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If your idea of Halloween involves costumes, candlelit jack-o’-lanterns, and candy—not ghouls, gore, and Get Out—you’ve come to the right place. These Denver-area activities will help you get into the spirit of the spooky season…without actually getting spooked.
Put the fam in a group costume & run/walk a 5K or 10K
The MonsterDash (established in 2010) is back in Denver on Saturday, October 26, and in Louisville on Sunday, October 27. Adults, children, babies in strollers, and four-legged family members—all in the disguises of their choice, although this year’s theme is aliens and astronauts—are welcome to take spots on the starting line. The 10Ks and 5Ks, which you can run or walk, start at 9:30 a.m. at Sloan’s Lake and 3:30 p.m. at Louisville Community Park. Kids can wait until the day-of to decide if they want to participate in the half- or one-mile events that launch a couple of hours later, although the themed gift bags with Moon Pies, Tang, and glow sticks should help them blast off. $38 to $43 for the 5K and 10K; $14 for the kids races
Watch The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtracked by an orchestra
Tim Burton’s 1993 cult-classic animated film about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who discovers Christmas Town and tries to take over the holiday is more funny than freaky. (Really, calm down; it’s rated PG.) At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, the Colorado Symphony will perform the score in the Boettcher Concert Hall, part of downtown’s Denver Performing Arts Complex, while the movie is projected onto big screens. Go early for the pre-show HalfNotes program, which consists of family-friendly activities like crafts and instrument “petting zoos.” Starting at $15 for adults; $12.80 for kids 12 and under
Carve pumpkins with cats
What could be better than artistically chiseling a perfectly plump orange gourd? Doing it surrounded by kitties, of course! At Berkeley’s Denver Cat Company, you can book a two-hour session on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the month of October. Participants get an already scooped-out pumpkin, access to carving supplies and cat-themed stencils, and unlimited nuzzles from the adoptable felines that roam the cafe. Note: We can’t guarantee there won’t be any all-black cats in attendance…but that’s just a silly superstition, right? $40 per person
SUP with your coven
Witches stand-up paddleboarding on Chatfield Reservoir may sound ridiculous; for one thing, anyone who’s seen The Wizard of Oz knows they melt in water. But that fact—and October’s potentially chilly air and water temps—hasn’t stopped hundreds of people from dressing up and coming out for Denver’s Witch Paddle since the first event was held in 2021. Start planning your costume now for this year’s float, which shoves off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 12: A professional photographer will be on-site to capture the scene. $50
Dress up for goat yoga
You might let out a yelp of surprise at this event—but only because a goat wandered between your legs while you were in warrior one, not because anyone threatened to suck your blood. Open to yogis of all skill levels, Arvada Goat Yoga’s three weekend morning Halloween Goat Yoga sessions—on October 12, 20, and 27, from 11 a.m. to noon—are hosted at the Community Farm in Arvada. Costumes are highly encouraged, since you won’t want to be outdone by the baby goats during the time set aside for adorable photo-ops. $12 for children and $28.52 for adults
Score a killer selfie at the Museum of Illusions
This built-for-Instagram museum on downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall is designed to up your Instagram game, but to stoke a little fear in your followers, dress as your favorite supervillain or ax murderer before posing for some puzzling photos inside. During the month of October, the venue is leaning into spooky season by decorating its 60-some mind-bending illusions and handing out candy. Just make sure you don’t frighten yourself with your own visage multiplied in the Infinity Room’s mirrors. $27 for adults, $23 for ages five to 12, and four and under free
See Nightmare In The Air performed by aerial dancers
You’ll be too distracted by the spinning, soaring aerial dancers suspended above the stage at the Apollo Center in Broomfield to freak out about any mildly frightening elements of this adaptation of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The whole family is welcome at this year’s six shows, if you can nab tickets: They’re mostly sold out, with the exception of the recently added Saturday, October 26, show at 4 p.m. If anyone gets inspired, they can check out Iluminar Aerial’s classes for students of all ages. $18 for kids six to 17, $20 for seniors, and $25 for adults; children five and under are free
Vanquish the patriarchy at Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really
Horror meets humor in this twist on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel by playwright Kate Hamill, who’s known for upending classics (Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, the Sherlock Holmes stories) to explore sexism, feminism, and gender issues. The production at the Arvada Center’s Black Box Theatre—running through November 3—does involve gore and a fog machine, but the women playing Van Helsing and the vampire hunter’s servant, Renfield, will only make you scream with laughter. From $47
Bar crawl & club hop in costume
There’s no shortage of Halloween events in Denver that combine costumes and consuming booze, but we like that the Zombie Crawl takes over LoDo and RiNo with hundreds of dressed-up guests, lured by free welcome shots and discounted drinks at more than 20 different bars and nightclubs. (So, uh, it’s not actually all that different from a regular weekend night.) Check in on Saturday, October 26, to pick up your Zombie Survival Kit, which includes a map of participating establishments and a book of drink vouchers and coupons. As long as your biggest fear isn’t a hangover, this is the perfect event to pitch to your friends who think they’re too cool for Halloween. $15–$35
Take in Colorado’s biggest Halloween party & immersive art experience
Nationally touring DJs, costume and celebrity impersonator contests with huge cash prizes, dozens of bars, live performers, immersive art experiences…say less. Unless you’re an agoraphobe, you have nothing to fear from Coloween 2024, the 15th annual iteration of the 21-plus event, which returns to Denver the night of Saturday, October 26, at the Stockyards Event Center in Elyria-Swansea’s National Western Center. The event’s installations are built by professional set and stage designers and Burning Man artists—so, yeah, you’ll want to go all out on your costume. $61.60 for general admission
