Things to Do in Denver This Weekend: Oct 23–25, 2026

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Cir, Downtown
Fri Oct 23, 7:00 PM. Resale from ~$44.

Friday night hockey against a marquee Eastern Conference visitor is the loudest room in Denver this weekend. Ball Arena just announced a $135M renovation plan, so catch the building in its classic form while the season is young.

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Uptown
Fri Oct 23, 7:00 PM (Night 2 Sat Oct 24).

Simon Posford and Raja Ram bring the full psychedelic live show to the Fillmore for a rare two-night stand — part concert, part immersive visual trip. Two-day passes are the move if you're even considering both nights; Denver doesn't get Shpongle often.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
Fri Oct 23, 6:00 PM.

The Red Rocks season is in its final stretch, and Mersiv's bass-heavy, downtempo-leaning sound is built for those sandstone walls after dark. Doors are early and October nights in Morrison get cold fast — layers are not optional.

Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St, Cheesman Park
Fri Oct 23 & Sat Oct 24, 5:30–9:00 PM. $27–$37; kids 2 and under free.

A ton of real, hand-carved pumpkins — sculptures, glowing trails, performers — in the event's 10th year, and this is the last weekend before it goes dark. It sells out every year; remaining tickets will not survive the weekend.

Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St, Capitol Hill
Fri Oct 23 & Sat Oct 24; timed entries every 15 min, 6:00–9:00 PM. $30 GA, $25 Historic Denver members.

Local actors read sea-themed gothic tales by long-dead authors as you move room to room through the (genuinely rumored-haunted) Brown mansion. One hour, intimate groups, no jump scares — atmosphere does the work.

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Cir, Downtown
Sat Oct 24, 7:00 PM. Resale from ~$23.

The first regular-season home game of the year is always part basketball, part city holiday — banner energy, full house, and the cheapest way into the building is an early-season Saturday. Get there early; opening-night intros are worth it.

Civic Center Park, Downtown
Sat Oct 24, daytime festival (admission believed free).

Denver's traditional Day of the Dead gathering honoring ancestors and loved ones: altars, art, music, and community in the park between the Capitol and the City & County Building. The reflective counterweight to the weekend's costume chaos — come respectful, leave moved.

Clocktower Cabaret, 1601 Arapahoe St, Downtown (D&F Tower)
Opens Fri Oct 23, runs through Oct 31. 18+.

Twenty years in, the Clocktower's basement cabaret Halloween show is a Denver institution: burlesque, aerial, juggling, and comedy under the tower, no two nights alike.

Elitch Gardens, Downtown (I-25 & Speer)
Sat Oct 24 & Sun Oct 25 (Fright Fest runs weekends through Nov 1). Admission ~$57.99 online; Haunt Pass ~$40.

The split-personality pick: rides and Booville trick-or-treating with the kids by day, scare zones and haunted houses after 6 PM. Best option on this list for a mixed-age group that refuses to split up.

Boettcher Concert Hall, DPAC, Downtown
Fri Oct 23 & Sat Oct 24, 7:30 PM; Sun Oct 25, 1:00 PM. Resale from ~$40.

The Colorado Symphony pairs Stravinsky's Firebird with Denver's own Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and a John Williams horn concerto — the weekend's high-culture flex, and the Sunday matinee is the relaxed way in.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
Sun Oct 25, 7:30 PM.

The beloved farming game's music, performed live by an orchestra under the rocks — a gentle, genuinely joyful close to the weekend. If you've ever lost a Sunday to your virtual farm, this is your people, in person, at altitude.

Sun Oct 25, 2:05 PM MT on CBS (road game at State Farm Stadium, Glendale).

The Broncos are 4–2 and on the road, which makes Sunday afternoon a sports-bar occasion instead of a stadium one. Pick a room with the sound on — our Best Sports Bars in Denver guide has the verified short list.