Halloween & October Fun in Glenwood Springs, Colorado is a great time just before the winter season begins. Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is the ideal base camp for all sorts of fun, whether it’s spending time in the great outdoors, celebrating the beauty of fall, or seeking something more spooktacular this October. Regardless of your reason, make time for soaking in the natural hot springs at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, especially when it’s dark and the stars and moon are adding an eerie light and the clouds are drifting in and out.
To make it easy, we’ve put together a list of Halloween and October fun in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. And don’t forget to book a room at Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge to truly savor the season.
On the spookier side
You know when Halloween is around the corner when Glenwood Springs Historical Society hosts its annual Ghost Walk at Linwood Cemetery on the last two Fridays and Saturdays in October (Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29). Costumed guides are situated at the cemetery trailhead to take participants on a memorable journey through time. Walk up the hill led by the light of lanterns and into the historic cemetery where “ghosts” share portrayals of real-life characters of Glenwood Springs’ past who are buried here.
Make sure to purchase tickets in advance as they sell out quickly, bring your own lanterns or flashlights, and wear footwear and clothing appropriate for being outdoors. Tour times are 6:30, 7:15, 8:00 and 8:30 p.m., with the 6:30 tour recommended for families with small children. Bringing children under 5 years of age is not recommended. Tours are limited to 30 people each.
Linwood Cemetery also can be visited on your own. Make it your first stop in following the legend of Doc Holliday, a storied personality of the early American West and the most notorious former resident of Glenwood Springs. The gunslinger, gambler and dentist arrived in town hoping the dry air and local mineral hot springs and vapor caves would cure him of tuberculosis. But his death on Nov. 8, 1887, after being in town for only 57 days, meant he never had the opportunity to step foot in Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, which opened to great fanfare less than a year later on July 4, 1888. Today, you can honor his memory enjoying the health benefits of hot springs at that same pool.
Holliday was laid to rest somewhere in Linwood Cemetery, but no one knows the exact location. Hike a short, moderate trail to his grave marker (approximately .7 miles round trip) where you’ll find mementos such as playing cards and coins left behind. Also visit the Glenwood Springs Historical Society’s collection of Doc Holliday memorabilia located at Bullocks, a Western goods store at 732 Grand Ave. Holliday died while residing at the ornate Hotel Glenwood, which later burned down at this location in 1945.
Enjoy a fun-filled fall evening at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park during the new After Dark in the Park event on two Saturday evenings, Oct 22 and 29, when the park will be open late until 9 p.m. Catch a fright or delight by riding the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride, Alpine Coaster, Defiance, Giant Canyon Swing, Mine Wheel and Giddy Up in the moonlight. Lantern-lit cave tours also will be available—just as they were when the caverns originally opened—and there will be trick-or-treating, a mini pumpkin scavenger hunt and costume contest both evenings.
Have a screaming good time at Glenwood Springs Parks & Rec’s annual Halloween Spooktacular on Oct. 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Glenwood Springs Community Center. A pumpkin hunt, carnival games, fire pit, bounce house, entertainment, spooky ice skating and more are planned. On Mondays in October, head to the community center’s dance studio at either 10:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. to learn the moves for a “Thriller” flash mob that will pop up at Halloween Spooktacular and other locations around town.
No scary required
Celebrating fall and the Halloween season doesn’t have to mean getting scared out of your wits!
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is hosting Octoberfest on the first three Saturdays in October (Oct. 1, 8, 15) with outdoor games, axe throwing, a beer stein holding contest, keg bowling, Oktoberfest-themed foods, a German-style beer garden and more. Alpine Echo, the Roaring Fork Valley’s favorite German band, will entertain audiences with traditional polkas, waltzes, bierstube songs and everyone’s favorite, the chicken dance.
Kirstie Ennis Foundation Oktoberfest at Sunlight Mountain Resort on Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., supports a worthy cause and features four bands (Peach Street Revival, Whiskey Stomp, Brother Dege, and The Polish Ambassador), food from around the Roaring Fork Valley, drinks, auctions, and loads of fun. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Currently based in the Roaring Fork Valley, Ennis lost her leg after a military helicopter went down in Afghanistan. After more than 40 surgeries for numerous injuries and the amputation of her leg above the knee, the former Marine sergeant has accomplished more in her three decades than most people have achieved in their lifetimes. The foundation provides recreational therapy clinics and expeditions, introduces medical device technology to underserved communities globally, and partners with organizations with similar missions.
Another option on several Saturdays in October is Music Meanders: A Downtown Music Series from 12:30 – 6:30 p.m. Shop and dine in downtown Glenwood Springs on Oct. 8, 15 and 22 and find the music at various locations. There is a rotating collection of musicians in two-hour time slots and new lineups each week. For example, on Oct. 8, Bonfire performs on Cooper Avenue from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., Rodrigo Arreguin on Seventh Street from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., Kyle Jones on Sixth Street from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., and Josefina Mendez, Chris Banks and Mark Johnson at Bethel Plaza from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. It’s an easy and picturesque walk from Glenwood Hot Springs Resort to downtown over the pedestrian bridge.
While Glenwood Springs Branch Library won’t be showing “The Birds,” a well-known horror film produced by Alfred Hitchcock, it is hosting a free Birds of Prey event in partnership with Nature’s Educators on Oct. 24, 2 – 3:30 p.m. The first 30 minutes give children ages 2 to 5 the opportunity to see two live raptors during Meet Radical Raptors, while the next 60 minutes of Talon Talk for kids ages 5 and up is for meeting and learning about four live raptors. Find out what these birds eat, where they live, and special adaptations that help them be successful predators.
On Oct. 28, The Great Pumpkin Carve at the library is a free celebration from 2-4 p.m. Pumpkins, patterns and tools will be provided while supplies last. One pumpkin is available per group, and feel free to bring your own.
In tandem with the Halloween and October fun in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, begin, end or fill your day in Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s mineral hot springs pool, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You are guaranteed to have one Mother Nature of a good time.