Looking for things to do this weekend in NoCo? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a collection of the best community events, gatherings, festivals and more from Fort Collins, Estes Park, Loveland, Greeley and beyond!
Activities, Events, Shows, and More in Northern Colorado
“What are we doing this weekend?” If you don’t have an answer to that question yet, you’re about to! Check out these local NoCo events, including night markets, craft shows, and even a chili fest. However you plan to spend your weekend, make sure it’s a good one!
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™
Where? Downtown Fort Collins
When? October 17th
The Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ is a monthly signature event presented by the Downtown Development Authority. Whether you consider yourself a true foodie or you simply love to spend an evening exploring town and sampling new bites, this event is for you! The monthly self-guided walking tour is scheduled from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the third Friday of each month. This spotlight on FoCo’s thriving food and beverage scene is a great opportunity to make new connections and experience exciting seasonal flavors. Participating businesses vary monthly, so arrive with an open mind as you never know what you’ll find! Whether you’re into pumpkin spice and everything nice or you like your bites with a kick, there’s something for everyone’s tastebuds. When you arrive, make sure to check in by scanning your QR code. This will ensure that you’re eligible for the monthly gift basket giveaway!
Moonlight Market
Where? Old Town Square, Fort Collins
When? October 17th
This Friday’s Moonlight Market is hosted by Wild Season Pop Ups, which are a curated series of vibrant markets and creative gatherings across NoCo. Enjoy shopping local makers, small businesses and more while you craft connections with your surrounding community. The Moonlight Market will be held from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM in FoCo’s Old Town Square. This night market will feature handmade goods, local artwork, curious wares and maybe a little bit of magic along the way! Get a jump on holiday shopping, with unique goods including candles, ceramics, prints, jewelry, and much more!
CSU Observatory 60th Anniversary
Where? Various locations on campus, Fort Collins
When? October 17th
Colorado State University is excited to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their observatory with free public events this Friday! Whether you consider yourself a space-lover or you just enjoy spending time with the CSU community, this is a great way to ring in homecoming as well. There will be kickoff to the festivities with the CSU Astronomy club, where attendees can safely observe solar flares and sunspots using telescopes during the Festival on the Oval. There will also be a series of public lectures, as well as space-themed experiments, star gazing and much more! For additional information on the events and parking, check out the schedule here.
2025 Loveland COMOM
Where? 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland
When? October 17th & 18th
This weekend, the Colorado Mission of Mercy (COMOM) is bringing its large-scale, free dental clinic to Loveland’s Pedersen Toyota Event Center and the McKee 4-H and Community Building. This two-day clinic will provide attendees with cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions and more at no cost! The event is in an effort to serve patients based on their most urgent dental needs, without a cost barrier preventing them from seeking care. Since 2007, the COMOM has proudly provided over $18 million in donated dental care to over 20,000 patients across the Centennial State! Everyone is welcome, regardless of employment, citizenship or insurance status. Doors will open at 6:00 AM on both days.
Harvest Makers Market & Chili Fest
Where? 2000 East Prospect Road, Fort Collins
When? October 18th
The Bath Garden Center & Nursery is hosting a makers market and chili fest this Saturday, so don’t miss out on what’s sure to be a good time! Kick off your day with fall fun along with 15+ local vendors, a green chili cook off and live music from Jordan Mestas. There will be food hot off the grill, including brats, hot dogs and veggie dogs, as well as fire-roasted chili peppers. No meal is complete without something sweet, so be sure to grab some Edison’s ice cream afterwards! The market and fest will run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If you have your own green chilies that you want roasted, bring them with you! Staff onsite will roast them for $15 per bushel. Admission is free to Saturday’s fest, with food and additional activities sold separately.
Fall Arts & Crafts Show
Where? 850 North St. Vrain, Estes Park
When? October 18th
The American Legion Post 119 in Estes Park invites you to attend the Sister Crafts Fall Arts & Crafts Show this Saturday. From 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, you’ll have the opportunity to start your holiday shopping early and even grab lunch at the tavern while you’re there! Admission is free, as is parking. Not only can you support local businesses at the show, you can enjoy a relaxed afternoon in Estes Park while you’re at it. The Tavern menu features all of your favorites, including hatch green chili cheese curds, Rocky Mountain oysters, caesar salads, Kansas City BBQ wings, jalapeño popper burgers and much, much more!
Loveland Zombie Crawl
Where? 118 West 4th Street, Loveland
When? October 18th
The Loveland Zombie Crawl is a can’t-miss seasonal event if you love all things undead and beer. From 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the undead will be taking over town on Saturday during the annual crawl. Kick off your evening at Loveland Aleworks, where you’ll find food trucks, live music, and even a spooky photo booth. There will also be makeup artists onsite to perfect your zombie aesthetic. Go all out and try to win a prize at the costume contest! Additional crawl bonuses include $1 off pints of beer all night long. Once darkness descends, the crawl will take over Downtown Loveland with drink specials at participating locations. Invite your ghoulish crew now and dig through your closet for your zombie best for a night that’s sure to be so fun it’s scary!
Native American Culture & History Day
Where? 2698 Bluestem Willow Drive, Loveland
When? October 18th
This Saturday, celebrate Native American Culture & History Day at the High Plains Environmental Center in Loveland. From 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, attendees can enjoy educational activities such as a plant walk that covers historic uses of Colorado’s native plants, as well as a Historic Colorado Land Rights Class from 10:15 AM to 11:15 AM with Rick Williams. You also won’t want to miss out on the Native American dance circle and demonstration with the Iron Family from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM! Parking is free at the center and there will be vendors onsite for refreshments, such as Fire n Ice Coffee! Guests are welcome to bring chairs or blankets for sitting in the grass and there is a suggested donation amount of $20-$25.
Run Fur Fun Spooktacular 5K
Where? 500 Linden Street, Fort Collins
When? October 18th
The Animal Friends Alliance is hosting this weekend’s most exciting 5K! Dress up and bring your four-legged companion along for a walk, run or even a jaunt. The Run Fur Fun Spooktacular will start and end at the Odell Brewing Company in FoCo. There will be eclectic tunes from The Sugar Britches, as well as plenty of fun to go around with fellow animal and beer loving participants. The 5K will start and end at Odell Brewing Company, with all proceeds from the race benefiting the Alliance and the 13,000+ cats and dogs that they help annually! There will be a fun run option, as well as a kids fun run for those who don’t want an official time. Each registered participant (both timed and fun run) will receive a race t-shirt while supplies last, a sticker, a race bag and a complimentary pancake from Snooze and a brew from Odell (21+)!
Blue Sky Marathon & Half
Where? 4780 West County Road 38E, Fort Collins
When? October 18th & 19th
The Blue Sky Marathon and Half Marathon will be held in FoCo’s Horsetooth Mountain Park, starting at the Blue Sky Trailhead. The course is 100% dirt and 90% sweet Colorado single track, with terrain ranging in difficulty from smooth dirt trails to technical rock gardens. There is a generous time allowance of 9 hours for the marathon on Saturday and 6 hours for the half on Sunday. Once you wrap up, kick back and enjoy hot BBQ, awards and awesome sponsor giveaways! Registration for the full marathon will be priced at $138.80 and $117.60 for the half, including fees. Trails will be well-marked along the course and there will be race and aid stations throughout the run. Participants will also receive free entry to Larimer County Open Space for the day!
Family-Friendly Activities in NoCo This Weekend
Celebrate all types of spooky Halloween fun with the family this weekend in Northern Colorado, from trunk-or-treating at the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center to pumpkin decorating in Fort Collins. Do you have a young skater eager to show off their moves? Check out the Fall Skate Jam in Estes Park this Saturday!
2nd Annual Trunk-or-Treat
Where? 2637 Midpoint Drive, Fort Collins
When? October 18th
The Northern Colorado Wildlife Center is excited to celebrate their 2nd Annual Trunk-or-Treat event this Saturday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The center provides a great location for NoCo families to interact with some spooktacular animal ambassadors while they participate in fun contests and enjoy delightful treats. Entry into the main event, including trunk or treating, is free. There will be additional activities available for purchase, as well as unique opportunities to donate to help protect wildlife and their habitats! Carnival-style games such as ring tosses and pumpkin-smashing targets are priced at $1 per token or $25 for unlimited plays ($20 if you purchase in advance), so get ready for an afternoon of endless fun!
Estes Park Fall Skate Jam
Where? 380 Community Drive, Estes Park
When? October 18th
Fall Skate Fest returns to Estes Park this Saturday from 12:00 to 2:30 PM at Lawson Skatepark, building on last year’s grand-opening success with a free, family-friendly celebration of the local skate community. Expect live music from Denver’s Crisco Disco, skateboard competitions with cash prizes and custom trophies, tons of product giveaways, and slices from the Mangia Mangia Pizzeria food truck. All ages are welcome, and the vibe is all about community, creativity, and good times at the sports complex.
The afternoon kicks off with a scooter and kids freestyle jam from 12:00 to 12:20, followed by junior (16 and under) and senior (17 and up) skate competitions. Bring your crew, cheer on local skaters, and make a day of it in the fall mountain air. Presented by Driftwood Tattoo Studio, Estes Valley Recreation & Park District, 303 Boards, Lithium Skateshop, and The Market Skateshop.
Free Sips and Pumpkin Decorating with Nékter
Where? 3260 South College Avenue, Fort Collins
When? October 18th & 25th
Who doesn’t love to decorate pumpkins during autumn? This weekend, enjoy family-friendly fun while you create fresh fall memories in Fort Collins. From 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, get your creativity on as you decorate your pumpkin and sip on a refreshing smoothie. Busy this Saturday? No problem! Next Saturday, there will be round two of pumpkin decorating — so mark your calendar now! Nékter is even offering a free kids drink for ages 12 and under, with the purchase of a regular smoothie, juice or bowl. Now that’s a deal! This offer is only valid during event hours and cannot be combined with any other offer.
Enjoy Your Weekend in Northern Colorado
Halloween is just around the corner now, so it’s time to start putting the finishing touches on your costume! Whether you want to traipse around Downtown Loveland dressed as a zombie this weekend or you want to enjoy a quieter experience as you stargaze at Colorado State University, there’s something on the schedule for everyone. Don’t forget to visit us again next week for your weekend lineup!