Weekend Picks: Halloween, Día de Muertos & Broncos vs. Chiefs (October 30 – November 1)

Halloween on a Saturday means the whole weekend gets swept up in it, and the timing lines up beautifully with Día de Muertos on Sunday. Add a Broncos home game against Kansas City and the end of daylight saving time, and it is one of the busiest weekends of the fall. Here is what we would do. Confirm times and tickets with each organizer before heading out, since late-season events can change with the weather.

Friday, October 30: Boo at the Zoo

Denver Zoo's Boo at the Zoo runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at 2300 Steele St. in City Park, with trick-or-treat stations along the paths and Halloween decorations throughout. Saturday's session, same hours, is billed as a sensory-friendly night, a thoughtful option for families with kids who find crowds and noise overwhelming. Buy tickets online in advance; this event usually sells out.

If you want a scenic day trip, the Georgetown Loop Railroad runs its Trick or Treat Train on Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m., out of 646 Loop Drive in Georgetown. It is an hour from downtown via I-70, and the high country already has a winter feel. Check COtrip before you go.

For adults, Red Rocks has deadmau5 on Friday night, one of the final shows of the 2026 season. Expect temperatures near freezing after dark. Dress for a December football game.

Saturday, October 31: Halloween

Families have a full menu. Meow Wolf's Convergence Station, 1338 1st St., hosts Trick-or-Treating in the Multiverse, with doors at 10 a.m. and treat stations open until 6 p.m.; tickets start around $48. Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, 6252 W. 104th Ave., holds Crawl-O-Ween from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., $19 to $25, a good pick for younger kids who would rather meet a tarantula than a zombie. South Platte Park's Carson Nature Center in Littleton, 3000 W. Carson Drive, has a Halloween Creature-fest during the day; registration is required.

Denver Botanic Gardens' Ghosts in the Gardens runs its final night Saturday from 4:30 to 9:15 p.m. at 1007 York St. Tickets are roughly $29 to $34.

Then there is the best trick-or-treating of all: your own street. Halloween night is one of the best ways to get a feel for a neighborhood. If you are thinking about where to live, walk the blocks in Park Hill, Wash Park, Bonnie Brae, Old Town Arvada, or the streets around downtown Littleton. You will see in an hour which neighborhoods have the front porches and foot traffic you want.

Saturday Night: For the Grown-Ups

Denver Union Station hosts Halloween After Dark from 7 to 11 p.m. at 1701 Wynkoop St., with a costume contest. Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club, 1330 27th St. in RiNo, has two sets of Hard Bop Halloween at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Bierstadt Lagerhaus, 2875 Blake St., throws its 21-and-over Nocturnal Halloween party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., starting at $30. Meow Wolf turns over to adults at 8 p.m. for its Cosmic Howl house party.

If you want something more unusual, the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., screens the 1931 Frankenstein with a live orchestra at 7:30 p.m., tickets $35 to $50. And Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village has a Halloween comedy showcase at 8 p.m.

Downtown and RiNo will be busy. Use RTD or rideshare rather than driving between parties.

Sunday, November 1: Día de Muertos

Sunday is the main day for Día de Muertos celebrations around the metro, and there are several good choices.

The Colorado Día de los Muertos Parade and Festival takes over the Denver Coliseum from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with folkloric dance, live music, local artisans, food, family activities, and a community altar. Organizers invite guests to bring a photo of a loved one to honor. Tickets are sold through AXS.

In Thornton, the Mexican Cultural Center hosts a free Día de Muertos celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at McAllister Park, with live entertainment, food trucks, and an altar. The Colorado Symphony presents a family-friendly Día de los Muertos concert at Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex at 2:30 p.m.

If you miss Sunday, Museo de las Americas on Santa Fe Drive holds its free Día de Muertos celebration during First Friday, November 6, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a procession and a Catrina contest.

Sunday Afternoon: Broncos vs. Chiefs

The Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, November 1, at 2:25 p.m. Mountain on CBS. It is a division rivalry game and one of the toughest tickets of the season. If you are going, take the light rail to the stadium; the parking lots fill early and getting out after the game takes ages. If you are watching from a neighborhood bar, Highland, Tennyson Street, and South Broadway are all good bets, though expect a crowd for this one.

Still Going

Several fall staples close this weekend. The corn maze at Chatfield Farms, 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton, runs Friday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for its final weekend; tickets run about $12 to $22. Magic of the Jack O' Lanterns at Hudson Gardens in Littleton and Casa BOOnita at Casa Bonita in Lakewood also wrap up November 1. The 13th Floor Haunted House on East 52nd Avenue stays open into mid-November.

Ski Watch

Snowmaking has been running at Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Loveland since mid-October. Keystone and A-Basin often open around the end of the month, and Loveland's average opening over the past several years is early November. If you are itching for your first turns, check the resorts' announcements on Friday.

Don't Forget: Clocks Fall Back

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 1. You get an extra hour of sleep after Halloween night. It is also a good reminder to test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, which Colorado requires near sleeping areas in homes with fuel-burning appliances, and to check your furnace filter before the first real cold snap.

The Bottom Line

Boo at the Zoo on Friday, a full slate of costumes and candy on Saturday, Día de Muertos and the Broncos on Sunday, plus an extra hour of sleep. Few weekends in Denver pack in this much community spirit. Enjoy it, stay warm, and have a great weekend.