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Halloween Events
Lafayette’s (Digital) Great Pumpkin Race & Fall Festival Oct. 24: Pumpkins will be launched into the lazy river at the Bob Burger Recreation Center (BBRC) and will race to the finish line while you watch and cheer on your pumpkin on Facebook LiveStream. Like the Lafayette Recreation's Facebook page and watch the event at 6:30pm. Longmont Day of the Dead Events Organizers have worked their magic to bring this celebration of Mexican culture online this year. Performers include Las Dahlias singing Mexican trio, dance troupe Grupo Folklorico Mexico Lindo, mariachi music, poetry by bicultural community leader Laura Soto, and much more. They will be live-streaming on Facebook, LongmontPublicMedia.org, and Local Comcast Channel 8/880. To help you get your Día de los Muertos celebration started at home, the Longmont Museum is offering free supply kits for curbside pickup. LongmontDayoftheDead.com (English) LongmontDiadelosMuertos.com (Spanish) September 29: History of Día de los Muertos October 6: Ofrendas y Altares (offerings and altars) October 13: Music, Arts, & Crafts October 20: Día los de Muertos Regional Specialties October 27: Food and Drinks—Cooking with Family Lyons Halloween Spooktacular Oct. 24: Yearly event in Lyons includes a costume contest, pumpkin carving, face painting and more, followed by a parade through town. Find details and pandemic-related updates at lyonscolorado.com. Munchkin Masquerade Oct. 31: Each Halloween, the Pearl Street Mall is invaded by hundreds of tiny ghosts, goblins, fairy princesses and superheroes during this safe trick-or-treating event at the stores and businesses. 2-4pm. 303-449-3774; boulderdowntown.com. Health EventsHealth/Fitness Events
Boulder Community Health Workshops Free and low-cost health sessions and classes sponsored by Boulder Community Health are held at BCH facilities across the county. See the event calendar at bch.org. Boulder County Death Cafe Monthly community gatherings bring people together to discuss “all manner of fascinating things about the D word” in a safe (and sometimes a little silly) environment. See the group’s Facebook page for more info. Boulder Psychic Institute BPI offers low-cost readings by the institute’s students, and they’ve temporarily moved to phone sessions. Check boulderpsychicinstitute.org for details. Casting for Recovery Casting for Recovery hosts three-day retreats for breast-cancer survivors to learn the art of fly-fishing at no cost. Retreats for 2020 have been canceled, so check castingforrecovery.org for 2021 registration information soon, as the retreats will fill up quickly. Grief Support Network Processing your grief through ritual can help you move from agony to acceptance. This community ritual, led by Wendy Kaas, is meant to help those who are grieving feel less isolated and more connected. griefsupportnet.org. Longmont United Hospital Community Classes LUH offers free and low-cost classes for community members and healthcare professionals; topics include CPR and childbirth prep. Check the schedule at centura.org. Holiday EventsHoliday Events
Callahan Holiday Open House Dec. 4: Longmont’s historic Callahan House, 312 Terry St., is decorated for family visits from 4-7pm, featuring visits with Santa and tours of the home. longmontcolorado.gov. Downtown Boulder Holiday EventsSeveral annual holiday events take place on or near the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder; check the details at downtownboulderholidays.com; 303-449-3774. Nov. 22: Switch On the Holidays lighting ceremony, 1300 block of Pearl Street, 5pm Nov. 27-28; Dec. 5, 12, 19: St. Nick on the Bricks, visits with Santa from 11am-2pm Dec. 5: Lights of December Parade, 6pm Erie Country Christmas and Parade of Lights Dec. 4: Erie’s annual holiday event includes Santa’s workshop, caroling, complimentary s’mores, a living nativity, free hayrides and a parade. Check for 2020 updates at eriechamber.org. Holiday Mountain Market Nov. 27-Dec. 6: This year, the Holiday Mountain Market sales and auction have moved to an online format. The auction will start Black Friday and run ten days. There will also be some small, socially distanced events around the town Dec 12-13, which will also serve as an opportunity for buyers to come pick up their goods if they choose not to have them shipped. Check mountainpeaklife.org for more details. Hotel Boulderado Holiday Tea Series The Hotel Boulderado hosts a series of annual holiday-themed teas each year, often paired with holiday bazaars and live entertainment. Check boulderado.com for 2020 updates. The Boulderado is at 2115 13th St., Boulder. Just For FunJust for Fun
Banjo Billy Bus Tours Banjo Billy is known for history tours of Boulder and Denver from an old school bus tricked out to look like a traveling hillbilly shack. Tours are currently virtual only, but check banjobilly.com for details about when bus tours might resume. Boulder Comedy Show Sundays: The Boulder Comedy Show live-streams each Sunday evening from the Bohemian Biergarten (2017 13th St.). Get tickets and access at bohemianbiergarten.com. Carousel of Happiness Head to Nederland for a ride on the restored 1910 Looff carousel with 36 whimsical hand-carved animals and 25 smaller animals keeping them company. The carousel is a nonprofit organization, and rides are only $1; it’s also wheelchair and walker friendly. Socially distant riding is currently available for guests wearing a face covering. 20 Lakeview Drive in Nederland, right beside the train cars. Check online for special events and holiday hours. carouselofhappiness.org. Literary EventsLiterary Events
Barbed Wire Books This large bookstore hosts a variety of literary events, including storytimes, classes, workshops and book discussion groups held in the “Hobbit Hole.” For a full schedule, see barbedwirebooks.net. 504 Main St., Longmont. 303-827-3620. Boulder Book Store Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., offers an email newsletter, book clubs, and frequent book signings and readings by local, national and international authors. Fall events include guidelines for social distancing and mask-wearing. boulderbookstore.com; 303-447-2074. Boulder Public Library Author Talks The Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., often hosts talks with well-known authors; check boulderlibrary.org for the speaker schedule. BoulderReads BoulderReads offers literacy programs for all ages, like literacy tutoring and conversation groups for adults and “Reading Buddies,” a program for children that pairs them with a CU student for help with reading, writing and literacy skills. See boulderlibrary.org/boulderreads for details. Longmont Public Library Author Talks Discussion groups and storytimes have moved online until further notice; check the updated schedule at longmontcolorado.gov (click “Departments” tab). 409 Fourth Ave. PUBLIC LIBRARIES As of press time, some libraries were still closed, open for reduced hours or offering curbside pickup only, so check with each location before going. Boulder: Main Branch: 1001 Arapahoe Ave.; Meadows Branch Library: 4800 Baseline Road; George Reynolds Branch: 3595 Table Mesa Drive; NoBo Corner Library, 4600 Broadway. 303-441-3100; boulderlibrary.org. Lafayette: 775 W. Baseline Road. 303-665-5200; cityoflafayette.com/library. Longmont: 409 Fourth Ave. 303-651-8470; longmontcolorado.gov/library. Louisville: 951 Spruce St. 303-335-4849; louisvilleco.gov/library. Lyons: Temporary location while the Lyons Depot Library undergoes post-flood repairs: 405 Main St. townoflyons.com. Nederland: 200 Hwy 72. 303-258-1101; nederland.colibraries.org. Mile Hi Con 52 Oct. 23-25: Colorado’s largest sci fi/fantasy literary convention is a virtual event this year, with online presentations , panel discussions, an art show, an auction and more. Get details at milehicon.org. ZEE Jaipur LIterature Festival Oct. 2-4: This popular yearly literary festival at the Boulder Public Library was still scheduled as of press time, but check jlflitfest.org/Colorado for updates. The event includes panel discussions, conversations, presentations, performances and much more. Nature EventsNature/Outdoor Events
For more outdoor events, see listings under Sports Events. Boulder County Audubon Society BCAS offers monthly nature programs, field trips, bird counts and other events around the county. Check boulderaudubon.org for more info about the events listed. 1st Sundays Through November: Bird-Watching at Greenlee Preserve in Lafayette, 1-3pm Boulder County Parks & Open Space Programs Boulder County Parks & Open Space offers free nature programs, hikes and cultural-history events. Most events are online for the fall; check bouldercounty.org/openspace. Butterfly Pavilion See listing under Animal Affairs. Casting for Recovery See listing under Health Events. City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks Natural Selections is the city’s ongoing series of free educational programs on wildlife, ecology, local history and children’s programs. Check for updates about fall programs at naturehikes.org. Colorado Mountain Club CMC offers thousands of activity options, including adventure travel, service projects, and classes and seminar. Many programs have temporarily moved online, but there may be some in-person classes later in the fall. CMC is at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., Golden, but some events are held in Boulder. cmc.org. Lafayette Open Space Lafayette Open Space offers a number of public programs, hikes, bird-watching events, classes and camps all year long. Check cityoflafayette.com/openspace for updates. Thorne Nature Experience Boulder-based Thorne has been connecting youth to nature through hands-on experiences for nearly 60 years. Find more programs and events and after-school info at thornenature.org. Wild Bear Nature Center Wild Bear is a nonprofit nature center offering affordable kids’ camps, after-school programs, and adult and family workshops. It maintains an information center at 20 Lakeview Drive in Nederland, and also has property at Mud Lake. Fall nature-enrichment programs are scheduled with social distancing guidelines. wildbear.org. RacesRaces/Walks
Most of the running/walking events we normally post in this section have been canceled or modified for 2020. We’ve found that the best way to find the current status of a scheduled event is to check directly with the sponsor or look for updates on running websites such as runningingtheusa.com or raceplace.com. The following events were still scheduled or pending as of press time.
Sept. 20: Doggie Dash is a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley; boulderhumane.org.
Oct. 26: Big Waves Family 5k raises funds for the organization’s many community programs, including scholarships and supporting safety legislation. The event is virtual this year; bigwavesfoundation.org.
Oct. 3: Louisville Trail Half Marathon also includes a 10k or 5k option; raceplace.com.
Oct. 25: Boulder County CROP Hunger Walk is a “walk on your own schedule” event this year; bouldercropwalk.org.
October, TBA: Monster Dash Run in Louisville has a 5k, 10k and kids run; monsterdashrun.com.
Nov. 14: Longmont Turkey Trot raises funds for the city’s Youth Scholarship Fund; longmontcolorado.gov/rec.
Nov. 26: Broomfield Turkey Day 5k/10k is a family race sponsored by UCHealth; broomfieldturkeyday.com.
Senior EventsSenior Events
Active Minds Active Minds offers dozens of programs and events for seniors in Boulder and Longmont, at a variety of venues, although fall events are mostly online. Find more info at activeminds.com. Boulder County Parks & Open Space Senior HikesAlthough Boulder County Parks & Open Space normally offers hikes especially for seniors on the last Thursday of each month, those events have been canceled until further notice. Check bouldercountyopenspace.org periodically to see if hikes will resume in the fall.
Circle of Care Circle of Care is an enrichment program that provides seniors with free transportation, companions, and tickets to community arts and cultural events. Some services are available, including virtual concerts, but most programs are canceled for fall 2020. 303-449-8884; circleofcareproject.org; office@circleofcare project.org. Cultivate Cultivate, formerly called CareConnect, helps seniors thrive by reconnecting them to their communities. Programs include grocery delivery, transportation, SnowBusters and YardBusters. Find out more at cultivate.ngo. Mountain MidLife Club See listing under Just for Fun. Senior Centers With area senior centers, older residents have a welcoming place to meet other seniors and stay connected to the community with activities like day trips, classes, entertainment, support groups, fitness options, health screenings and meals.Check each center’s website for details and a complete schedule. Boulder: West Boulder Senior Center, 909 Arapahoe Ave., 303-441-3148. East Boulder Senior Center, 5660 Sioux Drive, 303-441-4150. boulderseniorservices.com. Lafayette: 103 S. Iowa Ave. 303-665-9052; cityoflafayette.com. Longmont: 910 Longs Peak Ave. 303-651-8411; ci.longmont.co.us/sen_ctr. Louisville: 900 W. Via Appia. 303-666-7400; louisvillerecreation.com/seniorwelcome.php. Lyons: Lyons Golden Gang, 335 Railroad Ave., Bldg. B, Lyons. 303-823-6771; lyonsgoldengang.weebly.com. Nederland: Various locations. 303-258-0799; nederlandareaseniors.org. Via Mobility Services VIA is a “mobility manager” offering transportation for older or disabled travelers, travel training, information on mobility options, referrals and a range of other community resources. viacolorado.org. Shopping
