Can't Miss October Events
Oct 3: Tour de Corgi
One of Fort Collins' most iconic events, Tour de Corgi, returns for its 12th year on Saturday, Oct. 3rd! Head over to Civic Center Park for the happiest day in Fort Collins! Corgis and Corgi mixes are welcome in the costume contest, and everyone is welcome to join the parade and gathering. This event is free to attend!
Oct 3: CSU Homecoming & Family Weekend
The first weekend in October is a big one for Colorado State University! The Homecoming and Family Weekend is action packed with alumni award ceremonies, special luncheons, the Festival on the Oval, Friday Night Lights festivities, the Homecoming 5K, and of course Football Gameday! You can find all pertinent information and schedule on CSU's dedicated website here.
Oct 9-11: Foco Fall Fest
Last year, we had the inaugural Foco Fall Fest and it was a hit so they are back! The fall festival will be taking over Downtown Fort Collins on Friday, October 9th through Sunday, October 11th with an assortment of activities! Music stages with local talent will be set up on Mountain Ave. and the Old Town Stage. Artisan craft vendors and food vendors will be plenty! Other fun activities such as a scarecrow scavenger hunt, pumpkin painting, inflatables, and more! Find the full schedule on their website, here!
Oct 16-17: Laurel Fest
Laurel Fest is a two-night, walkable music festival taking over Laurel & College on October 16th and 17th. Think of it as a neighborhood party built by and for Fort Collins—multiple stages (Avogadro’s, The Atrium, R Bar), rapid-fire sets, and the kind of “discover your new favorite band” energy you only get when everything is steps away. After a wildly successful first year, Laurel Fest is back as an annual fall tradition that keeps our local music scene buzzing all year long! Find the full schedule on their website, here!
Oct 22-25: Pumpkins on Parade
Join us for the Pumpkins on Parade Halloween Celebration at The Gardens on Spring Creek, where glowing gourds and spooky fun light up the night! Experience the magic of dazzling displays, festive fall activities, and family-friendly frights.
Explore the new whimsically themed zones, snap photos with larger-than-life pumpkin art, and enjoy seasonal games and nightly live entertainment along the way. With an earlier start time perfect for the youngest ghosts and goblins, families can celebrate before bedtime, while night owls soak in the sparkle under the stars.
Whether you’re here for the pumpkins, the costumes, or the autumn vibes, Pumpkins on Parade is the ultimate fall tradition you won’t want to miss!
Oct 23-25: Treatsylvania
At this non-spooky Halloween event, treat your little ghosties to a stroll through The Farm at Lee Martinez Park and down Trick-or-Treat Street to collect candy. Have a “gourd” time and enjoy a hayride with the family! Schedule is as follows: Friday, October 23 from 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, October 24 from 5-7 p.m.; Sunday, October 25 from 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Ages: All (designed for 10 years and under) Cost: $9
Oct 30: Tiny Tot Halloween
It's time to scare up some new costume ideas for your little ones! The annual Tiny Tot Halloween will be held on Friday, October 30th from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. All children under the age of seven and their parents/guardians are invited to enjoy a safe trick-or-treating experience in Downtown Fort Collins.
Live Music
If you love music, Fort Collins is your perfect destination. The Fort Collins music scene is thriving all year long, but fall is one of the best times to enjoy a variety of festivals, concerts and other musical events. With unique ways to enjoy tunes such as iconic live music venues and pianos scattered throughout town, you'll find countless opportunities to immerse yourself in the city's vibrant music scene.
The iconic Mishawaka Amphitheatre—affectionately known as "The Mish"—is a bucket-list venue nestled in the adventurous Poudre Canyon. Now in fall, their concerts up the canyon are still going but we are in the final songs of the season! For a full lineup, see their schedule page here, but here are some highlights! The last free Sunday Summer Series (2-5 pm) is on Oct. 4th. Dermot Kennedy's The Weight of the Woods Tour rolls into town on Oct. 16th. The Mish's indoor stage will be activated on Oct. 23rd for a square dance event.
Washington’s is an intimate 900-person venue in Old Town Fort Collins. This month, some names you'll see pass through the doors are: Shovels & Rope, Tribal Seeds, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and more! Make sure to visit their concert events calendar here for the most up-to-date information about shows and how to get tickets. Also ran by the Bohemian Foundation, The Armory has four shows this month - Devon Gilfillian (Oct. 2), Hans Williams (Oct. 6), Wild Pink (Oct. 8) and John Moreland (Oct. 9).
The historic Aggie Theatre, a live music institution in Fort Collins for over 100 years, plays host to over a 15 shows in October! Check out their website for the full lineup but don't miss The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Oct. 10) and Joe Jordan with Nathaniel Riley (Oct. 18).
New Belgium Brewing's final Music at the Mothership is Oct. 2nd with Graham Good & The Painters taking the stage. On Oct. 3rd, Music City Hot Chicken - North is putting on a summer send-off party filled with music and benefiting the Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins.
Scarlet Room is a pop-up jazz lounge night inspired by the 1920s, hosted by Mod Vaude Entertainment and Big View Studio on Friday, October 9 from 7–10 PM.
The Sound Bar, winner of the 2025 FoCoMA Peer Awards' Best Venue, has emerged as a community hub for live music and nightlife in the heart of Fort Collins. The venue's October lineup showcases its commitment to diverse indie, rock, metal, and alternative acts. Check out the full schedule here. Magic Rat, located in Old Firehouse Alley adjacent to The Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town, offers swinging sounds on tap weekly for free. Also, local radio KRFC’s Monthly Happy Hour is at The Magic Rat. 830 North combines bowling and music for an enhanced visit to the lanes. Avogadro's Number is another popular spot that routinely books local talent. With a combination of free and paid shows, you're sure to find something you like! Remember to check out our 20+ breweries as they also host smaller live shows!
If you want to hear some classical music, the Fort Collins Symphony's season starts in October with an Oct. 3rd show at the Lincoln Center.
The CSU organ studio, with faculty-artist Joel Bacon, presents the 21st annual Halloween Organ Extravaganza, with classic (and not-so-classic) works, including the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. Don’t miss this community favorite by the CSU School of Music, Theatre, and Dance on Oct. 31st with three different show times!
Performing Arts: Film, Comedy & Theatre
Film
The Holiday Twin Drive-In, one of only four drive-in movie lots left in Colorado, offers a view of the foothills, mini putt-putt, and a concessions stand. Movies will still be running on Fridays and Saturdays until the end of October!
Love outdoor movies? Then you'll also need to check out The Lyric's offerings! Get in the autumn mood with Hocus Pocus on Oct. 2nd and 3rd!
Join Poudre Libraries, ACT Human Rights Film Festival, CSU Libraries and CSU's Center for Democracy, Art, and Pop Culture for a special screening of "Judy Blume Forever" to kick off the freedom to read during Banned Book Week on Oct. 4th at the CSU School of Arts.
At the Lory Student Center Theater, The 2026 Wild & Scenic Film Festival is scheduled for Oct. 16th. The films offer a journey into some of the most beautiful places on earth, complemented by stories of inspiration, activism and finding solutions to restore our planet. Another film screening at the LSC Theatre is ADAPTED (Oct. 19), an adventure documentary that follows the journeys of three outdoor enthusiasts who, after sustaining traumatic spinal cord injuries, are determined to reclaim their passion for nature in bold new ways.
On Oct. 29th, they perform a live score to Frankenstein: Live Film event. Get ready for a night of chills and laughs! Watch the 1931 classic Frankenstein on the big screen with a live score by Michael Shapiro, full of tension, drama, and dark humor. Come in costume and join other guests and fans from Fort Collins Comic Con for a spooky, immersive celebration the whole community can enjoy. In a similar fashion, Ghostbusters in Concert on Oct. 4th is a live concert experience of the beloved classic film with a live orchestra!
Comedy
Hosting regular open mic nights, nationally renowned comedians, and themed shows, The Comedy Fort is Fort Collins' only comedy club and home to events all month long that you can find here. The Fort's Funniest, a stand up comedy tournament, continues into October with shows on the 21st and 28th. It is a chance to vote for Northern Colorado's funniest! The Comedy Fort will also see names like Dan Soder, Carmen Lagala, Autumn Bruewer, Doug Benson, and more!
The Colorado Queer Comedy Festival, hosted at The Lyric on Oct. 2nd, highlights LGBTQ+ comics from Colorado and beyond, produced by the state's largest queer advocacy organization: Rocky Mountain Equality! The Lyric Comedy Show starts at 8 p.m on Oct. 24th. Another option for laughs is Slyce Pizza's The Speak Cheesy Lounge as they host an open mic comedy night on Wednesdays.
Also at the Lyric is World Premiere Staged Reading (Oct. 11) of original musical scripted by Kate Lyn Reiter with music by Charity Chapman; a comedic political satire inspired by Orwell's Animal Farm novel Animal Farm.
After last year's success, THE DOSE returns to Foco for another mind-bending journey of experimentation, laughter, and healing. Set in a vibrant and surreal venue, THE DOSE is a fully immersive psychedelic experience featuring a carefully curated line-up of some of the best comedians in the country at Avogadro's Number on Oct. 24th.
Theatre
The Lincoln Center has a variety of shows including Pastries & Pirouettes (Oct. 2-3), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Oct. 9-24), Mystic Pizza (Oct. 16-18), and more! You don't have to wait that long to get into the spooky mood though! On Oct. 5th, a Dracula - Pay What You Can Night by OpenStage Theatre & Company is a preview to the full production later in the month. Renowned magician Bill Blagg brings laughter, wonder and endless surprises to the stage in Family Magic on Oct. 10th. To see the full schedule, check out their calendar here.
Art & Museums
First Friday Art Walk (Oct. 2nd) is a monthly self-guided walking tour that celebrates creativity, culture, and community in Downtown Fort Collins on the first Friday of every month! Recurring on the third Thursday of each month, The Speak Cheesy Lounge, below Slyce Pizza, hosts the Big Cheesy Art Show.
For museum viewing, The Museum of Art will have two new exhibits - both starting on Oct. 2nd. Mircea Modreanu: The Burden of Atlas in the Twenty-First Century centers on a single sculptural work: a glass jar containing a miniature relief landscape. Art & Access: New Directions in Prints and Multiples explores ways in which artists around the world have worked to make their vital creations accessible to broader audiences.
The Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures has two exhibitions continuing through the month, but also host two events: Stories from the Balé Mountains of Ethiopia with Bob Waltermire (Oct. 6) and The Automobile Comes to Fort Collins with Malcolm McNeill (Oct. 15).
Are you curious about fashion history then check out CSU's Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising. If you looking for interactive, family friendly, and nature then look no further than the Museum of Discovery who have their own October Blog of events as they currently have a First Peoples exhibit along with other animal features!
Northern Colorado Pride 2026 will be on October 3rd from 11 AM to 5 PM at the Fort Collins Senior Center. The day will consist of live entertainment from local artists, food trucks with options for dietary restrictions, local artists exhibiting LGBTQ+ history, associated vendors, a Kids Korner, community building opportunities, and more.
Shopping & Other Attractions
Fort Collins Tours, LLC offers a range of tours, from ghost and history to a Ghosts & Goodies tour that's kid-friendly and includes some sweet surprises. They're best known for their classic ghost tour which includes a guided evening journey into and under Old Town Fort Collins. Along the way, you will learn about local legends, hauntings, ghostly sightings and strange happenings. Tours run every Friday and Saturday.
The Halloween Candlelit Tours at the 1879 Avery House (Oct. 24th-25th) are for brave souls wanting to uncover the eerie origins of Halloween and the secrets behind Victorian supernatural obsessions.
A variety of markets continue throughout the city including the Foothills Collective Market, the Bath Garden Center & Nursery Harvest Market, the Ginger & Baker Fall Market, Maker's Hive Market, and more!
Harvest Fun Extravaganza
Here are a few of our favorite local pumpkin patches, and farms offering all sorts of fall family fun PLUS other harvest-type events:
- The Bartel’s Farm – a huge selection of pumpkins, corn mazes, and hayrides.
- The Farm at Lee Martinez Park – visit the farm animals and take a hayride. There’s also a pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect future jack-o-lantern.
- Spooky’s Pumpkin Patch — Choose from a variety of pumpkins, gourds, carving kits, and even straw bales and corn stalks for your fall decorating needs at this patch, located at Harmony and I-25.
- Halloween Farm Tours at Morning Fresh Dairy (Oct. 15-Nov. 1)- Go on a spook-tastic journey around a family-owned and operated dairy farm collecting treats along the way in a special Morning Fresh Dairy goodie bag!
- Poudre FFA Fall Carnival (Oct. 10) for an afternoon of fun, games, and prizes! Designed especially for children ages 4–10, our carnival features over 20 exciting games and plenty of prizes to win.
- Fort Collins Nursery’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off & Fall Jamboree (Oct. 10) – The Fort Collins Nursery’s 18th Annual Giant Pumpkin Contest is an officially sanctioned contest site for the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth which brings a whole new level of competition and some truly staggering entries!
- Third Annual Trunk-or-Treat with NoCo Wildlife Center (Oct. 17) at the Holiday Twin Drive-In Theatre. Enjoy decorated trunks, trick-or-treating, games, a haunted house, live animal meet-and-greets, food trucks, and a Touch-a-Truck zone featuring service vehicles and emergency responders.
- Oktoberfest at Bath Garden Center is scheduled for Oct. 3rd from 11am -1pm.
- Celebrate the beauty of fall in the mountains at the annual Stove Prairie Fall Festival on Oct. 3rd! Join us for a day of community, shopping, and family fun while supporting Stove Prairie School and the PTO.
- Join the Diverse-OT Club through the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University for our FREE Sensory-Friendly Trunk-or-Treat Event on October 17th from 12–3PM in the Alder Hall Parking Lot at CSU!
- Join Ginger and Baker on Oct. 25th for a pumpkin carving extravaganza! Jack and the horses will be hauling pumpkins over from the farm, fresh for you to carve and decorate for Halloween! Take photos with the draft horses and your pumpkin and enjoy a warm, fall beverage and some light snacks while you carve.
Outdoors, Sports & Wellness
Ultra athletes should take a look at ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Colorado (Oct. 4th), a challenging team-based endurance race involving alternating, consecutive trail runs and open-water swims without changing gear. Another challenging event is the Blue Sky Marathon & Half (Oct. 17-18) as it weaves through the beautiful foothills to our west! If you are looking for a slower pace then maybe try The Run Fur Fun Spooktacular (5K) onOct. 24th at Odell Brewing Co. Also, the CSU Homecoming 5K is slotted for Oct. 3rd.
The Colorado State University athletics calendar is in full swing with football, volleyball, and soccer underway, but basketball is gearing up as well! The CSU women's soccer team has four home matches and women's volleyball has three home matches. On the gridiron, the football team plays Oregon State for Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 3rd and then play San Diego State on Oct. 24th. In the pool, the CSU women's swim team hosts the Front Range Invitational on Oct. 2-3 at the Edora Pool Ice Center.
NOCOFest, put on by Colorado Youth Outdoors on Oct. 3, is an annual community festival hosted by Avery’s Light - a nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities in Northern Colorado. It’s a lively, inclusive event combining food, music, and local vendors, all with the goal of raising awareness and funds to empower people with special needs through therapy, recreation, and support services. It’s not just a festival - it’s a celebration of inclusion, resilience, and community spirit.
Experience Colorado’s sauna culture at The Pour Sauna Festival, October 16–17 at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins. The Pour brings together a village of traditional mobile saunas for a one-of-a-kind celebration of heat, cold, nature and community. During your two-hour session, move at your own pace between uniquely crafted saunas, take a cold plunge in the refreshing waters of Horsetooth Reservoir, and enjoy experiences including aufguss, breathwork, yoga, meditation, sound therapy and more.
Love bikes? Love safe streets? Love costumes, creativity, and FREE family fun? Then you’re invited to Ollie’s Bike Parade on Oct. 18th. On the same day, the City of Fort Collins' Open Streets offers one to two miles of car-free streets for people of all ages to enjoy. This year's event will be held on Laurel Street between Mason Street and Shields Street.
The annual Teen Self-Care Fair will take place on October 18th, 2026, at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. The goal is to create a space for youth to learn new coping skills and join the conversation around suicide prevention through experiential learning.
