You know what I love about living in Colorado? Living in Colorado.
Fall in South Denver can’t be beat. The sun keeps shining, the temperatures cool down, and the whole season feels like a reason to celebrate.
Want to really get lost in fall? Chatfield Farms is even carving Colorado’s state symbols into an eight-acre corn maze this year.
From pumpkin patches and hayrides to bonfires to everything in between, we’ve got the places you can enjoy the fall season in & around Highlands Ranch.
—Grace Hody
Fall Fun 🍂

Worth the Drive
We think if you’re up for an hour drive south to the Springs this one will be a great summer close out and fall kick off.
Labor Day Lift Off — Colorado Springs
🗓️ Saturday–Monday, September 5–7
➜ View details
Colorado’s largest hot-air balloon festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary with three mornings of mass balloon lift-offs against the Pikes Peak backdrop. Saturday and Sunday also bring evening balloon glows, live music and drone shows, with plenty of food, drinks and family activities throughout the weekend.
Editor’s Picks
We think these two look especially fun, so we’re putting them at the top of our fall list.
Lone Creek Farms — Franktown
🗓️ September 25–November 1 | Thursday–Sunday
➜ View details
Make a full fall day of it at this family-run Franktown farm, where admission unlocks more than 20 attractions—including a corn maze, pumpkin patch, pig races, candy cannons and the crowd-favorite firetruck pumpkin drop. Come hungry for apple cider donuts, homemade fudge, kettle corn and all the classic fall treats.
Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms — Littleton
🗓️ Friday–Sunday, October 9–11 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
➜ View details
Pick the perfect pumpkin from a 10-acre patch and spend the day exploring the corn maze, taking wagon and barrel-train rides, playing carnival games and catching live entertainment. There will also be food trucks, local vendors, face painting, magic shows and plenty more for kids.
Fall Festivals
Western Fest — Highlands Ranch
🗓️ Saturday, September 12 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
➜ View details
Put on those boots and head to the Highlands Ranch Mansion for live entertainment, hayrides, hands-on history and self-guided Mansion tours. Food trucks will be on-site too. Pro Tip: Park at St. Andrew United Methodist Church and take the free shuttle to the Mansion. Only accessible parking is available on-site.
Douglas County Open Space Fall Festival — Larkspur
🗓️ Saturday, September 26 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
➜ View details
Celebrate fall at beautiful Sandstone Ranch with guided nature activities, family-friendly games, educational demonstrations and food trucks. Meet Open Space Rangers, first responders and local wildlife and wildfire experts while exploring one of Douglas County’s most scenic open spaces.
Parker Fall Fest — Parker
🗓️ Saturday, September 26 | 4–7:30 p.m.
➜ View details
Parker is celebrating fall—and three milestone anniversaries—with an artisan market, carnival games, an inflatable corn maze, climbing walls and live country music. Explore historical exhibits, shop from Parker’s youngest entrepreneurs and stay for a patriotic drone show beginning around 7:45 p.m.
Fall Fest — Highlands Ranch
🗓️ Saturday, October 3 | 8:30–11 a.m.
➜ View details
Start your fall morning with pancakes, pony rides and a trip to the pumpkin patch at Backcountry Base Camp. Kids can also enjoy arts and crafts, a bouncy obstacle course and a live animal presentation.
Schweiger Ranch Fall Festival — Lone Tree
🗓️ Sunday, October 4 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
➜ View details
Step back in time at this historic working ranch with pumpkin picking, horse-drawn wagon rides, marshmallow roasting and guided ranch tours. The day also brings live bluegrass, games, crafts, food trucks and a visit from the Cheyenne Mountain ZOOMobile.
Castle Pines Fall Festival Weekend — Castle Pines
🗓️ Friday–Saturday, October 23–24
➜ View details
Kick off the weekend Friday night with a community bonfire, s’mores, live music, BBQ and a beer garden. Saturday brings costumes, Trick-or-Treat Street, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a petting zoo and plenty of kids’ activities—ending with the wonderfully wacky Great Pumpkin Race.
Oktoberfests
Oktoberfest — Castle Rock
🗓️ Saturday, September 19 | 1–9 p.m.
➜ View details
Downtown Castle Rock is going Bavarian with live German music, food trucks, vendors and plenty of beer, wine and cocktails. Kids can tackle the bounce houses, rock wall and inflatable games before a DJ dance party closes out the night.
Oktoberfest Celebration — Highlands Ranch
🗓️ Saturday, September 26 | 1–9 p.m.
➜ View details
Raise a stein to fall at Highlands Ranch Town Center with live music, stein-hoisting competitions and plenty of Bavarian charm. Come hungry for bratwurst, pretzels and schnitzel—and thirsty for imported and locally brewed German-style bier. Prost!
Oktoberfest — Sterling Ranch
🗓️ Saturday, September 26 | 12–8 p.m.
➜ View details
Celebrate Oktoberfest at Providence Park with live music, stein games, fresh pretzels and a special Oktoberfest beer from Living the Dream Brewing.
Before You Go
That’s plenty of fall fun to keep us going through October. We’ll continue adding festivals as more dates are announced, so bookmark this guide and check back throughout the season.
Know one we should add? Send it our way at [email protected].
See you somewhere between the corn maze, pumpkin patch and bier garden.
—Grace
Editor, The Ranch Scoop

