9Things to do in Colorado this weekend: Sept. 27-29

COLORADO, USA — Hello, autumn!

The transition from summer to fall in Colorado will never feel more evident than this final weekend of September. With cooler temperatures and changing trees, this weekend is perfect for pumpkin, apple, cider, harvest and Oktoberfest celebrations.

Fall and harvest festivals are on the schedule in Parker, Estes Park, Morrison, Paonia, Buena Vista, Fruita and more. There are college football games happening in Greeley, Golden, Alamosa, Grand Junction and Durango.

Whether you enjoy the weekend inside or out, celebrate the season this by experiencing the unique culture, food and geography that makes our state so special. Remember to share your weekend photos with the “Near Me” feature on the 9NEWS app.

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PARKER — Capping off Parker Fall Fest, a Fun and Games Day at O’Brien Park will be held Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kids can participate in the Colorado Avalanche’s “Game On” street hockey program, lawn games led by scarecrows, rock-climbing wall and carnival games. Adult-friendly attractions will include a beer garden. Capping off Saturday will be a drone light show finale.

ESTES PARK — To celebrate the annual elk rut, the city of Estes Park is hosting Elk Fest this Saturday and Sunday. Held in Bond Park downtown, the festival offers the chance to see elk rutting season in the wild. Elk bulls will be bugling to win the affection of females all while guests enjoy seminars, educational areas, live music, American Indian storytelling, craft vendors, elk-viewing tours and more. Check out the complete Elk Fest schedule at VisitEstesPark.com.

MORRISON — Morrison Ciderfest will be held this Saturday at the corner of Highway 8 and Summer Street in Morrison. The event kicks off in the morning with family friendly activities including cider presses, kids area with bounce castle, arts and crafts exhibits, hay rides, cider tasting and live music. Ciderfest runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to dark. Admission is free.

PAONIA — The annual Mountain Harvest Festival runs Friday to Sunday in Paonia. The event features entertainment by local musicians, poets, dancers, comedians and dramatists, farm and winery tours, arts, crafts, food vendors and farmers market. On Friday, there’s a street party, pub crawl and live music. Most of the festival is set at Town Park, just a few blocks from downtown. To see the complete event schedule, head to MountainHarvestFestival.org.

BUENA VISTA — 14er Fest is a multi-sport mountain festival from Friday to Sunday for all trail users, ages and abilities. There are events and tutorials in vehicle off-roading, mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, trail running and more. A 5K and a 14K run will be held Sunday. To see a complete event schedule, register for an activity or sign up for camping, head to 14erFest.org.

LAKEWOOD — The 11th annual Denver American Indian Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Lakewood United Methodist Church. The free event features music, crafts, food, dance and interactive workshops. Festival highlights will feature performances by Shelley Morningsong & Fabian Fontenelle, Rose Red Feather Woman, Eric “Many Winds” Herrera, Seven Falls Indian Dancers, Alasadir x Cozmik Sage and Azteca Grupo Huitzilopochtli.

BOULDER — CU Boulder will hold its first powwow in 23 years on Saturday. A grand entry at 11 a.m. at Farrand Field is the official opening of the day-long event with a procession of Indigenous dancers, veterans and color guard in traditional regalia. Saturday’s powwow is a collaboration between the Native Graduate Student Group, the Oyate Native American and Indigenous Student Group, Arts & Sciences Dean’s Innovation Grant, Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, the Center for Inclusion and Social Change, and Theater and Dance Department.

FRUITA — The 109th annual Fruita Fall Festival runs Thursday and Saturday with over 100 vendors selling arts, crafts and foods to attendees from across Colorado. There will be live music, food trucks, a parade, a baking and canning contest, cornhole tournament, street performers and more. Check out the schedule for the free celebration at FruitaFallFestival.com.

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 farm’s fall festival opens Wednesday and runs through Nov. 2.

BENNETT — A Colorado fall event is back this weekend east of Denver. Mile High Farms opens on Saturday for autumn with two corn mazes, antique tractor ride, pumpkin patch, barrel cart rides, bounce houses, farm animals, entertainment, playground and more. Mile High Farms is located just east of Denver off Interstate 70 and Manila Road.

FORT COLLINS — Hero Fest is a free community festival to honor and celebrate Colorado first responders. The first of two festivals will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Front Range Village Shopping Center. Organizers have planned food trucks, emergency vehicles for kids to explore, arts and crafts, face painting, carnival-style games and live DJ.

ORCHARD — Jackson Lake State Park will host its 14th annual Dutch Oven and Chili Cook-Off on Saturday at the north end of the Lakeside Campground. There will be free tasting of all the dishes at the end of judging at 4 pm.

DENVER — Denver Oktoberfest returns Friday for the second of two weekends of stein-lifting fun in downtown Denver. In addition to stein-hoisting there will be food, bier/beer, live music, brat-eating contest and more. The party will be located between 20th and 22nd on Larimer Street in the Ballpark neighborhood near Coors Field. The celebration runs Friday to Sunday. General admission is free, but Octoberfest steins and VIP tickets can be found at TheDenverOktoberfest.com.

GREELEY — The 2024 Greeley Oktobrewfest returns Friday and Saturday at Greeley’s Lincoln Park. The celebration begins Friday night at 5 p.m. with beers, brats, games and live music. Saturday will be a full day of fun at the downtown park from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, craft beer from northern Colorado breweries, food vendors and activities. VIP beer tasting tickets can be purchased online.

ALAMOSA — The annual Oktobrüfest in Alamosa offers tastes from Colorado breweries, distilleries and food vendors, as well as games, contests, fun activities and live music. Oktobrüfest runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Alamosa’s Cole Park.

COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Springs Oktoberfest opens Friday at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. Festivities scheduled through Sunday include food vendors, live bands, dancing, wiener dog races, stein-hoisting contest, costume contest, retail vendors, beer school and more. Skip the lines and get your tickets now at CSOktoberfest.com.

BROOMFIELD — The Oktobeerfest fall festival returns Friday and Saturday with brats, grilled corn and more than 30 local vendors. There will be vendors, traditional polka music, kid’s games and more at the Lutheran Church of Hope. All of the proceeds from Oktobeerfest benefit LCHope ministries and communities such as The Refuge, North Denver Cares Food Pantry, Almost Home, Inc. and others.

LONGMONT — Left Hand’s Oktoberfest is back. This year’s event will be held at The Garden at 1245 Boston Avenue. There will be live music, beer, costumes and polka on Friday and Saturday.

DENVER — Fresh off the Broadway stage, the musical “Kimberly Akimbo” is beginning its national tour in Colorado. The winner of five Tony Awards during the 2023 season, “Kimberly Akimbo” begins the 2024-25 Broadway season at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. “Kimberly Akimbo” plays through Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Buell Theatre.  

The Broadway musical is about a 16-year-old girl with a genetic condition that causes her body to age faster than others, giving her the appearance of a older woman. The new tour stars three-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello, who will play Kimberly, as well as many members of the original Broadway cast.

RELATED: DCPA announces ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ ticket lottery

DENVER — “Hamlet” is the season-opening show of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. Packed with unforgettable characters and famous lines, “Hamlet” is arguably one of the greatest plays of all time. A psychological revenge thriller, political epic and family saga that’s both grand and deeply human. One of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, “Hamlet” plays the Wolf Theatre through Sunday, Oct. 6.

GREELEY — The 7th annual Great Aardvark Embark Balloon Launch begins bright and early Saturday morning. Professional pilots from Colorado Balloon Club will be on site to set up, inflate and launch hot air balloons. The event at Aims Community College is free and open to the public. The event field opens to the public at 6:30 a.m. The estimated time to launch is between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.

DENVER — Colorado’s largest tattoo convention returns this weekend to the National Western Complex. National, regional and local tattoo artists will be on hand for demonstrations and competitions. This weekend’s convention will also feature a custom car show, jiu jitsu tournament, merchandise and apparel vendors, and beauty and hair expo. The 9th annual tattoo convention and expo runs Friday through Sunday.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — The Handmade in Colorado Expo is set for Saturday and Sunday on 7th Street and Bethel Plaza in downtown Glenwood Springs. The expo is a showcase of some of Colorado’s best handmade arts, crafts, food and goods with more than 60 exhibitors representing a wide range of media. All work sold will be created from both emerging and experienced artisans from Colorado. The family event features free admission, shopping and live music.

DENVER — Denver Botanic Gardens holds its Fall Plant & Bulb Sale on Friday and Saturday. Shoppers can explore hundreds of varieties of flowering bulbs, garlic grown at Chatfield Farms, plants grown at the gardens ready for planting and custom seed mixes curated specifically for Colorado’s climate. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

DENVER — The Horseshoe Market will host its 14th annual Fall Market this Saturday at the Regis University campus. The curated market will feature a mix of 120 Colorado creatives — crafters, designers, vintage collectors, tacos, food trucks, cocktails, baked goods, kettle corn and even puppies. Local nonprofit Soul Dog Rescue will be onsite with dogs and cats looking for their forever homes. Regis University will also be hosting their annual Blue and Gold Alumni Weekend & Family Weekend, so the campus will be bustling with activities and visitors.

PALISADE — The 4th Palisade Art Festival features artists in 13 fine art categories selling and discussing their original works of art. The free festival opens at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park.

WINTER PARK — The 9th annual Backcountry Tap Room is a hike to a pop-up tap room experience for brews and views. The family-friendly day hike begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Winter Park Resort. The hike this year will begin from the Utah Junction lot or the Corona Lot (overflow lot) on the Mary Jane side of the mountain. Guests will then hike up Corona Way for approximately 1.4 miles from the Utah Junction lot (or 1 mile from the Corona Lot) with an elevation gain of about 800 feet, until you get to the picturesque location. 

TELLURIDE — The annual Telluride Autumn Classic is celebration of craftsmanship and engineering set against the gold leaves of the San Juan Mountains. Several events are planned from Thursday through Saturday to bring enthusiasts of all makes and models together for a celebration of automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft.

CASTLE ROCK — The 2nd annual FallamaFest Llama Show and Event will be held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds from Friday to Sunday. The show is free and open to the public.

COLORADO SPRINGS — FamilyFest will be held Saturday at the SoccerHaus Sports and Events Center. FamilyFest features family friendly vendors, kids activities, prizes and presentations. The Cheyenne Mountain’s ZOOMobile will also be on hand with presenters and animals.

LAKEWOOD — This weekend’s The Bear Chase includes 100K, 50 Mile, 50K, half marathon and 10K trail races. The races at Lakewood’s Bear Creek Lake Park feature a variety of terrains and panoramic views. The 100K, 50-Mile and 50K take place Saturday while the 10K and half marathon are on Sunday. Registration information can be found at BearChaseRace.com.

DENVER — The 28th annual Step Up for Down Syndrome walk begins at 7 a.m. Sunday at City Park in Denver. The walk is the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association’s largest fundraising and awareness event of the year, attracting more than 3,500 participants and raising half of the annual revenue needed to fulfill its mission.

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to fight Alzheimer’s. A walk begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Park at Prospect Lake in Colorado Springs. To register, visit Act.Alz.org.

FORT COLLINS — The ALS Association Rocky Mountain Chapter will hold a walk on Saturday. The 1.5-mile Walk to Defeat ALS starts at 11 a.m. at Fort Collins’ City Park. Walk registration and donation information is available here.

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Colorado Springs Marathon, Half, 5K and Kids K are back this Saturday. The races will be held at Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.

DENVER — Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer brings his North American concert tour to Ball Arena in Denver on Friday. Zimmer and an 18-piece live band and full orchestra will perform a selection of the his biggest film scores including music from “Gladiator,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar,” “The Lion King,” “The Last Samurai” and “Dune.” Ticketmaster.com is the official site for tickets.

Zimmer has also composed the scores to “James Bond – No Time to Die,” “Inception,” “Dunkirk,” “Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Wonder Woman,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “12 Years A Slave,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Dune: Part Two.” Zimmer has been honored with two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, four Grammy Awards, an American Music Award and a Tony Award.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club have a preseason game at 5 p.m. Sunday at Ball Arena. The Avs will get in their preseason reps against the new Utah Hockey Club. Resale tickets are available for $12 at Ticketmaster.com.

DENVER — The Big Bounce America tour is in Colorado this weekend. The massive inflatable experience will set up at the National Western Center in Denver on Saturday and Sunday. Open to kids and adults, Big Bounce America includes a newly expanded, 24,000-square-foot “World’s Largest Bounce House,” a 900-foot long obstacle course, a new deep sea foam party inflatable, a sports arena, and a space-themed area.

RELATED: World’s largest bounce house is coming to Colorado

COLORADO  — Your Instagram feed is ready to be awash in the glory of Colorado’s aspens against a backdrop of blue skies, colorful mountains and literal traffic jams full of leaf peepers on U.S. 285. Fall has arrived and the aspens in Colorado’s mountains are beginning to turn. The colors will peak from late September to early October. Here’s what you need to know for your leaf peeping this weekend.

RELATED: Peak fall colors arriving in Colorado

ANTONITO — Are you ready to see the Colorado “Gold Rush”? Hop aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad this weekend to see the spectacular autumn colors. The railroad travels through several different ecological zones at different elevations, including low meadows and up the top of 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass, so you’re sure to see some beautiful aspens. There are daily departures on the train through Saturday, Oct. 29, as well as a special dinner train. Fall rides are extremely popular, so book early at CumbresToltec.com.

DENVER — Elitch Gardens’ annual Halloween event is back. The Fright Fest fall festival kicks off Saturday for five weekends of 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” and the park’s amusement rides. New this year is a freakish acrobatic show from Circus Foundry and two new scare zones scattered throughout the park. For tickets, visit ElitchGardens.com/Fright-Fest.

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. Presented by Denver-based Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, the festival runs select nights through Saturday, Nov. 2.

ERIE — Terror in the Corn is a mile long haunted attraction offering an immersive experience into a world of the unknown. In this “Mile of Mayhem,” you and your friends wind your way through a massive corn field filled with your darkest fears. Terror in the Corn opens Friday and runs through Saturday, Nov. 2. 

THORNTON — Maize in the City has a 20-acre corn maze, mini maze, barrel train ride, corn launcher, petting zoo and more. Admission to the Maize in the City site is free with a-la-carte attractions. Each attraction will be purchased at the front of each attraction line. The site will be open various days through Thursday, Oct. 31. Check out all the activities and snag your tickets at MaizeintheCity.com.

PHOTOS: Maize in the City in Thornton 

LaSALLE — Fritzler Farm Park has opened for the season with more than 15 attractions plus its famous corn maze. There will be pedal go-carts, pumpkin patch, human foosball, tetherball, ball zone, slide mountain, face painting, yard games, beer garden and more. Fritzler Farm Park will remain open through Sunday, Oct. 27. The farm’s haunted attraction “Scream Acres” opens at dusk. Tickets can be purchased at FritzlerFarmPark.com.

LITTLETON — If you’re looking for a festive fall tradition, consider the Corn Maze at Chatfield Farms. The seven-acre corn maze corn maze is perfect for adults, while the little ones can explore the corn mini-maze. There will also be barrel train rides, escape rooms, food vendors and more. The Corn Maze at Chatfield Farms will be open at various times through Sunday, Oct. 27. Tickets can be found at BotanicGardens.org.

DENVER — Denver’s largest haunted house has opened for the 2024 spooky season. Celebrating 17 years of scares in the Mile High, 13th Floor Haunted House has new twists, turns, characters and  add-on attractions that are sure to thrill. There are three brand new attractions this year, a new layout, new mini games, a new FrightFilm feature as well as two new hidden bars. Enter if you date — at 3400 East 52nd Avenue.

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: Red Rocks concert season: Here’s the 2024 schedule

DENVER — A new temporary exhibition at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, “The Power of Poison” explores the captivating and often paradoxical world of nature’s toxic arsenal. Through live performances and interactive dioramas, this exhibition will take you into familiar and novel tales of illness, enchantment and death by poison. Whether used as a defense against predators, a source of magical strength or a lifesaving medical treatment, “The Power of Poison” is sure to surprise.

DENVER — Four Mile Historic Park has transformed into a glowing landscape that immerses visitors with larger-than-life lantern installations that include a mythical dragon that blows smoke, Colorado wildlife and flowers, a crystal forest with unicorns, and creatures from Chinese mythology. Proceeds from the installation go to help pay for animal care at the park, as well as maintain the historic museum, the oldest standing structure in Denver. The Bright Nights series closes Sunday.

DENVER — The Denver Silent Film Festival begins Friday and will be at the Sie FilmCenter until its closing night film on Sunday. The festival brings back the magic of the silent era of film with live musical scores.

It’s a three-peat for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The Tim Burton sequel topped the North American box office charts for a third straight weekend with $26 million in ticket sales last weekend.

Francis Ford Coppola’s new big-budget movie “Megalopolis” and the animated family film “The Wild Robot” open this weekend.

• Megalopolis
• Azrael
• Empire Waist
• Haunted Heart
• The Wild Robot

1. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $26 million.
2. “Transformers One,” $25 million.
3. “Speak No Evil,” $5.9 million.
4. “Never Let Go,” $4.5 million.
5. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $3.9 million.
6. “The Substance,” $3.1 million.
7. “Am I Racist?” $2.5 million.
8. “Reagan,” $1.7 million.
9. “JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL,” $1.4 million.
10. “Alien Romulus,” $1.3 million.

> 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.

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