Fall has officially begun! This weekend take the kids to the Autumn Gold Festival, dance in an enchanted forest, celebrate monarch butterflies, go on a hay ride and run with the family dog for a good cause! All happening this weekend in and around Boulder.
Estes Park Autumn Gold Festival

Photo Courtesy Visit Colorado
When: September 23 – 24, 2017
Where: Estes Park, Colorado
Time: Saturday 11AM – 6:30PM, Sunday 11:30AM – 5PM
Cost: FREE
Ages:All Ages
Autumn Gold Festival is Estes Park’s fall celebration – a Festival of Bands, Brats & Beer. Entrance is free to dance, listen to music and enjoy the festival. The Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary will be offering mustard-smothered bratwursts, cold brews, soft drinks and more as talented local musicians and award-winning Colorado bands play. Browse the vendor booths who will be offering corn on the cob, funnel cakes, fresh squeezed lemonade, roasted almonds and desserts. Free family activities include face painting, corn bag toss, a bounce house and a classic car show. The highlight of the Autumn Gold Festival is the popular raffle with the winner taking home the grand prize of $5,000. Additional prizes include a $2,500 runner-up prize and various other cash awards. Raffle tickets are $25 each.
Enchanted Forest at Wild Mountain Nature Center


When: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Where: Wild Bear Nature Center, 20 Lakeview Dr, Nederland, Colorado 80466
Time: 11AM – 6PM
Cost: $8/person in advance, $10/person day of, Children under 2 and seniors are free. Tickets available here.
Ages: All Ages
Wild Bear Nature Center will be hosting its 17th annual Enchanted Forest! Join us as we connect with the magic of the Fall season and the greater community! Take a tour of the forest and meet the animals who will tell their stories and how we can help them! Expect a full goody bag of special treasures from the forest animals! Enjoy loads of activities in Downtown Nederland, including professional face painting, creating your own costumes, live musical and theatrical performances, forest tours, and fairy magic. Dance with the bears! Enjoy yummy foods, hot drinks, and a community driven bake sale. People of all ages welcome and costumes are encouraged! Seniors and children under 2 years are free. Please note: Tours last 1 hour, and the last tour will be leaving at 5 pm. There are still lots of activities going on in the forest for latecomers to enjoy.
Monarch Day at the Butterfly Pavilion
When: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Where: Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W 104th Ave, Westminster, CO 80020
Time: 9AM – 5PM
Ages: All Ages
Cost: All special activities included in general admission: Adults – $11.00; Westminster Resident – $9, Seniors (65+) – $9.00, Children (2 – 12) – $7.00, Children (under 2) – Free
Monarch Day is a fun-filled celebration of these amazing butterflies at the Butterfly Pavilion. From their important role in our ecosystem to their incredible migration, there’s so much to discover! The Butterfly Pavilion is home to over 5,000 animals! Kids will be immersed in a tropical rainforest where 1,600 butterflies live and Rosie, the tarantula is ready to be held by brave children. Step to Water’s Edge to be immersed in an underwater world full of sea creatures. The pavilion also features lovely gardens and a nature trail, as well as a fun gift shop.
Morrison Ciderfest
When: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Where: 100 Summer St, Morrison, Colorado 80465
Time: 10AM – 7PM
Cost: FREE
Ages: All Ages
Morrison continues its fall tradition with the Ciderfest, where families can spend the day sipping cider and enjoying activities like horseshoe tournaments and pony rides. Activities include cider press demonstrations, custom car show, kids area with a bouncy castle and more, arts and crafts exhibits, silent auction, horseshoe tournament as well as hay and pony rides from 11am-3pm. For more information please visit: http://
Doggie Dash 2017


When: Sunday, September 24, 2017
Where: Boulder Reservoir, 5565 N 51st St., Boulder, CO 80301
Time: 10AM – 1PM
Cost: $25/Adult, $15/Youth (under 12), Register here.
Ages: All Ages
Join the Boulder Valley Humane Society for a fun-filled celebration of our community and the pets in our lives, featuring a 2-mile stroll and fun run at the Boulder Reservoir. Whether your family is dashing with your favorite four-legged friend, a team of two-legged friends, or just enjoying our Community Expo — featuring scrumptious brunch options including food trucks, the Carabiner Coffee Company (Ol’ Blue), an Oskar Blues Brewery beer garden, the high flying canines of the Purina Pro Plan Performance Team, and dozens of vendor booths — you can help the Humane Society raise critical funds to support the animals at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley! Make or raise a $25 donation when you register to receive your limited edition Doggie Dash performance tee.
In addition to all the fun at the event, all dashers receive a limited edition Doggie Dash participant medal and dog “medal” to commemorate the life-saving morning, a Goodie Bag filled with giveaways, and access to all of our exciting our fundraising prizes! For more info, click here.