From Broadway’s Halloween Parade To A Fright Fest Plus Garden Ghosts, Scare Lurks
by Glen Richardson
Trick-or-Treat: Albeit traditional trick-or-treating is on the decline, many youngsters still go door-to-door collecting candy on Halloween.
Halloween 2026 lands on a Saturday — the first since 2020 and the last until 2037 —and Denver is treating it accordingly. Here’s a look at the haunts, the parades, the family nights, the bar crawls, ending with Ghosts in the Gardens, Victorian Horrors, BOO-lesque, and the Nightmare Before Christmas on Oct. 31.
The tradition launches with the seventh annual Broadway Halloween Parade on Oct. 17, 6-9 p.m. Stretching from 5th to Alameda along Broadway, the Parade features various spooky floats, bands, and marchers. The floats that drift down Broadway aren’t typical parade floats, they’re labors of love, built by people who care deeply about bringing joy to the crowds lining the street. It’s magical fun, so bring the entire family.
Terrifying Traffic: The floats that drift down Broadway aren’t typical parade floats, they’re labors of love, built by people who care about bringing joy to the crowds lining the street.
Glow at the Gardens opens on Oct 15, it runs to Oct. 18, plus again Oct. 21-24. The Broadway Bar Crawl is Oct. 24, as is Dia de los Muertos at Civic Center Park. BOO-lesque is Oct. 23-31. Nightmare Before Christmas with the Colorado Symphony is at Boettcher Concert Hall, Oct. 29-30, 7:30 p.m., and in the afternoon at 2 p.m. on the 31st.
Halloween Balls
Paranormal People: Attend the Paranormal Palace at the Double Tree Tech Center, Oct. 31, and you’ll see people decked out in garments similar to this.
This year’s Paranormal Palace is at the Double Tree Denver Tech Center, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The bash features 8,000 sq. ft. of decor and lighting, stage shows, a dance floor, interactive exhibits, and bars. The Dark Harvest Masquerade Ball is at the Castle Event Center in Northglenn, Oct. 31, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Plus, of course, there are bar crawls, family daytime events, and closing night for most haunts and patches.
Two of the most popular family Halloween attractions are the Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest, and the immersive Glow at the Gardens in Denver Botanic Gardens. When the sun goes down, fear takes over Elitch’s Fright Fest. Haunted houses, terrifying scare zones, sinister live entertainment, and rides in the dark create an atmosphere of nonstop thrills
Want more? Then wander Botanic Gardens’ illuminated Glow at the Gardens. It’s enchanted landscapes animated by live performers, with hand-carved pumpkin displays around every bend. While most nighttime Halloween events feature foam “funkins,” every single one in the Gardens is grimacing jack-o’-lanterns and larger-than-life sculptures that are freshly carved from real, locally grown pumpkins. The Gardens also features Ghosts in the Gardens Oct. 9-10, Oct. 20, and Oct. 28-31. Storytellers share true staff experiences, security guard encounters with the unexplained, and the haunted history of the place once known as “The Boneyard,” 5:30-10 p.m. Oct. 8-10, and 20, 4:30-10:30 p.m. Then again on Oct.28-30, 4:30-9:15 p.m. p.m.
Trick-or-Treating
Night Fright: Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest has haunted houses, terrifying scare zones, sinister live entertainment, and rides in the dark. Photo: Elitch Gardens
Families in many Denver neighborhoods say traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is on the decline, albeit popularity varies by locations.
Trick-or-treating generally wraps up between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. in most neighborhoods. There is no official or universal age limit to trick-or-treat, but most public surveys and social norms point to 12 to 14 years old as the age when kids start aging out. Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is declining in many neighborhoods, though popularity varies heavily by location
Finally, there’s a Trick-or-Treat Street on S. University Blvd. in Centennial with games, booths, and lots of candy. Hours are 4 to 5:15 p.m. or 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Site is the Goodson Recreation Center parking lot, 6315 S. University Blvd., Centennial. All children must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older.
Boo At The Zoo
Creepy Cavalcade: The seventh annual Broadway Halloween Parade is Oct. 17, 6-9 p.m. The Parade features spooky floats, bands and marchers.
Denver Zoo’s Halloween institution, Boo at the Zoo is Oct. 1-31, beginning at 4:30 p.m. It takes over a full month of evenings in 2026, not just the week before Halloween.
Kids work trick-or-treat stations through the zoo grounds after regular hours, and the run is long enough that a family can pick a weeknight instead of fighting the closing-weekend crowd.
The dated evenings are Oct. 2 and 3, Oct. 9 to 11, Oct. 16 to 18, Oct. 23 to 25, and Oct. 30, all 4:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31 is a sensory-friendly night with the same hours, built for guests who need lower stimulation.
Tours & Teas
Do you know what lurks beneath the surface of Denver’s beautiful Cheesman Park? Local tours — year around not just on Halloween — uncover the eerie history behind the park, Fact: It was Denver’s first city cemetery. During the tour, you’ll hear haunting tales and hair-raising firsthand accounts of paranormal activity.
You’ll also uncover the truth behind the spine-chilling process used to remove the bodies from the cemetery and learn about the haunted mansion homes of Humboldt Island. By the tour’s end, you’ll be able to determine for yourself if the park is truly haunted.
Or, consider attending a spirited and spooky tea at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Oct. 11. Event will feature a spooky and spirited tea featuring traditional tea service. You’ll enjoy hauntingly charming desserts, themed cocktails and beverages, interactive experiences, and a spellbinding live opera performance inspired by Shakespeare’s most infamous witches.
Daring Dashes
Call it a Monster Mash, Halloween 2026 in Denver features a “Thriller” list of eerie races — both 5K & 10K — to keep “Dem Bones” moving this holiday.
Start with the Spooky Spirit 5K & 10K, plus Half Marathon on Oct. 3 at Chatfield State Park in Littleton, 8 a.m. There’s a Kids Dash, a One-Mile, followed by the 5K & 10K. Results and awards presented immediately following the race.
Denver’s Sloan’s Lake 5K & 10K Monster Dash is Saturday Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. There’s a mile and a mini loop for the kids. Stay after the race for BBQ, drinks for several sponsors, plus scary music. At the Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 S. University Blvd., participate in Hoofin’ It Through the Hallows 5k Oct. 24. It features a costume contest at 5 p.m. The race starts at 5:30 p.m.
