Festivals · Published September 13, 2026 · Updated 2026-09-13 · By West of Denver Events
Fall is festival season on the Front Range: September still carries the summer's community celebrations plus the year's first Oktoberfests, October brings the big harvest-season festivals, and the run from Día de los Muertos to Halloween rounds out the season. This guide rounds up what's verified and on the calendar across the nine West-of-Denver towns — Arvada, Boulder, Golden, Lafayette, Lakewood, Louisville, Morrison, Superior and Wheat Ridge — with dates, places and what to expect, all traceable to the official sources cited on each event page. For the whole season at a glance, our fall events page is the always-current calendar, and the festivals page collects every verified festival across the nine towns.
Oktoberfest season starts on the Front Range in September
Colorado's Oktoberfest season kicks off in September, and west of Denver the taprooms run four verified celebrations this fall in Boulder, Lafayette, Arvada and Golden:
- Avery Brewing Company in Boulder hosts its Oktoberfest Friday, September 18 — the Taylor Sims Band plays at 6:30 PM, with stein-hoisting contests and German-style beers. Free and family-friendly.
- Odd13 Brewing runs an Oktoberfest weekend September 25–27 in Lafayette: new German-style lager Festie Bestie drops Friday, with live music and German sausages from the Outpost Food Truck all weekend.
- The Colorado Tap House hosts its Oktoberfest Saturday, September 26, 4–7 PM in Arvada — music, games, beer and food.
- Holidaily Brewing Company's Gluten-Free Oktoberfest is also Saturday, September 26, 11 AM–10 PM at the Golden taproom.
Community festivals to plan around
Beyond the beer, the fall calendar has a cluster of community festivals worth a trip — several of them free:
- WanderFest '26 — New Terrain Brewing's 10th-anniversary beer and music festival in Golden, Thursday, September 17 through Saturday, September 19 at 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy.
- Romanian Festival 2026 — free admission for a day of live music and dance, cultural exhibits, artisan vendors and family-friendly activities at Belmar Plaza in Lakewood, Saturday, October 3, 11 AM–6 PM. For parking and accessibility details, our Belmar venue page has the official picture.
- Golden City Brewery's Golden's Original ChiliFest returns Saturday, October 10 at 920 12th St in Golden — the brewery's annual October tradition.
Arvada's festival bookends: Shindig to Trick or Treat Street
Arvada's community-festival weekends bookend the season: the Olde Town Shindig filled the historic district with a day of music and community on September 12, and Trick or Treat Street 2026 closes it out Friday, October 30, 5–7 PM in Olde Town. Earlier in the month, the free Arvada Pow Wow — a celebration of Native American culture with dance, drum, art and food at the Arvada Center Sculpture Field — opened September with a competitive powwow, vendor market and food market. Down the road in Louisville, the city's late-summer centerpiece, Pints in the Park, ran August 29 at Louisville Community Park; its annual page tracks the series for next season.
Día de los Muertos, Halloween and fall arts
The season's cultural and family highlights run from late September into November:
- Día de los Muertos: Arcos y Portales — The Collective Community Arts Center's Día de los Muertos exhibition in Lafayette opens Wednesday, September 23 and runs through November 8. Free.
- BOOMar – Halloween at Belmar — Belmar's family-friendly Halloween celebration fills the Plaza in Lakewood Saturday, October 24, 12–3 PM with crafts, live entertainment, a trick-or-treat BOO trail and a costume parade. Free; the annual series page is here.
- Fall picks beyond the festivals: the Arvada Center's Barefoot in the Park runs September 25 through November 1, and Red Rocks' autumn weekends include Zac Brown Band on October 19 and the family-friendly Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons on October 25.
How to find more festivals west of Denver
Festival dates shift and new ones get announced through the season — here's where to keep up:
- Our fall events page is the season-wide calendar, and the festivals page collects every verified festival across the nine towns.
- City pages carry each town's picture: Arvada, Boulder, Golden, Lakewood and Louisville each have their own calendar, and Lafayette, Morrison, Superior and Wheat Ridge follow the same pattern.
- Free events for free-admission festivals — the Romanian Festival, BOOMar and the Día de los Muertos exhibit are all free — and family events for kid-friendly picks.
- The this-weekend page shows the next few days at a glance, and the full crawlable listing lives on the events page. For the rest of this month in depth, our September events guide has the whole season.
Festival-going notes
A few notes grounded in what's on the site: big venues publish parking and accessibility details on their own pages — Red Rocks posts its free park-shuttle options on the Red Rocks venue page, and Belmar points to covered lots, garages and street parking on the Belmar venue page. Festival dates occasionally shift, so confirm the date on the event page and check the venue's official calendar before you go. And because the fall calendar fills up fast, our free Thursday "West of Denver Weekend" email rounds up what's coming next — the signup form is right below this guide.
Related events right now
- Fri25SepLafayetteFestival
Oktoberfest
Sep 25 – Sep 27, 20261:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Odd13 Brewing, 301 E Simpson St
Oktoberfest weekend at Odd13 — new German-style lager Festie Bestie drops Friday; live music and German sausages from the Outpost Food Truck all weekend (Sep 25–27).
Source: Odd13 events page - Fri25SepArvadaFestival
Arvada 10 Yr Anniversary
Sep 25 – Sep 27, 2026All day
SomePlace Else Brewery, 6425 W 52nd Ave, Unit 6
SomePlace Else Brewery Arvada's 10-year anniversary celebration, Sep 25–27.
Source: SomePlace Else events page - Sat26SepGoldenFestival
Day Out With Thomas (TM), Thomas & Friends
Sep 26, 20268:30 AM
Colorado Railroad Museum
*RAIN OR SHINE* Please arrive 1 hour prior to departure.All Aboard for a Rockin Good Time! Day Out With Thomas:Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is hitting the tracks and bringing the beat to heritage railways across the country! Hop on board for a real train ride with Thomas, strike a pose at photo ops and snag something cool at the exclusive gift shop. Then, keep the beat going at the Music Corner, packed with lawn games, hands-on activities, and music-inspired fun thatll have the whole family dancing! Climb aboard for a train ride adventure with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Colorado Railroad Museum! Day Out With Thomas: Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is heading to Golden, Colorado with loads of music-inspired games and activities! Families can join the outdoor fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Goldens beautiful Clear Creek Valley. Take a real train ride with Thomas and spend the day creating memories for the whole family. Day Out With Thomas is an exciting way for children and grown-ups to enter the world of Thomas s full steam ahead to an unforgettable day with a host of train-related activities, Thomas, and a special appearance from Sir Topham Hatt, the Railway Controller from the Island of Sodor.
Free
Source: Ticketmaster - Sat26SepGoldenFestival
Day Out With Thomas (TM), Thomas & Friends
Sep 26, 20269:15 AM
Colorado Railroad Museum
*RAIN OR SHINE* Please arrive 1 hour prior to departure.All Aboard for a Rockin Good Time! Day Out With Thomas:Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is hitting the tracks and bringing the beat to heritage railways across the country! Hop on board for a real train ride with Thomas, strike a pose at photo ops and snag something cool at the exclusive gift shop. Then, keep the beat going at the Music Corner, packed with lawn games, hands-on activities, and music-inspired fun thatll have the whole family dancing! Climb aboard for a train ride adventure with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Colorado Railroad Museum! Day Out With Thomas: Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is heading to Golden, Colorado with loads of music-inspired games and activities! Families can join the outdoor fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Goldens beautiful Clear Creek Valley. Take a real train ride with Thomas and spend the day creating memories for the whole family. Day Out With Thomas is an exciting way for children and grown-ups to enter the world of Thomas s full steam ahead to an unforgettable day with a host of train-related activities, Thomas, and a special appearance from Sir Topham Hatt, the Railway Controller from the Island of Sodor.
Free
Source: Ticketmaster - Sat26SepGoldenFestival
Day Out With Thomas (TM), Thomas & Friends
Sep 26, 202610:00 AM
Colorado Railroad Museum
*RAIN OR SHINE* Please arrive 1 hour prior to departure.All Aboard for a Rockin Good Time! Day Out With Thomas:Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is hitting the tracks and bringing the beat to heritage railways across the country! Hop on board for a real train ride with Thomas, strike a pose at photo ops and snag something cool at the exclusive gift shop. Then, keep the beat going at the Music Corner, packed with lawn games, hands-on activities, and music-inspired fun thatll have the whole family dancing! Climb aboard for a train ride adventure with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Colorado Railroad Museum! Day Out With Thomas: Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is heading to Golden, Colorado with loads of music-inspired games and activities! Families can join the outdoor fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Goldens beautiful Clear Creek Valley. Take a real train ride with Thomas and spend the day creating memories for the whole family. Day Out With Thomas is an exciting way for children and grown-ups to enter the world of Thomas s full steam ahead to an unforgettable day with a host of train-related activities, Thomas, and a special appearance from Sir Topham Hatt, the Railway Controller from the Island of Sodor.
Free
Source: Ticketmaster - Sat26SepGoldenFestival
Day Out With Thomas (TM), Thomas & Friends
Sep 26, 202610:45 AM
Colorado Railroad Museum
*RAIN OR SHINE* Please arrive 1 hour prior to departure.All Aboard for a Rockin Good Time! Day Out With Thomas:Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is hitting the tracks and bringing the beat to heritage railways across the country! Hop on board for a real train ride with Thomas, strike a pose at photo ops and snag something cool at the exclusive gift shop. Then, keep the beat going at the Music Corner, packed with lawn games, hands-on activities, and music-inspired fun thatll have the whole family dancing! Climb aboard for a train ride adventure with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Colorado Railroad Museum! Day Out With Thomas: Lets Rock, Lets Roll Tour is heading to Golden, Colorado with loads of music-inspired games and activities! Families can join the outdoor fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Goldens beautiful Clear Creek Valley. Take a real train ride with Thomas and spend the day creating memories for the whole family. Day Out With Thomas is an exciting way for children and grown-ups to enter the world of Thomas s full steam ahead to an unforgettable day with a host of train-related activities, Thomas, and a special appearance from Sir Topham Hatt, the Railway Controller from the Island of Sodor.
Free
Source: Ticketmaster
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