indoor haunted house, spooky games, treats, and of course trunk or treating. Prizes will be awarded for Best Trunk!
World of Wonder WOW! Halloween Event – October 30, 2010 (10am-6pm)
Fun and spooky Halloween crafts and pumpkin decorating at this terrific children’s museum in Lafayette! Wear your costume and receive a special Halloween treat! All Halloween activities are included with Museum admission. $7 children, FREE for adults
Longmont Halloween Parade followed by Trick or Treat Street – October 30, 2010 (10am)
Come in Costume!!! NEW Route!! Route will be lengthy: wagons and strollers recommended. No motorized children’s cars. Trick or Treat Street by participating Downtown Merchants will immediately follow the parade. Streets will remain closed during this time.
Munchkin Masquerade – October 31, 201 – 2-5pm
Each Halloween Downtown Boulder is invaded by 2,000+ tiny ghosts & goblins, dinosaurs & dragons, fairies & princes, super heroesand animals of every size trickortreating along Pearl Street.
Safe Halloween Night – Longmont Rec Center – October 31, 2010 (6-8:30pm)
Longmont Recreation Services offers a Safe Halloween Night geared for youth ages 10 and under that is full of carnival games, boat rides, and Halloween fun!
Check our Facebook page “365 Things to do in Boulder” for daily updates of things to do this fall! And follow us on Twitter!
If you have suggestions for other fall events that you would like to see on this list please leave a comment and let us know!
Pam Metzger
Director of Relocation and Business Development
Colorado Landmark, Realtors