Top Fall Events in Colorado Springs

Top Fall Events in Colorado Springs

Fall events bring the season’s joy to life. Crisp, cool air breezing through your hair as you hunt for the perfect pumpkin. Leaves changing to gold and red as you cruise through the mountains. Hearty pumpkin chili, pumpkin snacks, and pumpkin beverages galore in every restaurant and store! We love everything about this magical time of transition, and we especially love how the Centennial State has turned fall into a nonstop celebration. Take some time to enjoy the season with these events around the region.

Reynolds Ranch House Harvest Festival At WMMI

The Western Mining Museum has perfected the autumn welcome party with the beloved Miner’s Pumpkin Patch celebration. Running every Saturday in October, this is one of the few pumpkin patches in the Pikes Peak region that you won’t have to drive far to enjoy. It’s located right across from the Air Force Academy on the sprawling outdoor property of the Western Museum of Mining and Industry.

Visitors will see live demonstrations, including a real apple cider press and a pumpkin catapult. Attendees can also try their luck at gold panning and see real mining machinery in action. Outdoor games and a tractor-pulled hayride are fun for all ages, and sack races and magic shows give the event a small-town, nostalgic feel that really amps up the fall atmosphere. Food trucks will be on site to satisfy your cravings. Admission includes one pumpkin per person and access to all outdoor fun.

• Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 @ 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Cripple Creek Fall Festival

Colorado aspen trees are really something to behold in the fall. Take a short trek to Cripple Creek and enjoy them in all their splendor at the Cripple Creek Fall Festival. Everyone’s favorite mining town is one of the best places in Southern Colorado to experience the annual “gold rush” of aspens turning gold. The fall party, which includes a fantastic craft fair, is a big golden bonus.

The event is completely free and open to the public. All proceeds will go toward caring for and feeding Cripple Creek’s resident donkey herd. How cool is that? Visitors can expect live music, fall-themed adult beverages, a chili cook-off, a pie-judging contest, and more. Make the fall festival a stop on your leaf-peeping tour, or bring the family and make a day of it. The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad will be open that weekend, so you will have plenty to do around town. Dress in layers and bring water and sunscreen for that high-altitude climate.

• Oct. 3 & 4 @ 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Walking Tour: Ghosts of Downtown

Colorado Springs has definitely been around long enough to gain its fair share of ghost stories. The city is more than 150 years old! You’ll hear some of the most popular tales on the Downtown Partnership’s one-hour Ghosts of Downtown walking tour. Explore downtown with a trusty guide and learn all the spooky details about the city and its haunted happenings. The tour begins at Story Coffee, so you can fuel up before you head out.

• Oct. 5 & 6 @ 10-11 a.m.

Skeleton Craze in Manitou

Humorous, spooky, and artistic skeletons are invading Manitou Springs! Each October, businesses, galleries, and other local organizations team up for the annual Skeleton Craze competition, making this tiny town spookier. Store windows, walls, and sidewalks become haunting new sets, with skeletons as the shining guest star. To see the bony mayhem, visit Manitou Springs through Oct. 31. Keep an eye out for ballot details. Visitors can vote for their favorite skeleton display. Winners get bragging rights, the envy of their competitors, and the stress of trying to outdo themselves next year.

• Oct. 1-31 throughout Manitou Springs

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo is a perennial favorite for kids and parents — and more than a few children at heart. Each year, small ghosts and goblins gather at dusk to scavenge for treats under the watchful eyes of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s wild residents. This event brings the Zoo alive with the spirit of Halloween, but in a way that isn’t too scary for young kids. Local businesses and organizations hand out candy, giving parents peace of mind when letting their kids trick-or-treat. Even better, all treats handed out are made with sustainable palm oil, which helps protect wild animals and their habitats.

Many zoo exhibits will be open during this time, though a few habitats may be closed for animals that need their beauty sleep. Don your favorite costume and head out for this one-of-a-kind Halloween adventure! Safety precautions will be in place, so the whole family can enjoy Halloween worry-free. This event is online-only, with timed ticketing. Book ASAP, as this will likely sell out quickly.

• Oct. 18-20, 25-27 & 31, 4-8:30 p.m. (last admission at 7:20 p.m.),

Oct 31 – Cripple Creek Annual Trunk or Treat

Trunk or treat is a fun alternative to going door to door. Kids collect treats from trunks elaborately decorated by families and businesses, bringing Halloween cheer to the altitude. This is a wonderful community event for all participants. Sign up to decorate and host your own trunk here.

• Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m.
  

Haunted Lantern Tour at Cave of the Winds

If you’re looking for an extra-spooky Halloween experience with a thrill-chasing twist, head to Cave of the Winds for the Director’s Cut Haunted Tour. Adventurous souls receive a small, handheld lantern and are led deep into some of the cave’s least-visited parts. Your guide, if you dare to follow, will spin spooky tales and share a few scary facts about some of the cave’s stranger phenomena. Learn about the cave’s history and unexplained phenomena, and hear some deliciously scary ghost stories to get your heart pumping for fall.

The Director’s Cut is one of the longest tours at Cave of the Winds, even longer than the regular haunted tour offered during regular hours. The special Halloween tours run later, too. The last victims… guests… enter the caves at 10 p.m. Be prepared to bend, crouch, and get a little dirty. This tour is intended to be scary, and children under 13 are not permitted.

• Oct. 4-31, check calendar for available dates. $45 per person, ages 13 and up.

Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival

If there’s one signature event that everyone loves in the Pikes Peak region, it’s the Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou Springs. This morbidly zany festival begins with live music and a grand parade before the main event — careening coffins, terrified Emmas, and throngs of screaming fans. It is one of the most unusual, entertaining, and spooky fall events in Southern Colorado, and everyone should attend at least once. We guarantee you’ll want to see the performance again. You may even find yourself trying to gather a crew of pallbearers for next year’s race.

The Coffin Races can be a little daunting for first-timers. Even locals can use a little help. We’ve got the definitive guide to the Coffin Races here.

• Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.