Get out and enjoy autumn with these Denver South gems!

Ahh, fall. The season of pumpkin spiced lattes, leaf-peeping, costumes, and sweaters. It’s a farewell to warm, summer weather and a reason to get outside a couple more times before the snow hits. So wrangle the kids, grab your camera, and head out to one of these autumn activities in the Denver South area!

Denver Botanic Gardens – Chatfield Farms

Chatfield Farms offers some good-old-fashioned rural fun in the form of corn mazes and haunted hayrides. Running until Oct. 29th, you can experience a scenic, 7-acre hayride through the Botanic Gardens. This includes a smaller, kid’s maze and even food vendors so you don’t have to pack snacks. But the real fun starts after the sun goes down–the “After Dark Maze” has you navigating through the corn maze with only a glowstick as a light. But the fun doesn’t stop with Halloween. On November 4th Día de los Muertos Festival. Decorate sugar skulls and celebrate this lighthearted holiday merging combining Mexican indigenous customs and European traditions. And November 9-11 you can get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Winter Gift Market.

University of Denver Sports

College sports in the fall are some of the most exciting all year, and if you’re in the area you can support your local teams while enjoying some great entertainment. Soccer, golf, hockey, and volleyball are all nearing the end of their fall seasons, so you’ll be seeing them at their best as they fight for playoff spots. Women’s volleyball is on track to win its fourth consecutive Summit League regular season title and tickets are only $5 for groups–it’s a steal.

Friends of Horses Rescue

Horses are iconic in Colorado, made evident by the blue Bronco statue at the airport and the name of our NFL team. But they aren’t just mythical symbols of our state–they’re living, breathing animals that you can interact with and care for. Friends of Horses adopts horses, but they also offer lessons for beginners, therapeutic riding for children, and volunteer work where you can learn about the animals and make a difference in their lives. Fall is the perfect season for trying out riding, with beautiful foliage and crisp air whipping through your hair. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with these gentle beasts and discover a new passion you can take all over Colorado.