Denver's Fall Festivals & Events
When the summer cools off, things in Denver start to heat up. The upcoming fall months are filled with some of the Mile High City’s greatest events, from local chefs showing off their stuff, to the biggest beer festival in the country. You’ll have the chance to check out a host of diverse cultures, as well as experience Denver’s vibrant arts scene. It’s about time you fell for fall in the Mile High City.
Harvest Week
Sept. 6-12
Various Restaurants throughout Denver
www.eatdenver.com/harvestweek.html
Denver’s restaurants are going local. Looking for proof? Check out Harvest Week. The Denver Independent Network of Restaurants (DINR) comprised of the area’s top independent restaurants, has created this weeklong celebration of Colorado’s exceptional produce and products. Each participating restaurant will create a menu for Harvest Week that features food and/or beverages grown or produced in Colorado and highlights the style of that particular eatery. All menus will be posted on the Harvest Week section of DINR’s website. Peaches, sweet corn, chevre, trout and lamb and other lesser-known Colorado products will also be featured, such as heirloom tomatoes, berries, greens and potatoes.
Oktoberfest
Sept. 19-21 & Sept. 26-28
In the Ballpark Neighborhood (between 20th and 22nd Sts. on Larimer St.)
www.oktoberfestdenver.com
Looking for an excuse to break out your liederhosen? Then Denver’s Oktoberfest celebration is for you. The event (one of the city’s longest running festivals and one of the largest of its kind in the nation) is modeled after Oktoberfest in Munich Germany. The festival has truly become a Denver mainstay, with traditional German attractions, music from national touring groups, performances by international dancers, children’s activities, the first ever Oktoberfest Denver 10K Run, a Green Village and authentic cuisine. Admission to the event is free.
5th Annual Festival Italiano
Sept. 20-21
BelmarCenter, Lakewood
www.belmarcolorado.com/sub/event/festival_italiano/index.html
Mamma Mia! The fifth annual Festival Italiano Food & Wine Festival at Belmar Center (pictured at top of page) is a fun-filled celebration of all things Italian. The event will feature over 70 of the finest Italian food, wine and artisan vendors from the area who will sell ceramics, gelato, sausage, baked goods, pasta, flowers, herbs, sculpture, antique maps, produce, pizza and much more. What should you expect? Throwers from Florence, regional Italian wine tastings for adults, chef demonstrations, live Italian music and dancing, Italian movies, Balistreri vineyard's children's grape stomp, a bocce ball tournament – it’ll all be happening this weekend. Come get a taste of la dolce vita in Belmar. 
Fright Fest
Oct. 3-Nov. 1
Elitch Gardens Theme Park
www.elitchgardens.com
Things get spooky around this time of year – especially at Denver’s famed downtown theme park, Elitch Gardens. This enormous fun zone transforms from theme park to "scream" park all month long during Fright Fest. From haunted houses to a free Trick-or-Treat Trail, there's something for the whole family to enjoy.
Great American Beer Festival
Oct. 9-11
ColoradoConvention Center
www.beertown.org/events/gabf
For beer aficionados, there’s no bigger event. More than 46,000 beer enthusiasts from Colorado, the United States, and around the world will attend this year’s Great American Beer Festival. The 2008 GABF is bigger than ever, covering 188,000 square feet of the Colorado Convention Center. GABF is all about sampling. Visitors enjoy one-ounce beer samples from the festival's breweries, which come from all over the country, giving beer lovers a walking tour of the nation’s beer-blessed landscape. The brewers themselves staff many of the booths. If you love beer, don’t miss this event.
Denver Arts Week
Various galleries, museums and theatres throughout Denver
Nov. 14-22
www.denverartsweek.com
The Mile High City celebrated its vibrant creative community last year with the wildly successful Denver Arts Week. In 2008, this unique citywide happening returns with an even bigger and better lineup of innovative, inspiring and fun activities and events. Clear your calendar for November 14-22 – this is one Denver party you don’t want to miss. What is Denver Arts Week? It’s a weeklong festival, highlighting the city’s visual and performing arts, taking place at more than five neighborhood art districts, 20 museums and 100 art galleries. The event is organized by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau to help draw local and national attention to the cultural renaissance that Denver is experiencing – a renaissance that led Sunset Magazine to proclaim: “The Mile High City is remaking itself as a world capital of art and architecture.” Keep your eye on www.Denver.org and www.denverartsweek.com for a schedule of events and ticket information.
Denver’s 150th Celebration
Various locations throughout Denver
November 13-23
www.denver.org/150/home.html
You’ve come a long way, baby. On November 22, 1858, Gen. William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas, placed cottonwood sticks on the hill overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek to stake a claim at the center of a square-mile town plat. 150 years after that seemingly inauspicious occasion, Denver is the 21st largest metropolitan area in the United States, a vibrant urban landscape bursting at the seams with culture, diversity and excitement. For two weeks in November, Denver will celebrate its 150th b-day in true Mile High City style, with festivals, sporting events, special offers and much more. On Nov. 13th, the 31st Denver Film Festival kicks off 10 days of incredible and innovative cinema. The city’s legacy will be honored in front of a packed crowd at INVESCO Field at Mile High during the Denver Broncos / Oakland Raiders game on Sunday Nov. 23rd. There will be free days at select Denver attractions, including the Colorado History Museum on Saturday, Nov. 22 – along with a birthday cake distributed by local dignitaries and temporary postal stations for a commemorative postmark and envelope.
