DENVER — Every weekend, Denver7 compiles a list of some fun events you might enjoy. Here are our picks for the 7 best things to do in the Denver metro area and beyond this weekend. Have a fun event you’d like to showcase? Send an email to thingstodo@denver7.com.
1. 🍂🍁 Head out the door and enjoy some beautiful fall foliage.
Want to go on a hike? Would you rather drive? Or maybe explore beyond the roads and take a train ride? We have you covered with this comprehensive guide — plus an interactive map — to show you the best leaf peeping spots around Colorado.
But we also want to hear from you! Send your leaf peeping recommendations to newstips@denver7.com, the Denver7 Facebook inbox, or post in our Discover Colorado | Through Your Photos Facebook group.
Check out our full guide here.
2. Want to skate in a cool place? The grand opening of the Idaho Springs Skatepark is Saturday. 🛼
The event kicks off with a ceremony at 4 p.m., followed by live music and pro skater demonstrations. Enjoy locally made food and drinks, fun activities for all ages and a raffle. It lasts until 8 p.m.
Come join the fun at the Idaho Springs Sports & Events Complex, located at 101 E. Idaho Springs Road.
(BONUS IN IDAHO SPRINGS: While you're at it, ghost tours have returned to Idaho Springs! On this guided tour, you'll take a 1.3-mile walk around the city's most haunted streets. The tour runs until Oct. 29. Or... hop on the Cemetery Ghost Tour and learn some spooky history along the way. This tour runs through Oct. 30. Tickets start at $25)
3. Ready to step into an arachnid adventure? 🕷️
The Butterfly Pavilion is welcoming you to its limited-time Spiders Around the World exhibition, which opens on Sept. 26. It will run through Oct. 31.
"From bold tarantulas to delicate orb weavers, visitors will uncover the wonder, importance, and beauty of spiders from every corner of the globe," the Pavilion said in a press release. "At the heart of the takeover is Spider Zone — a breathtaking walk-through habitat filled with hundreds of orb-weaving spiders spinning intricate webs all around you. No glass. No barriers. Just you, face-to-face with these mesmerizing creatures. This once-in-a-lifetime experience transforms fear into fascination while showcasing the vital role spiders play in keeping ecosystems healthy."
You can enter the exhibition with general admission. Details here.
4. Time to celebrate Oktoberfest! 🍻
Since 1969, this has been a staple two-weekend festival in downtown Denver, and this is your last chance to celebrate it in 2025.
"From keg bowling to stein hoisting, live music and more, there’s something here for Oktoberfest pro’s and first timer’s. So grab your stein, throw on your lederhosen and join us!" the event's website reads.
5. It's the final weekend of the Levitt Pavilion Free Concert Season! 🎶
You can catch the Satin Jackets with Diastrata on Friday, September 26.
The Slackers with Volores and 5150 will take the stage on Sunday, 28.
Entertainment
Levitt Pavilion free summer concert series: First round of free shows announced
🐉 6. You're invited to the Riverdale Regional Park Dragon Boat Regatta and Night Market on Sept. 27.
The event, in celebration of Colorado's Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, will start Dragon Boat Races begin by Mann Nyholt Lake at 10 a.m.
The night market and celebrations then begin at 4 p.m., with the St. Vrain Valley School District Drone Team hosting a drone show at 8:30 p.m. featuring music by Denver Taiko.
Community
You're invited to Night Market at Riverdale Regional Park Dragon Boat Regatta
7. You'd be hard pressed not to see an elk in Estes Park, so why not celebrate them?
The popular Colorado mountain town is celebrating its mascot with Elk Fest Sept. 27-28. Enjoy vendors, live music, food trucks, performances and you can even try your hand at a bugling contest. 🫎
Here's the schedule for the weekend:
Sept. 27, 2025 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
10 a.m. Festival and all vendor booths OPEN
11 a.m.-11:40 a.m. Rocky Mountain Elk educational video presentations (Town Hall - Board Room)
11 a.m.-11:50 a.m. Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (Main Stage)
Noon-1 p.m. Bugling Contest (family fun and prizes!)
1-1:40 p.m. Rocky Mountain Elk educational video presentations (Town Hall - Board Room)
1-3 p.m. Live music with Linda Theus-Lee (main stage)
3-4 p.m. Native American dancing, and music (main stage)
Sept. 28, 2025 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
10 a.m. Festival and all vendor booths OPEN
11 a.m.-11:40 a.m. Rocky Mountain Elk educational video presentations (Town Hall - Board Room)
11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Non-Profits on Main Stage (Wolf Sanctuary 11-11:15 a.m., Colorado Wildlife Federation 11:15-11:30 a.m.)
11 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Live music with The Mixx (main stage)
1 p.m.-1:40 p.m. Rocky Mountain Elk educational video presentations (Town Hall - Board Room)
3 p.m.-4: p.m. Native American dancing, and music (main stage)
Local
VIDEOS: Colorado's elk rut is in full swing as they battle, bugle for mates
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