THE NOT-TOO-SCARY DISPATCH · OCTOBER 2026 · NoCo
Postcard from NoCo
Hi NoCo families. Pumpkins on Parade fills the Gardens on Spring Creek with themed pumpkin displays October 22 to 25, and it's candy-free. Find Your Fright in Loveland runs a $5 Kids Day haunted house on October 24 for kids who want a small scare. Windsor Museums leads lantern-lit tours of Lakeview Cemetery on October 23 and 24. And when your teenager asks for the real thing, the haunts below say who they're for. Oh, the places you'll actually go.
JP & Alexis
Pumpkins on Parade, Oct 22 to 25: timed entry, and slots sell out.
Fort Collins ghost tours: most October slots are full. Ghosts & Goodies has one family tour left, Oct 24.
Avery House candlelit tours, Oct 29 and 30, and Lakeview Cemetery twilight tours, Oct 23 and 24: reservations required.
Not scary
Halloween-themed, nothing meant to frighten. Good for little kids.
Pumpkins on Parade — $10 kids, $15 adults
Thu, Oct 22 to Sun, Oct 25 · 5 to 9 (last entry 8) · Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave, Fort Collins
The gardens fill with pumpkin displays in themed zones for four evenings. The city bills it as family-friendly and candy-free. Kids 5 to 17 are $10, 4 and under are free, and $1 tickets are available on site with SNAP/EBT. Entry is timed every half hour from 5 to 7:30, and slots sell out, so buy ahead. Tickets →
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow — $15
Fri, Oct 23 at 7 and Sat, Oct 24 at 1 · Magnolia Theatre, Lincoln Center, 417 W Magnolia St, Fort Collins
Debut Theatre Company's Headless Horseman story, played for laughs and recommended for ages 5 and up. The other shows are sold out; these two still had seats on Wednesday. Tickets →
Thursdays at the Library: Monster Mash — FREE
Thu, Oct 22 · 10 to 11:30 · Windsor Library, 720 3rd St, Windsor
A drop-in morning of monster crafts for ages 0 to 5. The library calls it "not-so-scary." No registration. Details →
Family Spooky Soap — FREE
Thu, Oct 22 · 3:30 to 4:30 · Eaton Public Library, Eaton
Kids and their grown-ups make soap together, with an eyeball or a spider inside if they want. Ages 0 to 17 with a caregiver. Registration required. Register →
Haunted Gingerbread Houses — FREE
Thu, Oct 22 · 5:30 to 7:30 · Milliken Library, 266B S Irene Ave, Milliken
Tweens build and decorate a spooky gingerbread house. Details →
Trick or Read — FREE
Sat, Oct 24 · 2 to 3 · Berthoud Community Library, 236 Welch Ave, Berthoud
Kids come in costume and pick out a free book, an hour before Berthoud's Trick-or-Treat Street starts downtown. Details →
Halloween Spooktacular Day Camp — $25
Fri, Oct 30 · 9 to noon · Milliken Athletic Complex, Milliken
A drop-off morning of Halloween games and crafts for ages 5 to 8, run by Thompson Rivers Parks & Rec. They call it "a not-so-spooky day of Halloween fun." Three spots were left Wednesday. Enroll →
Trick or Climb — FREE
Fri, Oct 30 · 4 to 6 · Greeley Recreation Center, 651 10th Ave, Greeley
Kids climb the rec center's wall, and there's a treat at the top. Details →
Halloween Scavenger Hunt — FREE
Sat, Oct 31 · 9 to noon · Johnstown Library, 400 S Parish Ave, Johnstown
Find everything on the list around the library and win a prize. All ages. Details →
A little spooky
Ghost stories, lantern tours, haunted rooms, and a kids' day at a real haunted house. Good for big kids.
Find Your Fright Kids Day — $5
Sat, Oct 24 · 10 to 2:30 · 333 E 4th St, Loveland
Find Your Light's haunted house, in its 16th year, runs a kids' day for families who think the night version is "too spooky for the little ones." Every ticket is $5, sold at the door only. Check their page before you go. Details →
Twilight Tour of Lakeview Cemetery — $10
Fri, Oct 23 and Sat, Oct 24 · tours at 5:30 and 7 · Lakeview Cemetery, 32815 Highway 257, Windsor
Windsor Museums leads a history tour of the cemetery by lantern light. Register ahead. Register →
Haus of Horrors Cosmic Costume Skate — $10 with skate rental
Fri, Oct 23 · 6:30 to 8 · Greeley Ice Haus, 900 8th Ave, Greeley
Skate in costume past haunted spaces set up around the rink, with scary-themed music. The costume contest is at 7:45. Details →
Ghosts & Goodies Tour
Sat, Oct 24 · 4pm · Old Town Square, Fort Collins
Fort Collins Tours' family ghost tour, with dessert stops. It has no minimum age, and kids need a ticketed adult with them. The Oct 24 tour is the only one with seats left, five as of Wednesday. Book →
Halloween Pops: Frankenstein — $10 kids and students
Thu, Oct 29 · 7pm · Performance Hall, Lincoln Center, 417 W Magnolia St, Fort Collins
The Fort Collins Symphony plays a live score by Michael Shapiro to the 1931 Frankenstein film. Come in costume. Adult tickets are $33 to $51. Tickets →
Halloween Candlelit Tours of the Avery House — $25
Thu, Oct 29 and Fri, Oct 30 · tours every half hour, 6 to 8 · 1879 Avery House, 328 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins
The Poudre Landmarks Foundation leads candlelit tours of one of Fort Collins' oldest houses, with hot cider and treats. Reserve a time. Reserve →
Teentober Ghost Stories & Goodies
Wed, Oct 28 · 4 to 5 · Farr Regional Library, Greeley
Ghost stories and snacks for grades 6 to 12. Drop in. Details →
Halloween Organ Extravaganza — $10 youth, $20 adults
Sat, Oct 31 · shows at 6, 8, and 10 · Organ Recital Hall, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St, Fort Collins
CSU's 21st Halloween organ concert. Youth under 18 are $10, seniors $15, and CSU students free. Tickets →
Actually scary
Real haunts. Age advice provided.
Find Your Fright — $15 to $20
Fri, Oct 16; Sat, Oct 17; Fri, Oct 23; Sat, Oct 24; Fri, Oct 30; Sat, Oct 31 · 6 to 11 · 333 E 4th St, Loveland
Find Your Light's walk-through haunted house in downtown Loveland. Tickets are $20 for ages 12 and up and $15 for 11 and under, at the door only, cash or card. For younger kids, the haunt points families to its Kids Day on Oct 24. Details →
Creepy Walk in the Woods — $30
Fri, Oct 16; Sat, Oct 17; Fri, Oct 23; Sat, Oct 24; Fri, Oct 30; Sat, Oct 31 · 7 to 11 · 1750 Savage Rd, Loveland
An all-volunteer nonprofit haunted trail. Their own advice: "Children 11 and under should not come, but it is up to you." Tickets are sold at the door only, and the ticket trailer opens at 6. It runs in the rain but closes when it's below 30 degrees. Details →
The Fort Collins Ghost Tour — $27
Most evenings through Oct 31 · 75 minutes · Old Town Square, Fort Collins
A walking ghost tour of Old Town that goes underground. The minimum age is 12, and anyone under 18 needs an adult along. Most October tours are full; a few seats were left Wednesday on Oct 16, 22, 24, 30, and 31. Book →
Teen Outdoor Horror Movie: Night Swim
Sat, Oct 24 · 7 to 9 · Severance Library, 3 S Timber Ridge Pkwy, Severance
A PG-13 horror movie on the library's patio and lawn, for teens ages 12 to 18. Details →
Terror in the Corn — $43 to $50
Thursdays to Sundays through Oct 31 · Thu and Sun 7 to 10, Fri and Sat 7 to 11 · Anderson Farms, County Road 3 1/4, Erie
Anderson Farms' mile-long haunted trail through the corn, separate from the daytime maze. Their advice: "We do not recommend Terror in the Corn for children under 10, but we leave the decision up to the parents." Expect strobe lights and heavy fog. Tickets are timed, the same price for every age, and include the Fall Festival: $43 Thursdays, $48 Sundays, $50 Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets →
Scream Acres — $44.95 online
Thursdays to Sundays through Oct 31 · opens at dark · Fritzler Farm Park, 20861 County Road 33, LaSalle
Fritzler's haunted attraction. The farm says it's "appropriate for older children and adults," and kids under 13 need an adult with them. Tickets are for a set date, cost more at the gate ($48.95), and aren't refundable. Tickets →
The Stanley Ghost Tour — $35
Year-round · The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park
A guided ghost tour of the hotel. Kids under 8 aren't allowed. Reservations are recommended. Book →
Buy Pumpkins on Parade, Terror in the Corn, and Scream Acres tickets online. Find Your Fright and Creepy Walk are door only.
Creepy Walk closes when it's below 30 degrees.
The haunted house in Loveland has two prices: $20 for 12 and up, $15 for 11 and under. Kids Day is $5 for everyone.
Still looking for candy? Every trunk-or-treat and trick-or-treat street from now to Halloween is in our guide, with times, addresses, and which ones are free: See every trick-or-treat by town →
If we missed a Halloween event, reply and tell us.
JP & Alexis
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