Carve out time for autumn treats
By Patte Smith; courtesy photo
There are many close to home Halloween celebrations and festivals this year, so get the costumes ready, carve a pumpkin, and brew up some potions. With fall in the air, festivals, foolery, and fun abounds – mixed in with a little fright.
Enjoy the Castle Pines Fall Festival in the Village Square, 360 Village Square Lane on Saturday, October 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event features food trucks, inflatable play areas for kids, horse rides, pumpkins, firetrucks and music.
Goblins and princesses get to enjoy Trick-or-Treat Street in the Pines on Saturday, October 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A must for neighborhood kids. They can wind through the businesses around Castle Pines Parkway and at the Village shops, filling plastic pumpkins and bags.
For more information on both events, visit www.castlepinesco.gov/ or check out the E Guide in this issue.
A new autumn event at Festival Park in Castle Rock features activities, seasonal vendors, and special events – Creepy Crawlies Around the Rock on Saturday, October 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Joining with the Douglas County Land Conservancy, Nature’s Educators will host a Halloween-themed booth for kids and adults to get a close-up view of creepy crawly snakes, spiders, toads, roaches and birds of prey.
Fangtastic Festival in Castle Rock is the place to be on Friday, October 29. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Festival Park, join the Halloween party and be sure to wear a costume. There will be carnival games, inflatables, a hayride, pumpkin painting, and oh yes, what is a Halloween celebration without candy?
For more information about these Festival Park fall events, visit crgov.com.
Step back in time at the historic Schweiger Ranch Fall Festival in Lone Tree on Saturday, October 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grab the family to wander through the pumpkin patch, take a horse carriage ride, snack on s’mores and explore the ranch. This year, there are guided tours of the preserved buildings and the ranch lands. For more information, visit www.cityoflonetree.com/annual-city-events/fallfestival/.
Not too far from Castle Pines, the annual Pumpkin Festival at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms in Littleton is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 8, 9 and 10. This quintessential fall festival with a 10-acre pumpkin patch is a kid’s dream come true. Be sure to bring a wagon for your soon-to-be carved jack-o’-lantern. The Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms seven-acre Corn Maze is a separate event and is open on weekends through October 31. For more detailed information on both events, visit www.botanicgardens.org.
