Weekend Picks: GABF Goes Outdoors, Pumpkin Festival & Run the Rocks (October 9 – 11)

The second weekend of October is when fall in Denver shifts gears. The high-country aspens are mostly past peak, but the cottonwoods along the metro's creeks and rivers are turning gold, pumpkin season is in full swing, and one of the city's signature events is trying something new. Monday, October 12, is Indigenous Peoples' Day, so for many people this is a three-day weekend. Here is what we would do.

The Big One: Great American Beer Festival, Now Outdoors

For 45 years, the Great American Beer Festival has filled the Colorado Convention Center. This year, it moves outside for the first time, to Levitt Pavilion in Ruby Hill Park, on Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11. Sessions run from noon to 4 p.m. both days.

The new format comes with noticeably lower prices: the organizers advertised all-in tickets starting around $66, roughly 40 percent below recent years. A ticket includes a tasting glass and unlimited samples from breweries across the country, plus live music, food trucks, and the famous stein-hoisting competition. The real draw for beer nerds is Sunday: the GABF competition awards ceremony is open to festival-goers during the Sunday session, so you can watch the medals handed out in real time.

Practical notes. Levitt Pavilion is at 1380 W. Florida Avenue in Ruby Hill Park, in southwest Denver near Platt Park and Overland. Parking will be tight. Rideshare is the obvious move, and the Evans light rail station is a reasonable walk for those on the train. It is an outdoor, October afternoon event in Colorado: bring sunscreen, a layer for when the sun drops behind the hill, and check the forecast. Confirm remaining ticket availability on the GABF website before you go.

Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms

The Denver Botanic Gardens Pumpkin Festival is this weekend, Friday through Sunday, October 9 through 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Chatfield Farms, 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton. It is one of the metro's biggest family fall traditions: a 10-acre pumpkin patch, hayrides, craft and artisan booths, carnival games, live music, and food and beer.

Admission runs roughly $12 to $20, and advance tickets are required. They are not sold at the gate, so buy online before you drive down. The 7-acre corn maze at Chatfield Farms is also open on festival weekends and continues Fridays through Sundays through November 1.

Get there early. Traffic on Deer Creek Canyon Road and Wadsworth backs up by late morning on festival Saturdays. If you are coming from the north, pair the trip with a walk at Chatfield State Park or lunch in downtown Littleton afterward.

Run (or Walk) the Rocks

On Sunday, October 11, the American Lung Association's Run the Rocks takes over Red Rocks Park in Morrison. The 5K course runs or walks the park roads and finishes by climbing the amphitheatre stairs, which is exactly as hard as it sounds at 6,400 feet. There is also a 1.3-mile family course with volunteer help for strollers. The start is early morning, and proceeds support lung health education and research in Colorado.

Even if you are not racing, an October morning at Red Rocks is worth the drive. The Trading Post Trail is an easy 1.4-mile loop through the formations, and the park is noticeably calmer once concert season winds down.

Halloween Season Is Officially Here

If your crowd wants scares, Elitch Gardens runs Fright Fest every weekend through early November: a family-friendly daytime version from noon until about 6 p.m., then Fright by Night with haunted houses from 6 to 10 p.m. Park admission runs about $50 to $70, with parking and haunted house add-ons extra. The 13th Floor Haunted House at 3400 E. 52nd Avenue is open through mid-November for those who want the full-intensity experience, with tickets starting around $20.

For grown-ups, the Halloween-themed variety and burlesque show Carnivale De Sensuale: Les Monstres plays The Federal Theatre on Friday and the Oriental Theater on Saturday.

Live Music

Red Rocks still has shows on the calendar: TAPE B plays Friday night, October 9. As we said last week, bring real warm layers; early October nights in Morrison drop fast once the sun goes down.

Indoors, Arch Enemy and The Black Dahlia Murder bring their co-headlining tour to the Fillmore Auditorium on Colfax, Judah and the Lion plays Summit in LoDo on Friday, and garage-rock veterans Osees are at the Ogden Theatre on Sunday, October 11.

Broncos on the Road

The Broncos play the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 11, with kickoff at 2:05 p.m. Mountain time on CBS. It is a good afternoon to catch the game at a neighborhood bar after a morning outdoors. They come home the following Thursday night for a Thursday Night Football matchup with Seattle at Empower Field.

Fall Color Close to Home

By the second week of October, the aspens at higher elevations are mostly bare, but lower-elevation color is just getting good. Cottonwoods along the South Platte, Clear Creek, and Cherry Creek turn bright gold this time of year. Easy options include the Clear Creek Trail through Golden, the South Platte River Trail at Chatfield State Park, and Cherry Creek State Park's trail system. Waterton Canyon, just south of Chatfield, combines river cottonwoods with a good chance of spotting bighorn sheep.

If you want one more mountain trip, Rocky Mountain National Park's timed-entry reservation season typically wraps up in mid-October, so check the park's website to see whether a reservation is still required this weekend. The elk rut is still going in Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park at dawn and dusk.

Weather and Logistics

Mid-October in Denver typically means highs in the 60s with chilly mornings in the 30s and 40s, though the first metro snow of the season can show up any time from now on. If you are heading west, check COtrip for conditions on I-70 and the passes before you leave.

The Bottom Line

A national beer festival in a city park, a pumpkin patch in the foothills, a 5K that ends on the Red Rocks stairs, and golden cottonwoods along the creek trails. If you are thinking about which corner of the metro fits your weekends best, from southwest Denver near Ruby Hill to Littleton near Chatfield, we know these neighborhoods well and are always happy to talk.