DISPATCH #15 · TUE, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 · NoCo · TUE HIGH 80°
Postcard from NoCo
Hi NoCo families. By Saturday every pumpkin patch in NoCo is open. Anderson Farms opens Wednesday, Spooky's on Harmony Road opens Friday, and Osborn Farm in Loveland opens Saturday at 10 with free admission, free parking, and pumpkins at 60 cents a pound. Osborn is Fall Stop #2 in the Spotlight. The rest of the week: a touch-a-truck at the Milliken library Friday morning, a drone show over UNC Friday night, and hot-air balloons at sunrise in Greeley Saturday. Oh, the places you'll actually go.
JP & Alexis
Where To This Week
THIS WEEK
UNC Homecoming: carnival Tuesday, drone show Friday, parade Saturday — FREE
Tue 9/22 5pm to 7pm · Fri 9/25 7pm · Sat 9/26 11am · UNC campus, Greeley
Homecoming is open to families all week. Tuesday's Cosmic Carnival on Turner Green has carnival games and a petting zoo. Friday's pep rally on the University Center west patio starts at 7 with the marching band, cheer, and the Sugar Bears, then a drone show at 7:50 and free s'mores. Saturday's parade steps off at 11 from the C parking lot and ends at the Nottingham Field lot; the tailgate runs 2 to 6 north of the field (most lots free, M lot $10), and the Bears play Utah Tech at 6 (ticketed). Details →
Make & Paint Clay Owls — $25 kids, $45 adults
Wed 9/23 · 6pm to 8:30pm · Maxline Brewing, 2724 McClelland Dr, Suite 190, Fort Collins
A pinch-pot owl class from Flingin Pots: build the owl, add clay balls inside so it rattles, then paint it with colored slips. They take the owls back to their studio for glazing and firing, and pickup is a month later at Maxline. Adult tickets were on Eventbrite, which now shows online sales closed; the $25 kid ticket goes by email to [email protected] with the child's name and age, so email to ask about space. Details →
Johnstown and Milliken library week, with a touch-a-truck Friday — FREE
Tue 9/22 to Sat 9/26 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
Friday's Stay & Play in Milliken (9 to noon) is construction-themed, and Fransen Pittman parks a real construction truck outside at 10 for the kids to climb on. The rest of the week: cupcake decorating Tuesday in Milliken (K to 2nd grade 5 to 6, tweens 6 to 7), Messy Art with corn mashers Wednesday 10 to 11 in Johnstown, a parent-and-daughter bedazzling hour Thursday 4:30 to 6 in Milliken (each person registers), and the Teen Pizza Club Saturday 11 to 1 in Milliken. Details →
Farm morning at the Severance library — FREE
Thu 9/24 · 10am to 11:30am · Severance Library, 5 Timber Ridge Pkwy
An open house for ages 0 to 5 with real farm animals, Sonrise Farm's tractors, and farm activities. Drop in for about half an hour, no registration. Details →
Eaton library: stop-motion movies, ice cream floats, D&D — FREE, registration for the first two
Tue 9/22 4pm · Thu 9/24 4pm · Sat 9/26 1pm · Eaton Public Library, 132 Maple Ave
Middle and high schoolers make a stop-motion dinosaur movie on their own phone Tuesday 4 to 5 (props and sets provided; register). Thursday 4 to 5 is Family Floats, build-your-own ice cream floats for families (register; 16 seats open Monday). Saturday 1 to 4 is Dungeons & Dragons for tweens and teens with a game master on hand for beginners, no registration. Floats → · Stop motion → · D&D →
Poudre Libraries this week: kids' murals, a bike tune-up day, reading to animals — FREE
Thu 9/24 5:30pm · Sat 9/26 10am to 3pm · Sun 9/27 3pm · Old Town + Harmony libraries, Fort Collins
Thursday 5:30 to 6:30, Old Town Library opens seven new mini murals of national parks in the kids' area, painted by community members ages 3 and up, with the artists there and kid-friendly refreshments. Saturday 10 to 3, the Bike Fix-It Bonanza in the Harmony Library west lot (4616 S Shields) does free safety checks and small repairs (flats, brakes, shifting), first come first served until they hit capacity. Sunday 3 to 4, Animal Afternoon at Harmony: kids in kindergarten through 5th grade read to therapy animals; arrive early, the animals stay 40 to 60 minutes. Murals → · Bike day → · Animals →
THIS WEEKEND
Family Movie Night at Pioneer Ridge — FREE
Fri 9/25 · 6pm, movie at 7 · field behind Pioneer Ridge Elementary, 2300 Cinnamon Teal Ave, Johnstown
An outdoor movie from the school's PTO with popcorn and lawn games before the film. Bring chairs, blankets, and your own snacks. The PTO was still announcing the movie title as of Monday. Details →
Peaks, Pours & Playlists, last weekend — FREE
Fri 9/25 4pm to 7pm + Sun 9/27 1:30pm to 4:30pm · The Hub at Kinston, 6402 Union Creek Dr, Loveland
The lawn concert series at The Hub ends this weekend. Duo Doodz plays Sunday; Friday's act wasn't posted as of Monday. Food and drinks from the Hub Café. Details →
Spooky's Pumpkin Patch opens — FREE to walk in
Fri 9/25 · 2pm to 8pm daily through 10/31 · 4305 E Harmony Rd, Fort Collins (southwest corner of Harmony and I-25)
A retail patch, not a farm: carving pumpkins, carving kits and tools, gourds, corn stalks, straw bales, and a photo spot. No rides. Details →
Greeley Oktobrewfest — FREE admission; tasting tickets separate
Fri 9/25 5pm to 10pm + Sat 9/26 11am to 9pm · Lincoln Park, downtown Greeley
Downtown Greeley's fall weekend in the park: local brews, live bands, food, and all-ages activities. Admission is free; the VIP beer tasting Saturday is a separate ticket on Eventbrite. Details →
The Great Aardvark Embark: hot-air balloons at sunrise — FREE
Sat 9/26 · parking 6am, field 6:30am, launch 7am to 7:30am, done by 8 · Aims Community College, Cornerstone building athletic field, 5401 W 20th St, Greeley
Aims' ninth annual balloon launch. Colorado Balloon Club pilots inflate on the field north of the Cornerstone building and lift off between 7 and 7:30. Breakfast burritos and coffee for sale, Arty the Aardvark for photos, and Aims frisbees while they last. Visitors can't board the balloons, even the tethered ones. It's weather-dependent, and Aims posts the go or no-go on the event page that morning. Details →
Fort Collins Pagan Pride Day — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 9am · City Park, 450 Sheldon Dr, Fort Collins
A daytime community gathering in the park: local booths, educational displays, and family activities, with a food drive for the Food Bank for Larimer County (bring a can). Details →
Front Range Fantasy Festival — $10; ages 5 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 · 10am · The Forge Event Center, 815 14th St SW, Loveland
A daytime fantasy market and fair: artisan vendors, costumed characters, live performances (fencing, magic, theater), crafts, quests with riddles and tokens to trade for prizes, and a costume contest for kids and adults. Costumes encouraged. The organizer's page prints the date and venue; hours and prices are as submitted (last year's market ran 10 to 4). Details →
Osborn Farm opens: Fall Stop #2 — FREE admission and parking
Sat 9/26 · 10am to 6pm daily · Osborn Farm, 1230 S Boise Ave, Loveland
Opening weekend at Loveland's patch. Pumpkins 60 cents a pound, hayride and barrel train $3 on weekends, petting zoo $2 (cash). No corn maze. Full rundown in the Spotlight below. Details →
Windsor Oktoberfest — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am to 5pm · Downtown Windsor
A German car show, a live oompah band, bratwurst and pretzels, a beer garden, local vendors, and a kids zone with family activities. Details →
Timnath Fall Festival — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am to 3pm · Timnath Community Park
The town's fall day: live music, an artisan market (15 vendors), a dozen food trucks, and a long free kids' list: pumpkin decorating, a mobile ropes course, a ballistic swing, a bungee trampoline, a mega jump-and-slide, bounce houses, a toddler zone, and face painting. Beer is $7 to $9. Parking is street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods with golf-cart shuttles from four spots. Proceeds go to the Children's Speech & Reading Center. Details →
Storytime and paint at Barnes & Noble — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am + 1pm · Barnes & Noble, The Promenade Shops at Centerra, 5835 Sky Pond Dr, Loveland
Two sessions: an 11am reading of The Boy with the Black Heart with a matching activity, then a 1pm reading of Sue's Sky with a guided painting activity. Details →
Estes Park Autumn Gold Festival — $10; kids 12 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 11am to 6pm + Sun 9/27 11am to 5pm · Bond Park, 170 MacGregor Ave, Estes Park
The Rotary's fall weekend in Bond Park: bands both days, brats, beer, and a family zone with face painting, lawn games, and youth activities run by the Estes Valley Community Center and Scout Troop 8. Re-entry allowed. Elk are in the rut around town this time of year. Details →
Taste of Fort Collins — adults $37 advance, $50 at the gate; kids 12 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 noon to 9pm + Sun 9/27 noon to 8pm · Washington Park, 301 Maple St, Fort Collins
The two-day food and music festival: restaurant booths, vendors, and headliners Modest Mouse Saturday at 7:30 and Lil Jon Sunday at 6:45. Kids get in free; food is priced per booth. Clear bags only this year. Details →
Al Frente Fest — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 1pm to 5pm · 919 A St, Greeley
A community celebration from Al Frente de Lucha, the Greeley nonprofit: free food, a car show, live music, youth activities, vendors, and community resource tables. The library brings its pop-up. Details →
Berthoud Elementary Fall Festival — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 4:30pm to 6:30pm · Berthoud Elementary School, 560 Bunyan Ave, Berthoud
A school-yard fall festival open to the neighborhood: community games, food trucks, face painting, balloon animals, and a cake walk. Details →
Father Daughter Dance — $45 per couple, $10 for each additional daughter; registration required
Sat 9/26 · 6pm to 8pm · Berthoud Recreation Center, 1000 N Berthoud Pkwy
Berthoud Rec's evening for dads and father figures (stepdads, grandpas, uncles, brothers, foster dads) and their daughters: a live DJ, a photo booth, decorations, and light refreshments. Register through the town's link. Details →
Take a Kid Mountain Biking at NoCo MTB Fest — FREE (county park entry $10 per car)
Sun 9/27 · 9am to noon · Inlet Bay at Horsetooth Reservoir, off County Road 38E, Fort Collins
The nonprofit Overland Mountain Bike Association's family morning at the end of its festival weekend: kids ages 4 to 16 ride a six-stop punch-card loop 9 to 11, then Games on Bikes with Dude Dad (Taylor Calmus) 11 to noon, and awards plus a bike giveaway at noon. Bring a bike and a helmet. The vendor village and food trucks are open 9 to 3 for a suggested donation. Details →
Loveland Farmers' Market finale with the Artist Market — FREE
Sun 9/27 · 9am to 1pm · Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
The last Sunday market of the season, with the Artist Market alongside. Timnath's market runs the same morning, 10 to 2 at Colorado Feed & Grain. Details →
NoCo Regulars
Two markets end this weekend, and every pumpkin patch's hours are on the regulars page. Loveland Farmers' Market (Sun 9/27 is the last one) · Fort Collins Farmers' Market (Sun through November; the Wednesday market's last day is 9/30) · 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) · Johnstown-Milliken Farmers' Market (Fri 4 to 8) · Timnath Farmers' Market (Sun 9/27, 10 to 2, Colorado Feed & Grain).
The NoCo Fall Stop #2: Osborn Farm
Fall Stop #2 is the Loveland patch. Osborn Farm sits on South Boise Avenue on the east side of town, and it opens for the season this Saturday, September 26, then runs 10 to 6 seven days a week, weather and crop permitting. Admission and parking are free. Pumpkins are 60 cents a pound in every color, mini pumpkins and small gourds are 60 cents each, and the hayride and barrel train run weekends only at $3 a seat. The petting zoo is $2 a visitor, cash. There is no corn maze. Dogs are welcome on a leash. The farm also sells corn stalks ($10 a bundle), straw bales ($10), flint corn ($5), mums, and its own honey. The standing plan whenever the tour pulls in: hayride first, petting zoo second, pumpkins last.
Osborn Farm · 1230 S Boise Ave, Loveland · opens Sat 9/26 · 10am to 6pm daily · FREE entry and parking · osbornfarm.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.
The NoCo Foliage Forecast
The foliage forecast nudged one day later across all locations this week, shifting a few suggested viewing weekends. Cameron Pass is at peak color now and should hold through Saturday before moving past peak on Sunday. Bear Lake is expected to peak this weekend, September 26–27. Red Feather Lakes now joins Estes Park and the Poudre Canyon the following weekend, October 3–4. Around NoCo, the best viewing window has shifted from the weekend of October 17 to October 24–25. 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: Bartels or Osborn, which one is your family's patch, and what's the one thing you always do there first? Hit reply. We're using the answers to set the order of the remaining Fall Stops.
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 under the balloons in Greeley at 7, on the hayride at Osborn Farm, or at the ropes course in Timnath, 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 about this stuff.
JP & Alexis
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