Fall & Halloween Events in Douglas County
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social · Updated August 2026
Fall festivals, pumpkin patches and corn mazes, Oktoberfest, and every Halloween tentpole worth the trip. Here is the running guide to autumn across Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Castle Pines — verified dates first, everything else marked as it firms up.
The 2026 fall calendar at a glance
| Date | Event | City |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12–13 | Castle Rock Artfest | Castle Rock |
| Sep 12 | HRCA Fall Craft Fair | Highlands Ranch |
| Sep 19 | Castle Rock Oktoberfest | Castle Rock |
| Sep 25 – Nov 1 | Lone Creek Farms Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch | Franktown |
| Sep 26 | Parker Fall Fest | Parker |
| Sep 26 | Oktoberfest Highlands Ranch | Highlands Ranch |
| Sep 26–27 | Colorado Highland Games | Sedalia |
| Oct 3 | Castle Rock Trail Festival | Castle Rock |
| Oct 4 | Lone Tree Fall Festival at Schweiger Ranch | Lone Tree |
| Oct 10 | Glow Dance Party | Castle Rock |
| Oct 17 | Spooktacular | Castle Rock |
| Oct 18 | Fall Festival + Creepy Crawlies | Castle Rock |
| Oct 24 | The Great Pumpkin: A Storybook Holiday | Parker |
| Oct 30 | Fangtastic Festival | Castle Rock |
| Oct 31 | Chaparral Autumn Artisan Market | Parker |
| Oct 31 | The Last Stop — Halloween at the Mansion | Highlands Ranch |
Fall Festivals
Hunting handmade gifts? Fall is when the craft-fair season kicks off — the HRCA Fall Craft Fair, Chaparral’s Autumn Artisan Market, and the Craft Show Extraordinaire all land before the December markets. See our full Craft Fairs & Holiday Markets guide.
- Castle Rock Artfest — Sep 12–13, Festival Park (Castle Rock): The downtown fine-arts festival kicks off the fall season with juried artists, live music, and food.
- HRCA Fall Craft Fair — Sat Sep 12, Eastridge Rec Center (Highlands Ranch): 9 a.m.–5 p.m., free — handmade goods and crafters ahead of the holidays.
- Parker Fall Fest — Sat Sep 26, O'Brien Park (Parker): 4–7:30 p.m., part of Parker's “Back to Our Roots” 45th-anniversary programming.
- Colorado Highland Games — Sep 26–27, Denver Polo Club (Sedalia): Formerly the Colorado Scottish Festival, the 62nd annual celebration of Scottish culture returns to the polo grounds south of Castle Rock, with headliner Old Blind Dogs. Approved in 2025 to stay at the venue for five years, the games are locked in through roughly 2030.
- Castle Rock Trail Festival & liveBIG Adventure Run — Sat Oct 3, Philip S. Miller Park (Castle Rock): Trail race plus a family festival at the park.
- City of Lone Tree Fall Festival at Schweiger Ranch — Sun Oct 4: Lone Tree's fall celebration at the historic Schweiger Ranch.
- Glow Dance Party — Sat Oct 10, Miller Park Amphitheater (Castle Rock): A Therapeutic Recreation fundraiser dance night under the lights.
- Fall Festival featuring Creepy Crawlies Around the Rock — Sun Oct 18, Festival Park (Castle Rock): 10 a.m.–3 p.m. of family fall fun downtown.
Chasing the leaves too? See where to find fall colors in Douglas County.
Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes
- Lone Creek Farms Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch — Sep 25 – Nov 1, Franktown: A ticketed agritainment farm just east of Castle Rock with a corn maze, hayrides, and a pumpkin patch, open weekends through the season.
- Other area patches (Gilly's, The Patch, and more): Additional pumpkin patches and corn mazes open around the county each fall. Specific 2026 dates and hours are announced seasonally — [UNVERIFIED], confirm with each farm.
Halloween Events
The two family tentpoles anchor the month, with a long tail of parties, haunted trails, and trunk-or-treats returning across the county.
- Spooktacular — Sat Oct 17, Philip S. Miller Park (Castle Rock): 1–4 p.m. — Castle Rock's big family Halloween tentpole.
- The Great Pumpkin: A Storybook Holiday — Sat Oct 24, Douglas County Libraries (Parker): A family storybook Halloween event.
- Fangtastic Festival — Fri Oct 30, Festival Park, downtown Castle Rock: 11 a.m.–2 p.m. — the downtown Halloween tentpole.
- The Last Stop — Halloween at the Mansion — Sat Oct 31, Highlands Ranch Mansion: 6:30–9 p.m., free — DJ, a trick-or-treat stop, and a cash bar at the historic mansion.
Returns each October (2026 dates announced closer to Halloween): Big Jack's Boo Bash at the Outlets at Castle Rock, the Wild Rumpus Halloween Bash at Lost Canyon Ranch, Ghostly Stories & Tragic Tales at the Castle Rock Museum, the HRCA Haunted Forest, Backcountry Haunted Forest & Pumpkin Chunkin' in Highlands Ranch, and neighborhood trunk-or-treats across Sterling Ranch, Castle Pines, and Parker. [Annual — 2026 dates not yet posted.]
Oktoberfest
- Castle Rock Oktoberfest — Sat Sep 19: German beer, brats, and live music at Wilcox Square in historic downtown Castle Rock.
- Oktoberfest Highlands Ranch — Sat Sep 26: A week later at the Highlands Ranch Town Center.
Both also live on our full guide to food and drink events across Douglas County — alongside the fall tastings, brewfests, and wine walks.
Coming up next on our calendar
Live from our events calendar — the next fall and Halloween events, updating automatically as dates are posted.
Keep the season going
Craft Fairs & Markets
Every craft fair, Christmas market, and shop-local night, fall through December.
Food & Drink Events
Tastings, brewfests, wine walks, and Oktoberfest all season.
Fall Colors
Where to catch the best foliage across the county.
Holiday Events
Tree lightings, markets, and winter fun once fall wraps.
Love a great night out? So do we.
Fall is the season for a good dinner with good company — and we host our own. Pull up a chair:
Frequently asked
What are the big fall festivals in Douglas County?
The confirmed 2026 fall festival lineup includes Castle Rock Artfest at Festival Park (Sep 12–13), the HRCA Fall Craft Fair in Highlands Ranch (Sep 12), Oktoberfest in downtown Castle Rock (Sep 19), Parker Fall Fest at O'Brien Park and Oktoberfest Highlands Ranch (both Sep 26), the Colorado Highland Games at the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia (Sep 26–27), the Castle Rock Trail Festival at Philip S. Miller Park (Oct 3), the City of Lone Tree Fall Festival at Schweiger Ranch (Oct 4), the Glow Dance Party (Oct 10), and the Fall Festival featuring Creepy Crawlies Around the Rock at Festival Park (Oct 18).
What Halloween events happen in Douglas County?
The two family tentpoles are Spooktacular at Philip S. Miller Park (Sat Oct 17) and the Fangtastic Festival at Festival Park in downtown Castle Rock (Fri Oct 30). Parker adds The Great Pumpkin: A Storybook Holiday at the Douglas County Libraries (Sat Oct 24), and the Highlands Ranch Mansion hosts The Last Stop — Halloween at the Mansion (Sat Oct 31). Several more Halloween parties, haunted trails, and trunk-or-treats return each October across the county.
Where can I find a pumpkin patch or corn maze near Douglas County?
Lone Creek Farms in Franktown runs a Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch from late September through early November (Sep 25 – Nov 1 in 2026) — a ticketed agritainment farm with a corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkins. Other area patches open seasonally each fall; check individual farms for their current dates and hours.
When is Oktoberfest in Douglas County?
There are two: Castle Rock Oktoberfest at Wilcox Square in historic downtown Castle Rock on Saturday, September 19, and Oktoberfest Highlands Ranch at the Highlands Ranch Town Center on Saturday, September 26. Both are on our food and drink events guide as well.