October is a busy month in Boulder. Of course, there’s Halloween and all of the related ghost tours and parties. But there are also races, dances, the University of Colorado homecoming game and more. Here are some highlights you don’t want to miss for October 2018.
Halloween in Boulder
Boulder kicks off Halloween at the South Boulder Recreation Center, 1360 Gillaspie Drive, with a Halloween carnival on Oct. 26. It’s a community-wide, family-friendly event. Kids older than 3 cost $5, but that includes a ton of carnival activities.
All the spooky ghosts and goblins make you feel like running? Oct. 28 is the MonsterDash 5K race at the Louisville Community Park, 955 Bella Vista Drive. This year’s theme is Frankenstein. Come dressed like the famous monster, if you dare.
Then, on Oct. 31, it’s the big Munchkin Masquerade, when a flood of thousands costumed kiddos take over the 1300 block of Pearl Street to trick-or-treat the local shops.
Throughout the month, you can celebrate Halloween by going on a ghost tour with Banjo Billy’s bus. You’ll visit Boulder’s best haunts, from the supposedly haunted Hotel Boulderado to the Boulder Creek. Banjo Billy does ghost story tours Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons in October. You can also book private ghost tours.
Of course, don’t miss the pumpkin patches, corn mazes and wagon rides at Boulder’s farms. At night, Anderson Farms in Erie turns into a fright fest. Take a haunted hayride starting in the middle of a cornfield. Find your way out and through a haunted ghost town. Then join a zombie paintball hunt in the cornfield, where you fire paintballs at zombies from a moving wagon.
For adults, Boulder’s Exotica Erotica party has had various incarnations over the years, but it claims to be Colorado’s longest-running masquerade ball. It’s back again this year at Deviant Spirits Distillery. The event, Oct. 27, includes live music, fire performers, fetish stations, a “sensual lounge,” burlesque dancers, a costume contest and more. This adults-only, “hedonistic” Halloween party event starts at 9:30 p.m. Naughty costumes are welcome and encouraged.
Also in October:
Oct. 4: The Boulder Tango Festival spans three days of tango dancing, 30 workshops and the chance to learn from internationally famous tango teachers.
Oct. 5-7: The Adventure Film Festival returns to the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., for the 14th year. See hand-picked, independent adventure films before they set out for a worldwide tour.
Oct. 7: The Boulder Rez Marathon, Boulder’s biggest marathon, is set early October when temps are perfect for a long run. The track circles the Boulder Reservoir and nearby areas.
Oct. 11-14: The Flatirons Food Film Festival is an annual celebration for foodies and film-lovers. See food-centric flicks, listen to guest speakers and attend special culinary events.
Oct. 27: Mark your calendar. This is the date for the University of Colorado’s big homecoming game at Folsom Field.
