DISPATCH #14 · TUE, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 · NoCo · TUE HIGH 72°
Postcard from NoCo
Hi NoCo families. The pumpkin patches open Saturday. Bartels Farm in Fort Collins and Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle both open September 19, and Bartels is this week's Spotlight, the first Fall Stop of the season: free to walk in, corn maze $5, hayrides $2. Also Saturday: the Jessup Farm Harvest Festival with a dog costume parade at 10:45, a bubble party in Severance at 9, and the Water Lantern Festival on Windsor Lake at sunset. Every patch's opening date is in the Spotlight. Oh, the places you'll actually go.
JP & Alexis
Where To This Week
THIS WEEK
FoCo Food Truck Rally Finale — FREE entry
Tue 9/15 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
Once Upon A Tune plays the bandshell for the season finale. The trucks line up along Sheldon Lake; the rally comes back in May. Details →
Johnstown and Milliken library week — FREE
Wed 9/16 to Sat 9/19 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
Messy Art Wednesday 10 to 11 in Johnstown, cupcake decorating Thursday 10 to 11 in Milliken (kids and adults), fall wreaths Thursday 5 to 6 in Johnstown (all ages), and on Saturday in Milliken a sensory-friendly playtime 10 to 11 and the Tween Pizza Club 11 to 1. Both libraries are closed Friday for staff training. Details →
THIS WEEKEND
The Bears are Back in Town: Bear Bash — FREE
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 8pm · 16th Street, Greeley
Greeley marks the end of the 16th Street construction with a street party. UNC's marching band and spirit groups open on the Green, the mayor pro-tem cuts the ribbon, then a concert with an opening act and Neon The Bishop closing. The 16th Street shops run event-only specials and student activities, and the WeldWalls Mural Festival's Art Night Out adds murals and artist talks along the street. Details →
Teen Night Out — $8
Fri 9/18 · 5pm to 9pm · Greeley Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Ave
The first Teen Night Out of the school year: ages 10 to 15 (grades 5 to 8) get the whole FunPlex to themselves for games, sports, outdoor activities, and swimming. Bring a suit and towel. Details →
Fort Collins Foodie Walk — FREE to walk; tastes vary by shop
Fri 9/18 · 5pm to 8pm · Downtown Fort Collins
The third-Friday self-guided walk: downtown food shops stay open late with samples, seasonal flavors, and demonstrations. Details →
Lego Club at the Wellington library — FREE, registration required
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 5pm · Wellington Public Library, 3800 Wilson Ave
An hour of building with the library's Lego collection, for ages 7 and up. Register with the library. Details →
Mingle on Main: Oktoberfest — FREE to attend; food and steins for sale
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 8pm · 3700 Cleveland Ave, Wellington
Wellington's third-Friday street evening goes Oktoberfest this month. Old Colorado Brewing runs the games out front: Hammerschlagen (nail-driving), a wiener toss, and a stein-holding contest, with prizes for the winners. The Schnitzel Wagon does the food, and the tasting room has stein specials for the grown-ups. Details →
Berthoud Literary Festival — Saturday sessions FREE, drop-in; the two keynotes $10
Fri 9/18 + Sat 9/19 · Berthoud Community Library, 236 Welch Ave
Friday's opening keynote is Erika Krouse at 6:30 ($10). Saturday runs four free drop-in author talks: Erika J. Simpson at 11, middle-grade author Megan E. Freeman (Alone) at 12:30, Chris Ryall at 2, and Claire Boyles with Kate Garrick at 3:30; Craig Johnson closes at 6 ($10). An ASL interpreter is at every session. Details →
Peaks, Pours & Playlists — FREE
Fri 9/18 4pm to 7pm + Sun 9/20 1:30pm to 4:30pm · The Hub at Kinston, 6402 Union Creek Dr, Loveland
Live music on the lawn at The Hub, with food and drinks from the Hub Café. Douglas James plays Friday, Steven Manshel on Sunday. The series runs Fridays and Sundays through September 27. Details →
Timnath Connect Fall Kickoff — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 9am to 2pm · Pedro's Coffee Shop, 2100 S Colorado Blvd, Timnath
The Timnath Chamber's vendor market comes back for its fall season: local business booths, live music, coffee from Pedro's, and family activities. Details →
Bubble Blast for America — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 9am · Blue Spruce Park, Severance
A bubble party in the park for Constitution Week, put on by the Town of Severance. The Severance Farmers' Market runs in the same park Saturday mornings. Details →
Evans Heritage Day — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 8:30am to 2pm at City Park, 3929 Golden St; 5pm to 8:30pm at Riverside Park, 4000 Riverside Pkwy
The city of Evans, just south of Greeley, holds its annual town day. Free pancake breakfast 8:30 to 10 while it lasts, the parade at 10, then food trucks, a vendor fair, and free rides and games until 2. The evening half moves to Riverside Park: free rides again, live music at 7, and fireworks at 8:30. Details →
Superhero Run — kids' fun run (6 and under) FREE; 1 mile and 5K $27.50 for 12 and under, $38.10 adults; 10K $48.70
Sat 9/19 · check-in from 7:15; 10K 8:30, 1 mile 8:35, 5K 8:45, kids' run 9:45 · Greeley Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Ave
The 14th annual costumed run for Life Stories Child & Family Advocacy. Costumes encouraged; the kids' run goes last at 9:45. Details →
Jessup Farm Harvest Festival, with the Lovely Lit book truck — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 10am to 2pm · Jessup Farm Artisan Village, Fort Collins
The village's fall day: a dog parade and costume contest (register at 10, parade and judging at 10:45, hosted by Moore Animal Hospital), petting zoo and pony rides 10 to noon, live music all four hours on the Sugar Beet Saloon stage, seasonal specials from the shops, and scarecrows around the village to vote on through September 30. The Blue Ribbon baked goods contest (cinnamon rolls, cookies, jam, pie, bread) takes entries until 10, judges at 11, and announces winners at 1; registration closes Thursday at 5. The Lovely Lit mobile bookstore parks at the festival; browsing is free, books are priced individually. Festival → · Lovely Lit →
Vintage Video Game Day — FREE, donations accepted
Sat 9/19 · 10am to 2pm · Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, 408 Mason Ct
Original consoles from the early 1980s on, set up at stations in the museum Archives to play, with video-game crafts, local arcade history, and door prizes. The Archives hold a limited number at a time, so groups rotate through. Details →
The pumpkin patches open — Bartels FREE entry; Fritzler Fun Pass $25.95 online, $33.95 at the gate, ages 3 and up
Sat 9/19 · Bartels 10am to 6pm daily; Fritzler hours by date on their calendar · Bartels Farm, 3424 E Douglas Rd, Fort Collins + Fritzler Farm Park, 20861 CR 33, LaSalle
Opening day at both. Bartels is this week's Fall Stop #1 (details below). Fritzler's Fall Fest tickets are date-specific and sold online; Scream Acres, the haunted side, opens September 25. Every patch's opening date is in the Spotlight. Bartels → · Fritzler →
Loveland Chocolate & Cheese Fest — $6 to $10 adults; kids 10 and under FREE; samples $1 each
Sat 9/19 · 11am to 5pm · Pedersen Toyota Center at The Ranch, Loveland
Chocolatiers and cheesemakers from around the state at sample tables: truffles, fudge, cookies, curds, fondue, plus gift vendors. Parking is free with license plate validation inside. Details →
Water Lantern Festival — $29.99 general admission online ($57.99 at the gate); kids under 8 FREE; 4-pack $24.99 per person
Sat 9/19 · gates 4:30pm, lantern launch 7:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Community Park, 100 N 5th St, Windsor
Each ticket comes with a floating lantern, a decorating kit, and an LED candle. Decorate through the afternoon with live music, food trucks, and lawn games, then everyone launches together on Windsor Lake at 7:30. Tickets go up at the gate, so buy ahead. Details →
Brooms and Boards — $10, registration required
Sun 9/20 · 10am to 11am · Windsor Lake, 100 N 5th St, Windsor
A Halloween-themed paddleboard hour on the lake to start the fall, run by Windsor Parks & Rec. Register through the town's link. Details →
NoCo Regulars
The farmers markets run a few more weeks, and every pumpkin patch's hours are now on the regulars page. Larimer County Farmers' Market (Sat, Old Town Fort Collins, through October) · Greeley Farmers' Market (Sat, 7th St, through October) · The Berthoud Market (Sat, Town Park) · Severance Farmers' Market (Sat, Blue Spruce Park) · Loveland Farmers' Market (Sun, two left: 9/20 and 9/27) · Fort Collins Farmers' Market (Sun & Wed) · Johnstown-Milliken Farmers' Market (Fri 4 to 8). Timnath's market is back on the 27th. The Food Truck Rally ends Tuesday.
The NoCo Fall Stop #1: Bartels Farm
The Fall Stops start where the season does. Bartels Farm is the pumpkin patch on East Douglas Road north of Fort Collins, and it opens Saturday, September 19, then runs 10 to 6 every day through October 31. There is no admission and no parking fee. You pay for what you do: the corn maze is $5 a person or $20 for a family of five or more, hayrides are $2 (babies under one ride free), and the pumpkins are priced by size, not weight, starting at 50 cents. On weekends the concession stand does cotton candy and kettle corn.
Bartels Farm · 3424 E Douglas Rd, Fort Collins · opens Sat 9/19 · 10am to 6pm daily through 10/31 · FREE entry and parking · thebartelspumpkinpatch.com
NoCo Patch Openings:
Open now: Tigges Farm (Greeley, 12404 County Road 64 1/2), Thursday to Sunday 10 to 6 through October 31, free entry, roasted green chile, and a small pumpkin crop this year because of the drought. Miller Farms (Platteville), daily 9 to 6.
Sat 9/19: Bartels Farm (Fort Collins), free entry. Fritzler Farm Park (LaSalle), Fall Fest opens with the corn maze and rides; Fun Pass $25.95 online or $33.95 at the gate, ages 3 and up need a ticket, tickets are date-specific. Scream Acres opens 9/25 (the haunted side, not for young kids); OctoberFest and fireworks 9/26.
Wed 9/23: Anderson Farms (Erie), through October 31, closed Tuesdays; tickets $13.50 to $50 depending on the day and pass, ages 3 and under free.
Fri 9/25: Spooky's Pumpkin Patch (Fort Collins, 4305 E Harmony Rd), daily 2 to 8 through October 31. A retail patch: pumpkins, gourds, carving kits, and a photo spot, no rides.
Sat 9/26: Osborn Farm (Loveland, 1230 S Boise Ave), 10 to 6 daily through October 31; free admission and parking, pumpkins 60 cents a pound, hayrides and barrel train $3 on weekends, petting zoo $2 per child (cash). No corn maze.
Dates not posted yet: Hankins Farms (Johnstown, October weekends, Friday to Sunday noon to 5) and River Ranch Farms (Loveland).
The NoCo Foliage Forecast
The forecast moved up about five days everywhere since last week. Cameron Pass is now expected to turn this weekend, September 19 to 20, with Bear Lake and Red Feather Lakes the weekend after. Estes Park and the Poudre Canyon should follow the first weekend of October, and the trees around NoCo the weekend of October 17. With this year's drought, expect a softer, more muted palette than usual.
Forecast data: explorefall.com. Updated every Tuesday through the season.
Community Corner
This week's question: which patch is your family's opening-weekend pick, and where is your family’s go-to patch? Hit reply with the farm. We're setting the rest of the Fall Stop order from your answers.
Got a family event on your radar? Add it at theplacesno.co/submit-event and it might land in an upcoming dispatch.
That's the week, NoCo. Whether you're in the corn at Bartels, on the lake in Windsor, or at the dog parade at Jessup Farm, we hope Saturday is a good one. Know a family who'd use this list? Forward it along; that's how most people find us.
Be the parent who somehow always knows.
JP & Alexis
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