Fall Festivals in Denver and Aurora This Weekend!
September 30, 2021
The first of the fall festivals are sweeping into the Mile High City! This weekend you can take a hayride at Painted Prairie’s Harvest Fest, peruse unique arts and crafts at the Autumn Bazaar downtown, or check out Cheesman Park’s Art Fest!
TODAY/TONIGHT, September 30
THE GOONIES OUTDOORS
Treat the family to an autumn outdoor movie—The Goonies is a classic flick from the 1980s, a heartwarming story about a misfit bunch of friends who discover a ghostly shipwreck.
Your kids will love this sweet, funny film, and you’ll love the nostalgia of seeing it again!
Red Tailed Hawk Park, 23701 E. Hinsdale Way, Aurora
6:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $2
STAND STILL & LOOK STUPID
This one-woman stage performance is based on the life of actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Dubbed “the most beautiful girl in the world,” Hedy Lamarr was also an incomparable inventor—and herein lay the problem. While she developed technology that makes the Digital Communications Age possible (from WiFi to GPS to smartphones), the role of women in her time required her to “stand still and look stupid.”
In the sixth year of production, Stand Still & Look Stupid continues to entertain, educate, and enthrall audiences everywhere!
The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25
Thursday-Friday, September 30 – October 1
PREVIEW OF ARTS EXHIBIT
Don’t miss your last chance to get a free peek of the upcoming interactive arts exhibit by Meow Wolf! The transformational Denver exhibit, Convergence Station, will include works in a variety of media like sculpture, painting, fabrication, digital art, writing, film, and many more.
Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora
9:00 a.m.
Information: FREE
AS YOU LIKE IT
Shakespeare’s As You Like It comes alive in a whole new way in this fully-outdoor and socially-distanced adaptation! For a twenty-first century twist on the old story, sit outside at the Denver Performing Arts Complex Galleria and be entertained by contemporary thespians who do their best to bring out the rogue in you!
Complete with twinkling lights, s’mores, tasty brews, and live music—you’ll experience Shakespeare in a way you never would have imagined!
The Denver Performing Arts Center Galleria, 1400 Curtis S., Denver
8:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $24
Phone: 810-569-1908
Thursday-Saturday, September 30 – October 2
FUNNY SIDE OF SPORTS
Brendan Schaub is both an American sportscaster and a stand-up comedian, so you know his routine is sure to be about sports! Schaub currently hosts his own podcast, Below the Belt, as well as co-hosts The Fighter and the Kid alongside Bryan Callen and King and the Sting with Theo Von. He’s best known from his career in professional sports – UFC and NFL.
Schaub most recently recorded his first one-hour comedy special, You’d Be Surprised and has appeared on Bravo’s Play by Play, E!’s After Party, Comedy Central’s This is Not Happening, and Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion podcast.
Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$50
Phone: 303-595-3637
Thursday-Sunday, September 30 – October 3
LIVE LOCAL MUSICAL THEATRE
It has been a while—but you can experience the joys of neighborhood theatre again! Aurora Fox Theatre asks the question: what would you do if only had a hundred days left? The punk-folk musical, Hundred Days, answers with an exploration of a relationship from one couple’s falling in love to their uncertain future.
Aurora Fox Theatre, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$40
Phone: 303-739-1970
Friday, October 1
VIRTUAL FIRST FRIDAY CONCERT
Spend the first Friday in October celebrating virtually or in-person—or both! The People’s Building in Aurora presents a Day of Jubilee concert with a live-capture performance of blues/folk guitarist AJ Fullerton from the gallery, followed by a 360-degree show of drag queen portraits called Paint Face: a solo show from Rielly Marquez!
Later, head over for an in-person reception of Reilly’s work!
The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.; live artist reception 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Friday-Sunday, October 1-3
FOLK MUSIC IN THE NEW WORLD
The link between traditional and contemporary is always worth exploring—and the Colorado Symphony does just that in a concert that includes three works bridging old and new. Dvořák’s beloved New World Symphony includes Native American musical rhythms and African-American spiritual influences, bringing a new sound to 20th century American music.
The program also includes Romantic works influenced by Slavic and Russian folksongs by Tchaikovsky, as well as Kodály’s Dances of Galánta which draws on the Hungarian folk elements so prevalent during the composer’s upbringing.
Boettcher Concert Hall, DPAC, 1000 14th St., #15, Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 – $89
ON STAGE—YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
If you loved the Mel Brooks movie classic, you won’t want to miss the stage version! Young Frankenstein will get you in the mood for Halloween and have you laughing all the while!
What would you do if you were the respectable grandson of the infamous scientist Victor Frankenstein and wanted to create as much distance as possible from your family’s notorious legend? Certainly not return to your grandfather’s castle, where you are all too tempted to create a monster of your own. Yet that’s exactly what young Fred Frankenstein does…
Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, October 2
MAKE-A-WISH® COLORADO WALK
Lace up your walking shoes and get ready to make a difference! The 5th annual Walk For Wishes gives you and your family a chance to join a fun in-person event—or walk virtually from wherever you choose!
Either way, all proceeds will go towards granting wishes to children battling critical illnesses. Registration is free, but if you raise $100 or more, you’ll receive a t-shirt!
The Great Lawn, 101 Yosemite St., Denver
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Register: FREE to $100+ in donations
Phone: 303-750-9474
PRAIRIE HARVEST FEST
One of the first autumn festivals is also one of the best! Painted Prairie’s Harvest Fest features a day that starts with outdoor yoga and includes pumpkin decorating and horse-drawn hayrides! Also part of this FREE family day of fun: live music, an autumn market, jumbo-sized games, Nature’s Educators, delicious food, and a festive fall photo booth!
Painted Prairie, 6000 Picadilly Rd., Aurora
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Register: FREE
DOWNTOWN MAKERS MARKET
Spanning three blocks in downtown Denver, the Autumn Bazaar at Belleview Station is a shopping party in the street! Local artisans and craftspeople display their wares at this popular makers’ market, where you can browse and shop for unique gifts and artwork.
With over 80 booths displaying handmade crafts, art, fashions, and more, you’ll have a fun day of shopping in the open air. A mobile food court will feature a variety of delicious street food venders, and cash bars will be serving fall-themed cocktails and local craft beers.
Belleview Station, 6785 E. Chenango Ave., Denver
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE to $15
Phone: 720-432-8125
PET ADOPT-A-THON
Dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens—all coming to your neighborhood and all up for adoption! Best Pets is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping shelter animals find forever homes.
The organization supports numerous animal shelters and rescues across the U.S. with free or low cost spay/neuter clinics, medical treatment for shelter animals, and adoption. Head over to Stanley Marketplace today to see all the animals looking for a good home!
Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Information: FREE
Saturday-Sunday, October 2-3
THE CHEESMAN PARK ART FEST
This renowned arts festival features 140 juried artists and craftsmen from across the nation as they showcase their work in a FREE, two-day festival in one of Denver’s prized historic parks!
You’ll be amazed at the talent on display at the Cheesman Park Art Fest, featuring live music and Denver’s best food trucks! This colorful outdoor show was ranked among the top 100 art festivals of the decade by Sunshine Artist magazine in 2020.
Cheesman Park, 1599 E. 8th Ave., Denver
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 505-273-7363
Fall into Fun Near Southshore!
Away from it all, but close to everything, the lakeside community of Southshore offers access to plenty of things to do every weekend! If you’re new to Life at the Lake, drive around and check out the beautiful model homes from Taylor Morrison, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers. Available in ranch and two-story designs, Southshore homes are priced between the upper $400s to the $700s.