Denver Halloween Events 2026: The Complete Metro Calendar
Every confirmed event in the metro — haunts, parades, family nights, and the big October 31 — checked against the organizers, with the not-yet-announced marked as pending instead of guessed.
Get Palace Tickets Plan Halloween Night
Halloween 2026 lands on a Saturday — the first since 2020 and the last until 2037 — and the Denver metro is treating it accordingly. The season opened September 11 and runs nearly two months, ending with everything converging on one enormous Saturday night. Here’s the whole calendar: the haunts, the parades, the family nights, the bar crawls, and the big October 31 — with the night itself broken out by geography, because on a Saturday Halloween, where an event is decides how your night ends.
What changed since our last update: DarknessCon’s ticket page now lists Denver for Oct 31 at the Castle Event Center in Northglenn, with day passes from $15 and an 18+ Zombie Prom after-party, so it’s back in both tables with hours and prices. Coloween’s $79 tier has sold out and its site now lists $89 all-in. Tracks still hasn’t opened ticket sales. On our own event: the hotel has sold out entirely, balcony and standard rooms both, about 5% of tickets remain, and VIP is sold out. Everything else re-verified with no changes.
The season at a glance
| Window | What’s running |
|---|---|
| Sept 11 → | The haunts open: 13th Floor and Frightmare Compound (both Sept 11), Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns (Sept 18), Elitch Fright Fest (Sept 26) |
| Early October | Boo at the Zoo opens its 13-night run (Oct 2), Ghosts in the Gardens begins (Oct 9) |
| Mid-October | The traditions peak: Broadway Halloween Parade (Oct 17), Glow at the Gardens (Oct 15–18, 21–24), Victorian Horrors, Ghosts in the Gardens |
| Late October | Día de los Muertos (Oct 24), Broadway Bar Crawl (Oct 24), BOO-lesque (Oct 23–31), Tracks Halloweekend (Oct 28–31), Nightmare Before Christmas with the Symphony (Oct 29–31) |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Everything at once: four 21+ parties, bar crawls, live music, family daytime events, and closing night for most haunts and patches — county-by-county tables below |
Haunted houses & season-long attractions
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 11–Nov 14 | 13th Floor Haunted House — select nights through Nov 14, the latest-running haunt in the metro. Three attractions this year: Jason Universe: Survive the Night (an officially licensed Friday the 13th walkthrough), The Stitchworks: House of Reanimation, and Cathedral of the Crimson Queen, plus escape games, axe throwing, two 21+ secret bars and VIP cabanas. Tickets from $19.99, $34.99 on Halloween night. Every metro haunt with its Oct 31 hours is in our haunted houses guide. | 3400 E. 52nd Ave., Denver |
| Sept 11–Nov 7 | The Frightmare Compound — Colorado’s oldest haunted house, plus escape rooms, a monster museum, and a coffin simulator. New for 2026: Frightmare Town and a 1950s trailer-park scene. | Westminster |
| Sept 18–Nov 1 | Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns — thousands of hand-carved pumpkins in glowing large-scale displays. The south metro’s signature glow event. | Hudson Gardens, Littleton |
| Sept 18–Nov 1 | Chatfield Farms Corn Maze — the Botanic Gardens’ seven-acre maze with a 15-foot viewing bridge and a mini maze for kids under 10. Fridays through Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM, $12 to $22. | Chatfield Farms, Littleton |
| Sept 26–Nov 1 | Elitch Gardens Fright Fest — family-friendly by day, Fright By Night with haunted houses and roaming creatures after 6 PM. | Elitch Gardens, Denver |
| Season runs Oct 31 | Haunted Field of Screams — a 40-acre haunted cornfield backing the infamous Riverdale Road. Check the schedule for season nights; open on Halloween. | Thornton |
| Through Oct 31 | Terror in the Corn — haunted corn maze and outdoor scare trail; closes Halloween night. | Erie (Boulder County) |
| Ongoing | Cheesman Park Ghost Tour — a 90-minute walking tour of the park built on Denver’s first cemetery. | Cheesman Park, Denver |
October traditions, shows & culture
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2–31 | Boo at the Zoo — 2026 dates are now published: 13 timed, ticketed evenings, 4:30 to 9 PM, with nine candy stations, cryptid creatures and animal ambassadors. The October 31 date is the sensory-friendly night. | Denver Zoo |
| Oct 9–10, 20, 28–31 | Ghosts in the Gardens — self-guided after-dark storytelling on the haunted history of the grounds once called “The Boneyard.” Ages 12+. | Denver Botanic Gardens |
| Oct 9–11 | Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms — the 10-acre pumpkin patch, corn maze, and family activities, 9 AM to 4 PM. $12 to $22 plus pumpkins. | Chatfield Farms, Littleton |
| Oct 11 | Witches’ Tea — tea service, themed cocktails, and live opera inspired by Shakespeare’s witches. | Ellie Caulkins Opera House |
| Oct 15–18 & 21–24 | Glow at the Gardens — the 10th year of Denver’s illuminated pumpkin celebration. Sells out weeks in advance every year. | Denver Botanic Gardens |
| Oct 15–17, 22–24, 29–31 | Victorian Horrors — local actors perform gothic tales by long-dead authors inside the Molly Brown House. | Molly Brown House Museum |
| Oct 17 | Broadway Halloween Parade — 80-plus floats, hearses, hot rods, and marching bands down South Broadway, 6 to 9 PM. Free to watch, costumes welcome. Route, transit, and parking are in our parade guide. | South Broadway, 5th Ave to Virginia Ave, Denver |
| Oct 23–31 | BOO-lesque — the Clocktower’s annual Halloween burlesque and variety run. | Clocktower Cabaret |
| Oct 24 | Día de los Muertos — the traditional celebration honoring ancestors and loved ones who have passed. | Civic Center Park |
| Oct 24 | Broadway Halloween Bar Crawl — costumed bar-hopping down the Broadway corridor. | Broadway, Denver |
| Oct 28 | Spirits + Songs — Opera Colorado’s family Halloween celebration with crafts, performances, and a backstage tour. | Ellie Caulkins Opera House |
| Oct 29 | Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics — Halloween music by candlelight. | Kirk of Highland |
| Oct 29 | Monster Masquerade — the Denver Zoo’s adults-only fall night, with bites, bevvies, live music and animal demonstrations. | Denver Zoo |
| Select dates–Oct 31 | The Nightmare Bar — a ticketed, 90-minute Halloween pop-up bar from Fever and Smirnoff, run in timed 7 and 9 PM sessions, $17.50 with a welcome drink, 21+. Fever now lists it at Club Vinyl next door; confirm the venue for your date when booking. More in our Halloween pop-up bars guide. | Club Vinyl, 1082 Broadway, Denver |
| Oct 31 | UpdatedDarknessCon Denver — the horror convention’s third Denver year, now a single day with tickets on sale: the convention runs 10 AM to 6 PM (day passes from $15, all ages), followed by an 18+ Zombie Prom from 8:30 to 11:30 PM ($15, or $20 for the all-access pass covering both). | Castle Event Center, Northglenn |
| Oct 28–31 | Tracks Halloweekend: Tracksrooms — four themed nights at Denver’s biggest LGBTQ+ club, running across Tracks and the adjoining ReelWorks: DJs, drag, aerialists, projection mapping, and $6,000 in costume prizes across the weekend. 9 PM to 2 AM nightly. 18+. Tickets on sale soon. | Tracks and ReelWorks, RiNo |
| Oct 29–31 | The Nightmare Before Christmas with the Colorado Symphony — the full film with Danny Elfman’s score played live. The Oct 31 show is a matinee, so it stacks with an evening plan. | Boettcher Concert Hall |
Halloween night in Denver & the metro — Saturday, October 31
The night everything runs at once, with clocks falling back at 2 AM to make it a 25-hour night. The hour-by-hour breakdown lives in our Halloween Night Guide; here’s the metro roster:
| Time | Event | Where | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Trick or Trot 5K/10K — costumed run | Piney Creek Hollow Park, Centennial | All ages |
| Daytime | Boos & Brews Halloween 5K — beer at the finish line | Number Thirty Eight, RiNo | 21+ to drink |
| Daytime | Samhain Market — witchy wares, readers, dark art, and mystical finds | 1111 Broadway, Denver | All ages |
| Afternoon | Nightmare Before Christmas with the Symphony (matinee) | Boettcher Concert Hall | All ages |
| 4 PM–midnight | Downtown bar crawls — the Official Halloween Bar Crawl (4 to 10 PM), Crawl With US from One Shot Back (4 PM to midnight), and a ticketed Zombie Crawl bar crawl from ViewHouse Ballpark on Oct 30 and 31 (the original free Denver Zombie Crawl has not announced a 2026 date). Every crawl and pop-up is in our Halloween pop-up bars and bar crawls guide | Downtown Denver | 21+ |
| 4:30 PM–9 PM | Boo at the Zoo: Sensory-Friendly Night — the closing night of the run, built for guests living with sensory processing needs: reduced crowds, no strobing, low-volume music, quiet rooms and sensory kits | Denver Zoo | All ages |
| Evening | Ghosts in the Gardens — final night of the run | Denver Botanic Gardens | 12+ |
| Evening | Victorian Horrors — final night at the Molly Brown House | Molly Brown House Museum | All ages |
| Evening | BOO-lesque — closing night of the Clocktower’s Halloween burlesque and variety run | Clocktower Cabaret | 21+ |
| Evening | ShadowGrass, with special guest John Mailander’s Forecast — the Halloween-night stop of a three-night Denver run | Ogden Theatre | All ages, venue rules apply |
| Evening | Science Lounge Halloween: Mythic Creatures — the museum’s adults-only after-hours night, with cocktails, mini-lectures and a scavenger hunt. Costumes encouraged. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science | 21+ |
| 7–11 PM | The Masquerade Ball at The Brown Palace — masks, music and dancing in the 1892 atrium. $90 includes a welcome drink and a grazing table; masks provided if you arrive without one. | Brown Palace Hotel, Denver | Not listed |
| Evening | Closing/late nights at the haunts: Frightmare, 13th Floor, Field of Screams, Fright Fest — plus final day at Maize in the City | Metro-wide | Varies |
| 8 PM–1 AM | OursSell Out WarningParanormal Palace — the hotel takeover: Haunted Forest ballroom, atrium over the dance floor, $2,500 costume contest, and the hotel itself is sold out, balcony and standard rooms both. $77 GA, fees included · VIP sold out. About 5% of tickets remain. | DoubleTree by Hilton DTC, Greenwood Village | 21+ |
| 8 PM–1 AM | Meow Wolf: The Cosmic Howl — the annual Halloween takeover of Convergence Station, with DJs across the exhibition, roaming performers and a costume contest. Around $62 general admission. | Meow Wolf Convergence Station, Denver | 21+ |
| 9 PM–1 AM | NOCTURNAL — a costume party in the brewery’s industrial hall and beer garden, with a live band, DJs and a $2,500 cash costume prize. From $30, open-bar upgrade available. | Bierstadt Lagerhaus, RiNo | 21+ |
| 9 PM–2 AM | Tracks Halloweekend: The Island in The Void — closing night of the four-night Tracksrooms run at Tracks and ReelWorks: DJs, drag and costume contests, $6,000 in prizes across the weekend. Tickets on sale soon. | Tracks and ReelWorks, RiNo | 18+ |
| 8:30–11:30 PM | UpdatedDarknessCon Denver: Zombie Prom — the horror convention’s 18+ after-party, now on sale at $15, or $20 for the all-access pass that also covers the daytime convention (10 AM to 6 PM). | Castle Event Center, Northglenn | 18+ |
Four full-scale 21+ parties now run head to head on October 31: Paranormal Palace in Greenwood Village, Meow Wolf downtown, NOCTURNAL in RiNo, and Coloween up in Lafayette. That’s more adult competition than any Halloween in recent memory, and it’s the direct consequence of the holiday landing on a Saturday. Pick early, because the good tiers go first when demand concentrates on one night. Ours is the proof: the hotel is sold out and about 5% of tickets remain.
Halloween night in Boulder County
A chunk of the night lives 45+ minutes northwest of the city — worth knowing before you commit, because on a Saturday Halloween the drive back is part of the ticket price.
| Time | Event | Where | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Longmont Halloween Parade & Trick-or-Treat Street — free, no registration | Roosevelt Park & Main St, Longmont | All ages |
| Daytime | Munchkin Masquerade — Pearl Street’s trick-or-treat tradition for ages 12 and under | Pearl Street Mall, Boulder | Kids |
| Day/eve | Anderson Farms Fall Festival — final day of the season | Erie | All ages |
| 9 PM–3 AM | UpdatedColoween — open-bar party inside an indoor inflatable park, capped crowd, costumes required, $89 all-in; the $79 opening tier has sold out | Bounce Empire, Lafayette | 21+ |
| Evening | Terror in the Corn — haunted corn maze and scare trail; closing night runs latest into the dark | Erie | All ages, intense |
The logistics reality for anything on this list after dark: budget 45 minutes to an hour back to the Denver metro, at exactly the hours surge pricing peaks on the biggest going-out night of the year.
For families
The family season’s anchors: Boo at the Zoo (13 evenings, Oct 2 through 31, 4:30 to 9 PM — the late-October dates sell out most years), Glow at the Gardens (Oct 15–18 and 21–24 — buy early, it sells out weeks ahead), Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns at Hudson Gardens all season, the Chatfield Farms corn maze on weekends through Nov 1 with its Pumpkin Festival Oct 9 to 11, the free Broadway Halloween Parade on Oct 17, Día de los Muertos at Civic Center Park on Oct 24, Spirits + Songs at the opera house Oct 28, and the Symphony’s Nightmare Before Christmas Oct 29–31. On Halloween itself: the Zoo’s sensory-friendly night from 4:30 to 9 PM, Boulder’s Munchkin Masquerade, Longmont’s parade, and neighborhood trick-or-treating from sunset (about 5:59 PM) to 8-ish. Olde Town Arvada’s Trick or Treat Street runs Friday the 30th.
Not yet announced for 2026
These Denver traditions are expected but hadn’t published 2026 dates when we last checked, so we won’t guess at them: Reinke Brothers Haunted Mansion in Littleton and City of the Dead. We’ll move each one into the calendar above the day its dates go live.
Off this list since our last update: the Chatfield Farms corn maze published Sept 18 through Nov 1 and is now in the tables above.
Sell Out Warning If you’re here for Halloween night itself
You just read the whole season — but if what you actually want is the night, Saturday, October 31 is ours. Paranormal Palace takes over the entire DoubleTree DTC: an 8,000 sq ft Haunted Forest ballroom, a multi-level atrium over the dance floor, three DJs, 20+ performers, and a $2,500 costume contest in its 17th year. $77 GA, fees included · VIP sold out. The hotel has sold out, balcony and standard rooms both, earlier than in any of our 17 years; about 5% of tickets remain and VIP is sold out. Compare it honestly against everything above in our five-test party scorecard, study the contest, or just:
The hotel sold out. Tickets didn’t.
How this page works: every date above was checked against the organizer’s own website or the official Visit Denver events calendar. Events without confirmed 2026 dates sit in the pending list instead of the calendar — we’d rather be incomplete than wrong. We re-verify weekly through Halloween. Spot an error or run an event we missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it within the week. More planning tools: the Halloween Night Guide, the party scorecard, and the 21+ adults-only guide.