9Things to do in Colorado this weekend: Nov. 1-3

DENVER — This weekend Colorado welcomes November with Day of the Dead celebrations, a Colorado Rapids playoff match, Nuggets basketball, Sabrina Carpenter and Rod Wave, and a musical about Alexander Hamilton.

Christmas craft fair season is officially underway in a big way this weekend and downtown Fort Collins is the first city to flip the switch on the holiday season.

Colorado is known for terrific festivals, concerts, sporting events and the arts. Celebrate the season this weekend by experiencing the unique culture, food and geography that makes our state so special. 

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FORT COLLINS — Fort Collins “flips the switch” at the annual Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony on Friday. Thousands of brilliant white lights will illuminate the alleyways, sidewalks and treetops of seven blocks of Old Town after Friday’s ceremony. Live music will be performed on the stage by Space Force in Old Town Square from 5:30-7 p.m. The lights are expected to turn on after a short countdown at 6:30 p.m. 

COMMERCE CITY — The Major League Soccer playoffs are back in Colorado. The Rapids host the Los Angeles Galaxy in a must-win Game 2 Friday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids previously lost Game 1 of the best-of-three playoff series. The Dale’s Bar Patio at the stadium opens at 5:30 p.m. Friday for a free block party open to the public.

THORNTON — The 8th annual Día de los Muertos celebration is Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at McAllister Park Center in Thornton. At this year’s free, family friendly event, there will be music and dance performances, food trucks and artisan market, decorative altar, photo booth and face painting.

CARBONDALE — Carbondale Arts’ annual celebration of Día de los Muertos celebration begins at 5 p.m. Friday in the 4th Street Plaza. Festivities include altar viewing, face painting, Mexican hot chocolate and traditional treats. Aspen Santa-Fe Ballet Folklórico will dance beginning at 6 p.m. at the Third Street Center. A procession follows 3rd Street to Main Street, and ends at the 4th Street Plaza.

SILVERTHORNE — The Town of Silverthorne celebrates Dia de los Muertos on Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Outlets in Bluebird Market. Attendees can enjoy face painting, live music and dancing, traditional food and drinks, photo booth, a piñata and crafts for kids.

AURORA — Aurora Borealis Festival will be held Friday to Sunday at The Aurora Highlands’ Winged Melody Park. The festival will feature a recreation of the aurora borealis using LED technology projected into the sky, along with immersive soundscapes, interactive art installations and food trucks, music and artisan vendors. The festival is free.

DENVER — The 47th annual Denver Film Festival opens Friday with the opening night presentation of “The Piano Lesson” at the Holiday Theater. This year’s festival features a program of films, events and panels and guests including Anthony Mackie, Jason Reitman, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patricia Clarkson, Gabriel LaBelle and Cory Michael Smith. The Denver Film Festival runs Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 10.

DENVER — Sabrina Carpenter is headlining her biggest venue in Colorado yet. The pop star, known for hits like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” will bring her Short n’ Sweet Tour to Ball Arena in Denver on Friday with special guest Declan McKenna. Tickets are sold at Ticketmaster.com.

DENVER — Fresh off two overtime wins, the Denver Nuggets will return home to Ball Arena Saturday night. The Nuggets face the Utah Jazz with tipoff set for 8 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com to see Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and the 2023 NBA champions.

DENVER — Rod Wave has booked his largest concert tour to date. The singer-songwriter announced his “Last Lap Tour” will visit 36 arenas across North America with special guests Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic. The tour includes a stop at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday. Find your seat at Ticketmaster.com.

IDAHO SPRINGS — What to with your pumpkin after Halloween? Bring it to Idaho Springs to be smashed! The Pumpkin Smash festival uses such techniques as mallets, baseball bats, launchers and slingshots. This year’s Smash is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to attend at the Idaho Springs Sports & Events Complex. The event will also have food vendors, beer, booths, pumpkins and composting.

AURORA — Now in its 40th year, the Smoky Hill High School Craft Fair will have 210 vendors displaying their unique decorations, clothing, jewelry, holiday gifts, soups, dips, bread, art and more. Admission and parking are free at the fair and food will be available from concession vendors. The craft fair runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

RELATED: Is KOSI 101 switching to Christmas music this year?

WESTMINSTER — Over 60 artisans will be selling their handmade items at the 34th annual Holiday Craft Fair at The Mac — Westminster’s center for active adults. Get some holiday shopping done when doors open at 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free.

PUEBLO — The 34th annual Holiday Bazaar is back at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo this weekend. The fairgrounds’ Palace of Agriculture will have over 150 vendors selling unique holiday gifts, art, jewelry, outdoor furnishings, seasonal creations, antiques, clothing and more. Admission and parking at the Holiday Bazaar, which runs Saturday and Sunday, are free.

AURORA — Heather Gardens Association is hosting a fall craft fair on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Aurora clubhouse. 

GYPSUM — The annual Holiday Artisan and Craft Fair at Gypsum Creek Middle School is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be 60 vendors and artisans with special holiday gifts plus photos with Santa, concessions and more.

LONGMONT — “Colorado’s finest fiber art event” continues through Sunday at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. The Handweavers Guild of Boulder Fiber Art Show & Sale offers over 100 guild member artists showcasing their quilting, weaving, embroidery, knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning, felting and other fiber works. There will also be handmade creations in jewelry, clothing, footwear, hats, scarves, holiday items and more. Admission and parking are free through Sunday.

DENVER — You don’t have to know about art to have a great time at the Denver Art Museum. Located on the southern boarder of Civic Center Park, the venue features not only an array of changing exhibits, but many permanent collection galleries, interactive art spots, and plenty for kids to see and experience throughout the museum. The museum will hold its monthly free admission day on Saturday. This event was first published by MileHighontheCheap.com. For more deals and discounts, visit MileHighontheCheap.com.

DENVER — Denver Arts Week runs from this Friday through Sunday, Nov. 10. The annual celebration features more than 400 events around the metro area including the First Friday Art Walks in Denver’s arts districts this Friday. There will be free night at the museums on Saturday.

ROCKY FORD — The 35th Arkanasas Valley Balloon Festival begins with a tissue paper balloon launch at 9 a.m. Friday. Hot air balloon launches begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Events are planned around Rocky Ford City Hall and Railroad Park in the afternoon and evening on Saturday.

DENVER — Elitch Gardens’ annual Halloween event has been extended for one more weekend. The Fright Fest fall festival will be held Saturday and Sunday with hair-raising fun. Elitch Gardens Fright Fest has thrills and chills for ghouls of all ages. Guests can enjoy Fun by Day and Fright by Night, plus all their favorite theme park rides. For tickets, visit ElitchGardens.com/Fright-Fest.

ERIE — The fall festival at Anderson Farms just may be your one-stop-shop for all things autumn. The festival features a 25-acre corn maze, wagon rides, pumpkin cannon, combine slide, kids maze, backyard pedal karts, wooden train, tire mountain, fire pit, farm animals, sand diggers and more. The fall festival runs through Saturday.

LITTLETON — A Halloween lights festival back at Hudson Gardens for a fourth year. Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns features a glowing trail of more than 7,000 pumpkins as well as light show displays such as a nautical sea-scape, pirate ship, dinosaurs, dragons and more. New attractions include a light show programmed to music throughout the entire event every 30 minutes. The festival runs through Saturday.

ENGLEWOOD — Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight will have its monthly Breakfast Fly-In on Saturday featuring planes, pilots and breakfast. On the first Saturday of every month, museum guests can enjoy breakfast from a local food truck, watch aircraft fly in and explore interactive exhibits and simulators. Admission is $13 for adults, $7 for youth, while members and children under 3 get in free.

DENVER — After sold-out runs in Denver in 2018 and 2022, “Hamilton” is back in the Mile High City. The national tour of the hit musical will perform at the Buell Theatre through Sunday, Nov. 24. “Hamilton” features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The musical features a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway. Tickets are on sale at DenverCenter.org.

DENVER — The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has opened a production of “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” an adaptation of Erika L. Sánchez’s bestseller. The play follows a Chicago high schooler as she struggles with the challenges of coming of age in Chicago and the sense that she’s failing to live up to her family’s expectations. The production plays the Kilstrom Theatre through Sunday

DENVER — The one-person show “Avaaz” is playing the Singleton Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex through Sunday, Nov. 17. A celebration of resilience, rebirth, and joy, “Avaaz” follows Roya, a hostess as she welcomes you into her home to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Roya shares her American journey from Tehran to “Tehran-geles,” California. Traditions, humor and passionate storytelling transform this tale of family bonds into an unforgettable theatre event.

FRUITA — One of the most scenic races in the world returns to Fruita on Sunday. The Rim Rock Marathon and Half Marathon meanders through the towering monoliths, vast plateaus and canyon panoramas of Colorado National Monument before finishing at Fruita Community Center.

DENVER — The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has opened its newest exhibition, “Animals of the Rainforest.” An immersive, live-animal experience aims to transport visitors into the world’s most diverse ecosystem. Guests will come face-to-face with rainforest animals, explore displays of recreated natural habitats and learn about conservation efforts. “Animals of the Rainforest” is included with museum admission.

DENVER — There is no better venue for live music in the country than Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Although summer has ended, there’s still time to catch a show at one of the world’s best venues. Concerts at Red Rocks are scheduled through Friday, Nov. 15, when Tiësto closes out the 2024 season with a four-hour DJ set.

RELATED: Here are the first 16 Red Rocks concerts on next year’s schedule

“Venom: The Last Dance” led the box office last weekend, but the weekend’s biggest success story might have been “Conclave,” the papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and directed by Edward Berger. The Oscar contender will draw more adult ticket buyers in the months ahead.

• Hitpig
• Lost on a Mountain in Maine

1. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $51 million.
2. “Smile 2,” $9.4 million.
3. “Conclave,” $6.5 million.
4. “The Wild Robot,” $6.5 million.
5. “We Live in Time,” $4.8 million.
6. “Terrifier 3,” $4.3 million.
7. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $3.2 million.
8. “Anora,” $867,142.
9. “Piece by Piece,” $720,000.
10. “Transformers One,” $720,000.

> Would you like to see your favorite Colorado festival, fair, expo, concert, drama, musical, ballet, run or event listed in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.

Have a charming weekend! 

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