It’s Halloween week and the Denver area is full of ways to stretch out the thrilling holiday fun. Mix up your spooky-time routine with one of these celebrations.
BOOnion Station Trick-or-Treat Parade
Oct. 28, 4 to 7 p.m.
Take part in the 7th annual parade around Union Station, complete with trick-or-treating, mini-train rides, balloon artists, and face painting. Prizes will be awarded for best overall and best group/family costumes. Free. Union Station, Denver.
Hocus Pocus Movie Night
Oct 28, 6 to 9 p.m.
Settle in for a spooky movie under the stars. Hocus Pocus follows 17th-century witches, hanged for their murderous crimes, who are resurrected on Halloween in modern-day Salem by an unsuspecting boy, who must now figure out how to get them back in the ground. Don’t forget to snag hot drinks and carnival fare from Wyly Coyote Concessions, and play some yard games on site. No outside food or beverages are permitted. Register online. $10 general admission, free age 2 and under and Museum of Outdoor Art members. Marjorie Park, Greenwood Village.
Scary Stories Book Talk with Christian McKay Heidiker
Oct. 28, 6 p.m.
Time to set a spooky scene with Christian McKay Heidicker, author of Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City. Snuggle up with some popcorn and your family to watch him read on the big screen. Ages 6-14. Free, book available for purchase. Second Star to the Right Bookstore, Denver.
Bug-A-Boo
Oct. 29 and 30; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. timed entry
Put on your best Halloween costume and join Butterfly Pavilion for a socially distanced trick-or-treating experience. Enjoy candy stations, prizes, and exhibit access. Age 5 and up. Find tickets online. $13 adult, $9 youth (ages 2-12), SNAP and EBT will be accepted. Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster.
Halloween Kids Fest
Oct. 29 and 30, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Join Sharkey and his friends for not-so-haunted train rides, pumpkin painting, monster mural coloring, science experiments, and shows. Kids in costume get a 50 percent off exhibit entry (with adult purchase). $9 ages 3-11 (in costume, with adult entry), $24 adult, free age 2 and under. Downtown Aquarium, Denver.
Boo on the Bluff
Oct. 29, 1 to 5 p.m.; Oct. 30 and 31, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Timed entry.
Wear costumes, explore Bluff Lake, solve clues, and get candy. Timed entry with one group admitted into the site every five minutes. Reserve online. $10 per group (eight people). Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver.
Fall Fun Festival
Oct. 27-31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fall activities await at the Children’s Museum; dress in your favorite costume and ride the boo-choo train, then enjoy bites from the Teaching Kitchen, a campfire storytime each day at 10:30 a.m., crafts, and carnival games. While there is no trick-or-treating at this year’s event, the festivities wrap up by 4 p.m., leaving plenty of time to ring your neighborhood doorbells. Reservation required. Included with admission: $15 ages 2-59, $13 ages 1 and 60+, $1 Explorer Pass, free under age 1 and members. Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Denver.
WOW!’s Halloween Party
Oct. 29, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Come dressed in costume for family-friendly Halloween fun including a build-a-monster craft, spooky science experiments, games, and giveaways. Age 11 and under. Find tickets online. $6 adult, $11 youth, $7 member youth. WOW! Children’s Museum, Lafayette.
Haunted Hayrides
Oct. 29 and 30, 6 to 9 p.m.
Start your journey inside a barn to play games, pet animals, and snag refreshments. Hop on a wagon (rides every 30 minutes) to hear a professional storyteller narrate spooky tales as you rumble through graveyards. Funds help 4H kids pay for the animal projects they will take to the county fair. Reserve online. $14, free age 2 and under. Stockton’s Plum Creek Stables, Littleton.
McGregor Scare
Oct. 30, 5-9 p.m.
Enjoy a day of Halloween fun at this recently-constructed city destination, near Coors Field. Explore a trick-or-treat street, decorate pumpkins, play yard games, and watch a screening of the movie Hocus Pocus at 7 p.m.. Costumes are encouraged. Free. McGregor Square, Denver.
Halloween Hoopla
Oct. 30 and 31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy open play, a costume parade every two hours, entertainment, treats, pizza, and snacks at this creative play space. Reserve online. $16 youth, free for two adults ($5 additional adult). Kids Wonder, Centennial.
Trunk OR Treat Fundraising Event
Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; timed entry
Join STAR Institute staff and volunteers in full costume as they deliver treats from the trunks of their vehicles. Contact limitation and social distancing will be observed. Participants cast their votes for the best team and find more snacks and treats at the end of the walk. Wear your ear defenders, colored sunglasses and whatever you need, all ages. Masks required. Register online. Free, donations encouraged. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing, Centennial.
NoCo’s Greatest Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat Experience
Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Drive slowly through a series of Halloween scenes decorated by local businesses, schools, and nonprofits. Help raise funds for Thompson Education Foundation. Register online. $5 per vehicle. Thompson School District Administration Office, Loveland.
Viejitos Car Club Trunk or Treat
Oct. 30, 2 to 5 p.m.
The Viejitos, a classic car club in Denver’s westside, invite community to an event featuring a decorated car parade, concessions, face painting, and music. Money raised supports the West Middle School girl’s basketball program. Free. West Middle School, Denver.
Halloween Spooktacular
Oct. 30, 2:30 p.m.
This family-favorite concert features music from films, television, and more. Costumes are encouraged (even the musicians get in on the festivities). Find tickets online. $27 adult, $10 child. Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver.
Flick or Treat
Oct. 30, 2:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Kick off the evening with trick-or-treating through the historic buildings of Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park followed by a costume party at The Beer Garden and a special Halloween viewing of the movie, Hocus Pocus, under the moonlight. An inclusive trick-or-treating area with sensorimotor adaptations will be available. Reserve online. Free entry. Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, Lakewood.
Cosmic Costume Skate
Oct. 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Glide around the rink as your most graceful goblin, alien, or movie character. This event features a costume contest (with a variety of categories) plus skating to Halloween themed music. See online for health safety updates. $6 admission, $3 skate rental. Greeley Ice Haus, Greeley.
Halloween Party Concert
Oct 31, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Stop in for a spell at this musical Halloween party put on by Laurie Berkner, “kindie rock” artist. Laurie will treat little tricksters to her brand new Halloween song, “I Picked One Pumpkin,” and have everyone singing along to “What Am I Gonna Be (for Halloween)?,” “The Superhero Mask Song,” “Monster Boogie,” “The Cat Came Back,” and “Choc-o-lot In My Pock-o-lot.” Families can join her in displaying their pumpkins, putting up their Halloween decorations, and getting decked out in their Halloween costume finery. $20, $80 meet-and-greet add-on. Virtual.
Halloween at Stanley Marketplace
Oct. 31; 2 p.m. Zombie Crawl, 4 to 5 p.m. trick-or-treating, 5 p.m. story time
Take a spooky stroll through the halls with fellow zombies, go in your favorite costume to trick-or-treat your way around the market, and catch a Halloween-themed storytime at Tattered Cover Kids. Free. Stanley Marketplace, Denver.
Last Stop at the Highlands Ranch Mansion
Oct. 31, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Trick-or-treat at this mansion’s grand door, then enter the outdoor party where a cash bar, music, dancing, and spooky effects add to the fun. Free. Highlands Ranch Mansion, Highlands Ranch.
