Ghoulish gatherings and sweet soireés: Front Range Guide to 2021 Halloween Events

Oct. 20—Halloween in the Front Range means plenty of live concerts, costume contests and endless ghoulish fun leading up to the actual holiday.

As someone who decorated for Halloween last year in early September, I've managed to practice incredible restraint and waited till Oct. 9 to hang plastic bats, witch hats and a broom by fishing line across my home.

I can't say the same moderation was practiced in regards to mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that I initially bought for trick-or-treaters.

I've also been viewing some prime series that are perfect for the spooky season.

Mike Flanagan's "Midnight Mass" should honestly come with a warning about its bingeable factor. One minute viewers are starting Episode 1 on Netflix, the next thing you know it's nearly 2 a.m. and you're having flashbacks to your First Holy Communion.

Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" — that follows folks in their quest for peace at a spiritual wellness retreat — has actually inspired my costume for this year. I'm going to go as the center's leader, Masha — the mysterious microdosing Russian, played by Nicole Kidman — who at times almost looks albino or simply otherworldly.

But, before I pull a muscle trying to cram my mane under that cheap synthetic wig from Party City, I'll likely take advantage of some of the happenings around our region, and you should too.

From the risqué to the wholesome, the offerings are about as varied as your neighborhood's candy bowls.

Christmas décor has already started to go up in shops, and it's just a Twizzler's length away until "Jingle Bell Rock" starts to dominate the airwaves and those unsightly deflated blowups of Rudolph and Vixen are strewn on lawns across America.

May as well savor the frightful festivities while we can. In no other season is it acceptable to indulge in copious amounts of high-fructose corn syrup and go heavy on the eyeliner.

Many of these events require proof of vaccination, so please check ahead to see what is required for admittance — your first born, a lock of your ex's hair, a vial of liquid from a bubbling cauldron, perhaps a toad captured under moonlight at midnight.

Boulder

The Haunted Carnival: DV8 Distillery is celebrating six years in business with this 21-and-up adult event featuring multiple sound stages, live art, fire and aerialist performances, a costume contest, food trucks and more. There's even a dildo-toss truck; 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 30, DV8, 2480 49th St. E, Boulder, $25-30; dv8.fun.

Exotica Erotica Ball: Enjoy a lust-filled night of burlesque shows, a fantasy costume contest, DJs and fire performers at this 21-and-up soiree at the historic landmark that offers a view of Boulder Creek; 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 31; The Riverside, 1724 Broadway St., Boulder; $37.50; exoticaball.com.

Halloween Ting: MIGOS headlines, alongside Jacquees, BLXST, OMB Peezy, and more for the biggest Halloween concert in Colorado. This is the first concert in over 20 years at the CU Events Center Arena; 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Oct. 30; CU Events Center, 950 Regent Dr., Boulder; $49-$129; bit.ly/HalloweenTing.

The Motet: If ever there was a band to keep the funky festivities going, this is the one. Throw on a costume and head to one of the area's most cherished venues for this Halloween tradition that pairs great live tunes with next-level costumes; 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30; Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder; $35-39.50; Bouldertheater.com.

311 Halloween: Come original to this Halloween-themed show featuring 311 and DENM. Costumes are encouraged for this night of non-stop jams; 7 p.m. Oct. 29; $69.50-$75; Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder; foxtheatre.com.

Sean Kelly Halloween Concert: See former frontman of The Samples rock out in an intimate setting. Feast on craft beer and various fried chicken offerings before or after the gig presented by Stone Cottage Studios; 7:30 p.m Oct. 31; The Post; 2027 13th St., Boulder; $60; stonecottagestudios.com/events.

Boulder Symphony's Remix Curiosity Concert: Families are welcome to dress up in their favorite costumes and experience the symphony with Mozart, Professor Snoot and Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes. Kids will experience music from Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi to Metallica, Lil Nas X and Harry Potter; 3 p.m. Oct. 31; Grace Commons Church, 1820 15th St., Boulder; bouldersymphony.org.

Kaidan+: Something Strange and Spectral: CU's Department of Theater and Dance is keeping the fright alive with seven ghost stories from around the world told through dance and drama; Oct. 29-Nov. 7; University Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder; $22; cupresents.org.

Downtown's Munchkin Masquerade: Stormtroopers, princesses and superheroes converge on the Pearl Street Mall for the best trick-or-treating around. Parents also get in on the action with some pretty spectacular getups; 3-6 p.m Oct. 31; free; boulderdowntown.com/events.

Monster Mash Talent Show: If Frankenstein's monster entered himself into a talent show, what would his talent be? Stacking things on his head? Tap dancing to "Puttin' on the Ritz?" Juggling body parts? Enjoy performances by The Fractal Society followed by a costume contest, music by DJ Gah-bé and Von Disco and libations provided by DV8 Spirits; family show: 1-4 p.m, adult show: 6-10 p.m. Oct. 31; Junk Yard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave. Unit A, Boulder; $15 for family show, $20 for adult show; junkyardsocialclub.org/events.

Motown Halloween Prom: Take a trip back in time to the golden age of music with the incomparable Hazel Miller and Ain't No Mountain High Enough Band. Dress up and sing to classic hits; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30.; Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder; $20; eventbrite.com.

Chautauqua Halloween Scavenger Hunt: Download a scavenger hunt game to your smartphone and embark on some self-guided fun through the gorgeous grounds that give way to breathtaking views of the Flatirons; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 22-31; Chautauqua Colorado, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder; free; chautauqua.com.

Columbia Cemetery Tour: Join Boulder Parks and Recreation for a jaunt through this historic graveyard that holds the remains of notable former Boulderites such as Rocky Mountain Joe Sturtevant, Andrew Macky, Mary Rippon, Marinus Smith and Tom Horn. Costumes are welcome; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 31; Columbia Cemetery, 1201 9th St., Boulder; free; bouldercolorado.gov/events.

Halloween Drive-In Movies: Gather your crew, load everyone in the car and relish in two nights of double features. On Oct. 28, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" will screen at 6:15 p.m., followed by "Little Shop of Horrors" at 8:15 p.m. On Oct. 29, Monsters Inc. (6:15 p.m.) and Gremlins (8:15 p.m.) will be shown, although the Oct. 29 dates are sold out, there is a waitlist. Tickets for Oct. 28 are still available; Flatirons Golf Course, 5706 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder; $10; bouldercolorado.gov/events.

Speakeasy Halloween: Dress in your finest costume, enjoy live music, late-night bites and beautifully crafted cocktails. Trip-hop jam band Von Disco will perform starting at 9 p.m; 5 p.m.-midnight Oct. 30 ; License No. 1, 2115 13th St., Boulder; license1boulderado.com.

Spooktacular Halloween: Kids can do a trunk-or-treat event and pick up goodies from each car. Play lawn games, do a scavenger hunt and join in a costume parade. Hot dogs, popcorn, chips and cider will be served on the lawn at the west side of the church. At 2:30 p.m., a spooky organ concert will begin; 1-3 p.m. Oct. 31; Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Place, Boulder; free; mtview.org.

Sacred Sites Trick-or-Treat Walk-Thru: Walk through woods and across meadows at this family-friendly event. Hot beverages and snacks provided. Browse the Boo-tique — a fall bazaar, with seasonal handcrafted items from the land for sale such as sage bundles, dream pillows, ritual supplies, yummy treats and more; 3-5:30 p.m. Oct. 31; The StarHouse, 3476 Sunshine Canyon Drive, Boulder; Kids ages 3 and under are free, $18 per person; thestarhouse.org.

Boulder High Haunted House: The bone-chilling tradition continues with theater students embracing their spooky side with this theatrical house of horrors. Recommended for ages 11 and up. Tickets can be purchased at the door or on BHS Revtrak, the online payment system for BVSD; 7-10 p.m., Oct. 22, Oct. 23, Oct. 29, Oct. 30, Oct. 31; Boulder High School, 1604 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder; $8 for students, $15 for adults; boh.bvsd.org.

Longmont

42nd annual Halloween Parade & Trick-or-Treat Street: Dress up in your Halloween costume, march on Main Street and visit downtown participating merchants for trick-or-treating following the parade. Kids of all ages can be a part of this costumed foot parade. No registration is required. Dogs must be leashed; 9:30-noon, Oct. 30; 9:30 a.m. line-up; Parade starts at 10 a.m.; Roosevelt Park, 700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont; free; longmontcolorado.gov.

Samhain Market at The Cactus Coven: Step inside this shop filled with crystals, herbs, artfully crafted brooms and more. The store is hosting vendors and will have a costume contest for a chance to win a gift card and a goodie bag. Everyone in costume that day will receive 10% off; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 30; The Cactus Coven, 439 Main St., Longmont; instagram.com/the_cactus.coven.

Spooky Village: Join neighbors and friends for this endless day of Halloween fun that includes hayrides, craft stations, animal balloons, goblin train rides, live entertainment, face painting and more. Chuck and Don's Pet Parade starts at noon near the store's location; 1-3 p.m.; Oct. 30; Village at the Peaks, 1250 S. Hover Road, Longmont; free; villageatthepeaks.com.

5280 Band Halloween Party: Made up of former members of Sonic Arcade '80s band, the 5280s are a fun party band bringing the looks and sounds of the '80s to every awesome show; 6-9 p.m. Oct. 30; Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St., Longmont; bootstrapbrewing.com.

Halloween Drag Bingo with Miss Jessica: Costumes are encouraged for this special Halloween-themed edition of Drag Bingo. Be fierce and play to win; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 24; Left Hand Brewing Co., 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont; lefthandbrewing.com.

Haunt in the 'Mont: Don't miss this Halloween-themed business crawl through downtown where adult trick-or-treaters will use their previously purchased ticket to redeem treats at participating businesses; 5-9 p.m. Oct. 23; Downtown Longmont; *While tickets are already sold out, costumed folks can still stroll the streets and take in the sights; stvrainfoundation.org/programs/haunt-in-the-mont.

Halloween Storytime: Children can dress up and gather around to hear not-so-scary tales, sing and dance. Costumes, mask-wearing and general social distancing is encouraged. Attendees should bring a blanket or something to sit on, some chairs will be provided; 10-11 a.m. Oct. 29 West patio of Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Ave., Longmont; free; longmontcolorado.gov.

Trunk or Treat Howl-O-Ween: Bring the whole family, including pets, for this event that will benefit the Longmont Humane Society. Enjoy trick-or-treating on the lot, eats from FED Boulder food truck, raffle prizes, a stuffed animal adopt-a-thon and meet one of the shelter pups from Longmont Humane Society; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 29; Valley Nissan of Longmont, 1005 Ken Pratt Blvd., Longmont; free; allevents.in/longmont.

Fiber @ Four Spooky Crafting: Get in the Halloween spirit by crafting unusual decorations out of yarn; 4-5 p.m. Oct. 24; online via Facebook Live, presented by Longmont Yarn Shoppe; bit.ly/fiberatfour.

The neighborhood of Prospect always goes big with Halloween décor, so a stroll through the 'hood, anytime in October, is sure to get you in the Halloween mood.

Loveland

Spooktacular Halloween at The Promenade Shops at Centerra: Revel in a spooky afternoon of games, giveaways, vendors, crafts and candy; noon-3 p.m Oct. 31., Between Rock Bottom Brewery and Best Buy; thepromenadeshopsatcenterra.com.

Harrington's Haaunted House: Explore Loveland's best haunted house, filled with ghouls and scary clowns, if you dare; 6 p.m.-11 a.m. Oct. 22-31 — on Halloween, from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., it's a kids day for $5; The Promenade Shops at Centerra, 5971 Skypine Drive, Loveland; $5-15; harringtonartsalliance.org/haaunted-house.

Halloween Hullabaloo: Watch "Nightmare Before Christmas" (5 p.m.) and "Hocus Pocus" (8 p.m.) on a jumbo LED screen. You can watch from the comfort of your car or set up pop-up chairs. Heaven's Popcorn will be serving up a variety of goodness; Oct. 29 and Oct. 30: "Monsters Inc.," (2 p.m.) "Hocus Pocus" (5 p.m.) and "Nightmare Before Christmas" (8 p.m.); Centerra Marketplace, 1569 Fall River Drive, Loveland; free, but cars have to register, attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable canned food donations to benefit Loveland's House of Neighborly Service; eventbrite.com.

Pumpkin Painting Party: Join artist Louise Cutler in her studio for an elevated pumpkin-decorating experience. All supplies will be provided; 2-5 p.m Oct. 23., Louise Cutler Studio, 165 Fairway Lane, Loveland; $40; louisecutlerstudio.com.

NoCo's Greatest Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat Experience: Enjoy this unique socially distanced experience for the second year in a row. Kids can trick-or-treat safely from car windows, passing through a series of Halloween-decorated scenes; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30; Thompson School District Admin Building, 800 S. Taft Ave., Loveland; $5 per vehicle; visitlovelandco.org/event/nocos-greatest-drive-thru-trick-or-treat-experience.

Downtown Pumpkin Festival: This second annual event celebrates the produce of the moment. Shop local farmers market pumpkins, marvel at pumpkin sculptures, enjoy food and art vendors and more; noon- 5 p.m., Oct. 23; The Foundry Plaza, 246 N. Cleveland Ave., Loveland; Free to attend, $12 (online sales) to select and decorate a pumpkin; downtownloveland.org.

Osborn Farm: This pumpkin farm has barrel trains, coffee trucks, hayrides and fall crops for sale from vendors, offering great deals on seasonal decorations. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through October, 1230 S. Boise Ave., Loveland; free; osborn.farm.

Louisville

Nightmare on Main Street: You will not want to miss this Halloween pop-up bar concept presented by Switch. DJ Bertie spins on Oct. 29 and Thumpin' plays Oct. 30. Ghoulish cocktails await; 8 p.m.; 836 1/2 Main St., Louisville; $20-28; facebook.com.

Lyons

Zombie Laser Tag: There's nothing creepier than a library after hours. Add zombies into the mix and you've got a spine-chilling party. Hosted by the Teen Advisory Group, the laser-tag games are designed to build teamwork. Everyone who comes will vote on game options and will take turns participating. Costumes, zombie or otherwise, are encouraged. Snacks will be served; 6-8 p.m Oct. 29., Lyons Regional Library, 451 4th Ave., Lyons; allevents.in/lyons.

Erie

Boo on Briggs Street: Presented by The Fowler Group at Coldwell Banker, this trick-or-treating event is great for the whole family. Enjoy live music, face painting, participate in a costume contest and stock up on mini Twix a week before a Halloween; 4-7 p.m. Oct. 23., Briggs Street, Erie, free, but a small fee for contest entries; erieco.gov.

Terror In the Corn: One of the top 34 haunted attractions in the country, this scary crowd-pleaser sells out fast. Not for the faint of heart, be prepared to be approached by a whole gaggle of creepy undead freaks, some wielding chainsaws. New this year is Mile of Mayhem — a mile-long screaming experience. Zombie Paintball Hunt, Colorado's premier zombie apocalypse paintball ride, is not to be missed; various dates through Oct. 31; Anderson Farms, 6728 County Road, 3 1/4 , Erie; $30-48; terrorinthecorn.com.

Estes Park

The Shining Ball: Rock out to some Zombie Death Polka with Widow's Bane, a band comprised of surly zombies at one of the state's most haunted venues. Arthur Lee Land & Friends will also take the stage. A costume contest promises big prizes, such as a weekend concert package to The Crystal Ball on New Year's Eve at The Stanley Hotel, for the winners; doors at 5 p.m., show at 7 p.m Oct. 23. The Stanley Hotel, 333 E. Wonderview Ave., Estes Park; $69-$99; Stanleyhotel.com.

Frederick

Tiny Terror Town: Discover the tiniest frights you'll find on the Front Range at this 4th annual Halloween celebration. This family-friendly event will be a safe place for kids and families to trick-or-treat. Dress up your fur babies for Big Beast Bazaar pet costume contest. Tour the haunted house in the Miners Museum; 4-8 p.m Oct. 23., James M. Crist Park, 5th Street, Frederick; frederickco.gov.