Spooky season returns
Open now. Ready or not, here it comes: Halloween-themed events are starting to pop up in the form of Elitch Gardens’ annual Fright Fest in Denver (Saturday, Sept. 26-Nov. 4; elitchgardens.com/fright-fest) and The Magic of Jack O’Lanterns show at Littleton’s Hudson Gardens, which features thousands of hand-carved pumpkins and an illuminated trail (open now-Nov. 1; magicofthejackolanterns.com/denver)
But for a slightly different take, head to History Colorado’s “Creeperado: An Evening of the Strange and Unusual.” The Friday, Sept. 25, event at History Colorado Center is hosted by “History Colorado’s own morose moppet, Millicent the Haunted Doll,” and showcases “the most bizarre history the state of Colorado has to offer,” organizers wrote. That includes the museum’s “darkest, strangest artifacts and stories across the state,” backed by live music, creepy cocktails, tintype-style portrait photography, a craft area with creepy doll dioramas, and finally, access to all of the exhibitions.
6-10 p.m. at 1200 N. Broadway in Denver. Tickets for the all-ages event, $15-$25, are available at tickets.historycolorado.org. Get more details at historycolorado.org/creeporado. — John Wenzel
CycleNation at Mile High Station
Thursday. The free, relay-style stationary cycling challenge known as CycleNation will take over Mile High Station, 2027 W. Colfax Ave. in Denver, on Thursday. Oct. 1, to raise awareness and funds in the fight against strokes and cardiovascular disease. The 21-and-up event, which invites spectators to cheer on the riders, includes live music, food trucks, a cash bar and other “interactive fun.”
That means food trucks, a photo booth, spinning by DJ Meow, and hands-only CPR training, according to organizers. The 3-8 p.m. event is free and open to the public, but not for kids. Ride sessions take place 4-6 p.m. and 6:30-7:30 p.m. Every dollar raised supports the mission of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, organizers added. Visit www2.heart.org for more. — John Wenzel
New York City’s popular Panda Fest is coming to Denver for the first time, Sept. 25-27, 2026. (Provided by Panda Fest)
Panda Fest debuts in Denver
Friday-Sunday. The organizer behind a Chinese food festival and an egg-themed funhouse that was quite the egg-perience among NYC millennials is landing in Denver for the first time with a touring market of pan-Asian culture. Panda Fest is cropping up with Asian food and merchandise vendors for three days, Friday, Sept. 25-Sunday, Sept. 27, at Civic Center park.
Pre-sale tickets start at $14 and are $20 online. Admission is free for kids under 6. Come with an empty stomach and fresh eyes, as there’ll be many treats and panda-themed attractions in which to indulge. More information and tickets are available at pandafests.com/pandafestevents/denver2026. — Miguel Otárola
Pedestrians cross Wynkoop Street across from Union Station in Denver on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)
Urban architecture
Through Sunday. Head downtown for this year’s Doors Open Denver architecture tours, organized by the Denver Architecture Foundation, which runs Thursday, Sept. 24-Sunday, Sept. 27. The “Destination Denver” theme is meant to celebrate the city’s urban style “as downtown Denver undergoes its most significant transformation in decades — from the near-complete overhaul of 16th Street to a wave of historic preservation and new design.”
The event offers more than 35 insider tours at spots such as the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Union Station, the Mayan Theatre, Rally, Ramble and Maven hotels and others, open houses at architecture and design firms, and other events, organizers said. Some are free; others cost $30 for “insider tours.” Visit denverarchitecture.org for the full schedule. — John Wenzel
Dining and Cooking