The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
1. Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms
- Dates: Oct. 10–12
- Address: 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton
- Tickets: $18–$20 adults; $16–$18 seniors (65+); $10–$12 children (ages 3–15); free for kids 2 and under
- Pumpkin price: By size, $8 average
- Hours: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Why we love it: You can pick pumpkins and peep wildflowers.
This annual pumpkin festival runs one weekend only, and the main attraction is the 10-acre pumpkin patch brimming with a smorgasbord of gourds, from white pumpkins to tiny squash. There will also be a corn maze (this year’s theme is birds of prey), carnival games, wagon rides, face painting, a mini maze, live music, magic shows, and food and drink vendors serving up bites like funnel cakes, hamburgers, and corndogs.
As an added perk, all Pumpkin Festival tickets also include admission to the entire Chatfield Farms, which is a working farm operated by Denver Botanic Gardens. The property has 2.5 miles of trails winding through its native plant refuge, plus wildflower gardens and ample bird-watching opportunities. The folks at the festival were even thoughtful enough to offer free “pumpkin day care,” so you can leave your precious picks safely under their watch while you explore all 700 acres. Don’t forget to BYOW (bring your own wagon) if you plan on picking several squashes.
2. Fritzler Farm Park Fall Festival
- Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now through Oct. 26
- Address: 20861 CR 33, LaSalle
- Tickets: Fun pass for ages 3 and up starting at $25 (online) and $30 (gate); all-access fun pass starting at $42 (online) and $47 (gate); free entry for pumpkin patch only; Scream Acres experience and other add-ons are extra
- Pumpkin price: By pound ($0.72 per pound; additional $2.50 flat fee for specialty gourds)
- Hours: Varies
- Why we love it: You can explore the most elaborate corn maze in Colorado.
With nearly 75 acres to roam, you’re guaranteed to hit your step goal at Fritzler Farms. There’s a pumpkin cannon, go-karts, a giant slide, mini golf, human foosball, and a 14-acre pumpkin patch, where folks can choose from more than 20 varieties. Owner Trevor Fritzler’s pride and joy, though, is the farm’s famous (and elaborate) 15-acre corn maze. In past years, the design has featured a tribute to his parents, a patriotic bald eagle, and the Denver Broncos logo, which is how this patch earned the number-two spot. This year’s design is an ode to the new theme of the farm’s after-dark experience, “Scream Acres: The Curse of the Blood Moon.” Stick around after sunset for fireworks on select Fridays and to find out if you’re brave enough to face the blood moon. First responders and vets should mark October 4 and 5 on their calendars: They’ll get free admission with an ID.
3. Miller Farms Annual Fall Harvest Festival
- Dates: Now through mid November
- Address: 13912 County Road 19, Platteville
- Tickets: Free admission to farm; hayride pricing is $18–$28, which includes four bags to fill per person; pumpkins included in the four-bag limit
- Pumpkin price: Included in hayride pricing (visitors must take the hayride to pick vegetables or pumpkins)
- Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (last hayride goes into the field at 4:30 p.m.)
- Why we love it: You’ll leave with all kinds of fresh fall produce.
At Miller Farms, visitors are treated to a hayride through 180 acres of fields, where you can pick organic, pesticide-free pumpkins, as well as potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, corn, squash, peppers, and more. The price of admission includes up to four bags of vegetables per person—including the big-ticket gourds—so choose wisely. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, visit the customer-favorite “Wagon Sale,” where you can fill a red wagon with all the pre-picked produce you can fit for only $50.
The festival also features classic attractions like corn mazes, an antique tractor alley, a hay bale pyramid, and lawn games. Don’t miss out on the “Croc-pit”—a play pit filled with thousands of cut-up Crocs given to the farm by the Broomfield-based company when it nearly went out of business in 2018. All of this affordable (and unconventional) fall fun earned Miller Farms the number-three spot on our list. Don’t forget to fill out the farm’s waiver while you’re making the roughly 40-minute drive to this pumpkin party.
4. Hankins Farm
- Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Oct. 3–Nov. 1 (Closed on Halloween)
- Address: 26745 Weld County Road 17, Johnstown
- Tickets: $16 for ages 3 and up; $12 for military & seniors (with ID); free for kids 2 and under
- Pumpkin price: Mini $2, small $8, medium $12, large $18, giant $24
- Hours: Fridays 3–6 p.m.; Saturdays 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Sundays 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
- Why we love it: Budget-friendly pumpkin prices
Score specialty gourds for, ahem, killer prices at Hankins Farms, a family-owned operation since 1910 located less than an hour outside of Denver. This haunt’s wallet-friendly pumpkin prices earned it the number-four spot on our list, but there’s so much more to do than peruse the patch. Fight off zombies with corn cannons, race pedal cars, and try your hand at foam ball archery. The festivities also include two themed corn mazes: Farm Scene Investigation and Monster Mystery.
5. Nick’s Fall Fest
- Dates: Sept. 27–Nov. 2
- Address: 2001 S Chambers Road, Aurora
- Tickets: Free admission with additional pricing for activities
- Pumpkin price: By size
- Hours: Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Why we love it: The short commute and free admission
Save money on gas and put it toward gourds at this close-to-home patch in Aurora. Nick’s Garden Center and Farm Market throws an annual Fall Fest for all the Denverites who hate driving, earning it the number-five spot on our list. Here, you’ll find a variety of pumpkins to choose from, plus activities for every kind of kiddo. There are no tickets required to enter, and it’s free to enjoy the straw maze, Professor Pumpkin story time, kid’s play area, and tons of games. The fest also offers pedal karts, kettle corn, an inflatable obstacle course, mini golf, rubber ducky races, and train rides through a haunted tunnel for an additional charge. Pro tip: Stop by this daily fall festival on a weekday to avoid the crowds and get your garden shopping done at the same time with help from their friendly and knowledgeable staff (the fall sale includes 40 percent off evergreens, perennials, glazed pottery, shrubs, and more).
6. Cottonwood Farm Pumpkin Patch
- Dates: Sept. 24–Oct. 31
- Address: 10600 Isabelle Road, Lafayette
- Tickets: general admission is $10; wagon rides $5 per person; free for seniors (65+) and kids under 5
- Pumpkin price: By size
- Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Why we love it: All the fall family photo-ops
Cottonwood Farms is a small-but-spirited operation that offers a 10-acre pumpkin patch with straw bale and corn mazes, wagon rides, farm animals (goats! chickens!), vintage farm equipment displays, and yard games. But what earns this patch the number-six spot on our roundup are all the whimsical photo-ops. Make it a tradition to snap an annual pic of your little ones beside the “How Tall This Fall?” ruler board for an adorable holiday card. Then, borrow a wagon from the farm, and wander the petite patch in search of the perfect canvas for your next jack-o’-lantern.
7. Mile High Farms Fall Festival
- Dates: Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 4–Oct. 26
- Address: 11 Cavanaugh Road, Bennett
- Tickets: $19 for adults (ages 13–59); $16 for military/first responders and seniors (60+); $14 children (ages 5–12); free for kids 4 and under
- Pumpkin price: 75 cents per pound (up to 40 pounds), then 50 cents every pound after
- Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Why we love it: It’s the perfect playground for little ones.
A day at Mile High Farms sort of feels like a trip to Halloweentown thanks to the owners who constructed an entire village made up of buildings, life-size characters, and antique farming equipment. Climb aboard an antique tractor to tour this 11-acre pumpkin patch, where helpful staffers can snip your selected pumpkin (some with whimsical names like the “Cinderella Pumpkin” or “Blue Delight”) straight from the vine. Tire your tykes out in the corn maze—shaped like a farmhouse with a windmill—or on the farm’s playground. Don’t leave before saying hello to the farm’s baby lambs or August the alpaca. Mile High Farms may not have all the bells and whistles of other patches, but its charming vibes and family-friendly feel earned it our last-but-not-least spot.
