Halloween Comes to Town!

October 15, 2020

It’s time to start lining up all your Halloween activities! Halloween attractions from the scariest haunted houses to a paranormal art installation to fun fall festivals for the entire family can be found throughout the area this weekend. And it’s the last weekend of Denver Beer Week, with an extravagant dinner party at Aurora’s own brewery, Dry Dock Brewing Company. Help them celebrate their 15th Anniversary! 

TODAY/TONIGHT, October 15

VIRTUAL TOUR OF HISTORICAL HOUSE 
Located in the Highland neighborhood, the Bosler House is one of the oldest homes in Denver, built in 1875. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Places and was designated as a Denver Landmark in 1984. While the history of the house is intriguing, the highlight of this virtual tour is the story of the home’s recent stunning renovation!

Doors Open Denver takes you on a tour with the homeowners/renovators as they lead you through the the two-story house with projecting gable ends and bay windows. Following the tour, you’ll have a chance to ask questions! 

Doors Open Denver Online
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Registration: $7 – $9

THE GOONIES AT THE DRIVE-IN
Just in time for Halloween, you can relive the adventures of those 1980s misfit kids who stumble upon the ruins of a haunted pirate ship right in their own backyard! If your kids haven’t seen this movie yet, treat the whole family to a fun night out! Get your tickets in advance—this drive-in pop-up is a popular event and tends to sell out every week!

Arapahoe Park Racetrack, 26000 E. Quincy Ave., Aurora
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 
Tickets: $10 per car

Thursday-Sunday, October 15-18

HALLOWEEN AT THE ZOO
Everyone knows the best way to celebrate Halloween with little ones is to treat them to Boo at the Zoo. Social-distancing is easier since you are walking around on over 80-acres of space, but you’ll still need to wear a face mask. And the Zoo is issuing timed-entry tickets to keep capacities in check.

The Storybook Safari is modified this year due to COVID-19, but still includes costumed characters and lots of festive fall decor! It’s also the last couple of weekends for the special LEGO exhibition, so don’t miss the amazing life-sized LEGO sculptures scattered throughout the Zoo!

Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., Denver
Thurs., 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat./Sun., 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $14-$20
Phone: 720-337-1400

SPOOKADELIA 
Here’s a novel way to have a spooky yet artsy Halloween experience! Part immersive art exhibition and part theatrical performance, Spookadelia is a narrative-driven journey through other-worldly realms.

You’ll be guided through a psychedelic portal of purgatory into the world of the Spectra Specter. Watching for ghosts is an immersive, interactive, and mind-bending experience that explores the layers of the human psyche and provides a fresh take on the haunted experience. Admission is timed at hourly intervals, so once you pick your day and time slot, you’ll have an hour to explore the installation.

Spectra Art Space, 1836 S. Broadway, Denver 
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 12:00 – 10:00 p.m.; Sun., 12:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $5 – $15
Phone: 720-535-7244

THE 13TH FLOOR – COVID EDITION!
Get ready for the scariest-of-the-scary haunted houses! The 13th Floor Haunted House has been consistently rated as the most over-the-top and extreme haunted experience in the city! This year, there will be some interesting new storylines, due in part to the challenges brought about by new safety guidelines.

COVID-19 has changed things a bit—but in a good way. You’ll have a less crowded experience, less waiting in lines, more spacing between groups—all which adds up to the potential for the scariest experience ever! This attraction is designed for adults and is not recommended for children 12 and under. You must wear a mask, and tickets will be time-slotted and only available online.

13th Floor Haunted House, 3400 E. 52nd Ave., Denver
Thurs./Sun., 7:00-10:00 p.m.; Fri., 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.; Sat., 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. 
Tickets: $29.99 – $52.99

DRIVE-IN HAUNTED HOUSE
For a safer-but-still-scary option, let the haunted house come to you! The creators of the 13th Floor have put together a reimagined and immersive haunted house experience that you can enjoy from the “safety” of your parked vehicle.

This is an original multimedia haunted show displayed on a 40-foot screen, as well as horrifying characters from the City of the Dead that will surround the outdoor theater and bring the story to life! Buy your ticket in advance to reserve your space, and note that ticket prices include two passengers. Additional guests in the backseat will need to purchase supplemental tickets. This is an intense show! Not recommended for children 12 and under.

Parking Lot next to 13th Floor Haunted House, 3400 E. 52nd Ave., Denver
Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:00 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $39.99-$59.99 per car (for two passengers)

Friday, October 16

VIRTUAL BEER TASTING
Denver Beer Week continues with another great virtual beer tasting, this time from Tivoli Brewing Company. Sign up to get your FREE Zoom link, then make sure to visit the tap house in advance to purchase your brews! Beers to be tasted include: Tivoli Helles Lager, Mile Hi Hefeweizen, Mountain Squeeze Juicy IPA, and Slam Dunkel. The variety 12-pack will include all of them!

Tivoli Brewing Company, 900 Auraria Parkway Suite 240, Denver
Zoom Session Online, MCA Stapleton
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration: FREE plus purchase of beer

Friday-Saturday, October 16-17

GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL
As Denver Beer Week comes to a close, it intersects with the The Great American Beer Festival®, the No. 1 beer festival in the country! GABF® was founded in 1982 and has been growing and evolving along with the American craft brewing industry ever since. 

This year, due to COVID-19, the festival and competition will be online, with exclusive access to online content during the Official Virtual Festival. When you purchase a festival passport, you’ll also receive discounts on local breweries where you can apply the new beer knowledge you’ll gain from the online festival! Enjoy stories about beer and beer-makers, and be enlightened about flavor fusions through beer and food pairings when you take part in the GABF Online Festival! 

GABF Festival Passport
Tickets: $20

Saturday, October 17

VIRTUAL MURDER MYSTERY ENCORE
Be a part of this online Murder Mystery! You are a passenger aboard the Simpleton-Orient Express, in the coldest month of 1933, somewhere near the Austrian border, when along with the other passengers, you experience a murder that will change your life forever! Together you need to figure out who killed the mysterious stranger.

The Murder on the Train is a virtual murder mystery for adults, where each participant gets a role and a script, and all players try to deduce who the killer is. You’ll receive an email with your role after you sign up and a Zoom link will be sent to you. Costumes are encouraged and make it more fun! This is a repeat of the same virtual Murder Mystery that Aurora Library presented in September, so if you already participated, please do not sign up again!

Aurora Library Online
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Registration: FREE

DRY DOCK BREWING DINNER PARTY
Celebrate the end of Denver Beer Week with a spectacular fine-dining experience that highlights the best combinations of food and beer. An exclusive five-course dinner from Brightmarten Restaurant and Bar will be paired with five iconic beers from Dry Dock Brewing Company, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Aurora’s hometown brewery.

The socially-distanced seated dinner is a look back at Dry Dock Brewing’s history and a peak into the future. The dinner includes an innovative menu featuring braised leg of lamb served with saffron rice, an autumn-inspired salad, soft pretzel and roast beef slider appetizers, and an assortment of cheesecake tarts. Beer aficionados will be more impressed by the pairings: a silver medal-winning Pilsner, a bronze medal-winning Old Ale, a holiday-inspired Sour Cranberry, a gold medal-winning Amber Ale, and an exclusive “dessert beer,” a 25•15 Imperial Stout not yet available to the public. 

Dry Dock Brewing Co. North Dock, 2801 Tower Rd., Aurora
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $110

Saturday-Sunday, October 17-18

FALL FESTIVAL ON THE FARM
Take a short drive east of the city and experience a Fall Festival where there’s room to spread out! The two corn mazes on Mile High Farms cover more than 11 acres, and you’re sure to find the perfect pumpkin in their authentic pumpkin patch. Enjoy the sights of the quirky little town nearby, then let the kids experience what life on a farm is like—complete with a petting zoo, barrel cart rides, and a hayride!

11 Cavanaugh Rd., Bennett
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$14
Phone: 303-344-2676

SOUTHLANDS FALL FESTIVAL
No need to travel far to enjoy the sights, sounds, and aromas of fall! Southlands is hosting its first-ever Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch at the new Town Square. Pick out and purchase the perfect pumpkin for carving or decorating, starting at only $3! There will be a craft and food market to browse, filled with interesting seasonal items. And while supplies last, get a FREE all-treats, no-tricks bag of candy!

Southlands, 6155 S. Main St., Aurora
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-627-5000 

Sunday, October 18

PUMPKIN SPICE FOOD MARKET
All the flavors of the fall season can be found at this mini-market celebration hosted by Denver BAZAAR! You’ll get to peruse and shop at the booths of 25 local artisanal food vendors for everything from fall-flavored baked goods to spicy foods to the ingredients you need to create your own culinary masterpieces!

As you browse the market, enjoy a fun line-up of live music! Fall cocktails, beer, and wine will be available for purchase from TheBigWonderful Beer Garden—or better yet, buy $5 drink tokens in advance and save on drinks and menu items! Social distancing will be required and face masks will also be necessary when not eating or drinking at designated areas.

TheBigWonderful, 6785 E. Chenango Ave., Denver
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE to $5

Life at the Lake in Southshore!

Recreation at Southshore includes taking in the sunset and relaxing with friends around the firepit and enjoying fall with walks around the lake! Away from it all, but close to everything, the lakeside community 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, Toll Brothers and soon Century Communities! Available in ranch and two-story designs, Southshore homes are priced between the upper $400s to the $700s.