The Best Fall Activities in Longmont

Temperatures are finally cooling down and leaves are just starting to change color ... that's right, fall (AKA The Best Season of Them All) is right around the corner. And there's no shortage of seasonal fun coming your way in Longmont, from cider doughnuts to sugar skulls. Here are our favorite autumnal activities around town.

Roger's Grove

Places To Go

Ya-Ya Farm & Orchard

Where: 6914 Ute Highway
When: September through November, Sat/Sun: 9am-4pm, Tues-Fri: 10am-3pm
Web: www.yayafarmandorchard.com
Pick apples from more than 800 trees, say hello to a few Percheron draft horses, enjoy a fresh-baked cider doughnut or two, and soak up some spectacular views at this lovely spot between Longmont and Lyons. More info

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch

Where: 9057 Ute Hwy
When: The October Pumpkin Festival is on weekends in October, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Select activities also available M-F, 9a.m.-5p.m.
Web: www.rockymtnpumpkinranch.com
October in Longmont isn't complete without at least one visit to the Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch. On Saturdays and Sundays, this Highway 66 spot offers carnival rides, petting zoos, pony rides, bouncy play structures, corn mazes ... and oh yeah, a whole lot of pumpkins. More info

Roger's Grove

Where: Roger's Grove Park, 220 S Hover Street
The apples at Roger's Grove are free for the picking, so grab your tote bags and start harvesting -- fruit is usually on the trees through September. Be prepared: many of the best specimens can be found on the highest limbs, and a step stool will come in handy. (Bug spray is a good idea, too.) Kids will love climbing the trees and unlimited apples. More info

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch

Events

Longmont Oktoberfest

Where: Roosevelt Park
When: Saturday, October 24
Web: www.lefthandbrewing.com/events/longmont-oktoberfest-5/
Prost! Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont's original craft brewery, brings Bavaria to Roosevelt Park with this annual event. There are some classic Oktoberfest sights, tastes, and sounds -- liederhosen, sauerkraut and polka -- alongside less traditional vibes: this year's headlining band is the legendary reggae group, The Wailers. There's also a whole lot of beer from local breweries, including Left Hand, Oskar Blues, Pumphouse Brewery, 300 Suns, Grossen Bart, Long’s Peak Tap House, Shoes & Brews, Skeye Brewing, and Wibby Brewing.

2016 Longmont Halloween Parade & Trick or Treat Street

Where: Parade starts on Longs Peak and Coffman and travels down Main Street
When: 9:30am, Saturday, October 29
Web: http://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-n-z/recreation-services/special-events-recreation/halloween-parade
This one seems to get bigger (and the costumes more elaborate) with each passing year. Dress up in your Halloween costume and parade down Main Street with thousands of other spooky Longmontians. Afterwards, drop in at participating downtown stores for a little pre-Halloween trick or treating.

Longmont Museum's Dia De Los Muertos Celebration

Where: 400 Quail Road
When: Saturday, November 5, 11 am - 3 pm
Web: http://longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-e-m/museum/education/day-of-the-dead
The Longmont Museum's signature event is Dia De Los Muertos, the largest Day of the Dead celebration in Colorado. It's a fantastic (and FREE) cultural experience, honoring the memories of those who came before us with food, music, art, and much more. Kids will love sugar skull decorating, paper flower making, face painting, and more. Get into the spirit and come dressed in your finest “calaca” (skeleton) apparel.

Ya-Ya Farm & Orchard

Sunflower Farm

An updated post about Sunflower Farm can be found here.

Where: 1150 Prospect Road
Web: www.sunflowerfarminfo.com
Hours: See website

Located on a beautiful hillside right off of Highway 287, Sunflower Farm offers families a chance to experience a real, working farm in all its neighing, baa-ing and oinking glory. You *will* get your hands dirty!  Kids can feed the friendly animals (including cows, horses, pigs, sheep), collect eggs, clamber on top of a hay bale and play on the very cool treehouse. Our daughter especially loved the big swing, which sent her soaring through the air. Whee!

 

 As shown in the hours listed above, Sunflower isn't open to the public over the summer
except on Friday evenings -- but if your kid is between 3 and 10, sign 'em up for the farm's summer camp in June, July and August, 9am to 12:30pm, Wednesday through Friday. They'll get lots of sunshine, learn all about the rural way of life -- and probably come home wondering why there isn't chicken coop in the backyard.

YA YA Farm & Orchard

Where: 6914 Ute Highway

Web: www.yayafarmandorchard.com

When: 2016 September and October: Sat: 9am-3pm, Sun: 9am-4pm Tues-Fri: 9:30am-4pm

One half of the Longmont 100 team hails from Upstate New York, where cider donuts are a fall tradition. Out here in Colorado, these delicious autumnal treats are harder to come by. But YA YA Farm & Orchard has got ‘em – and they meet our high standards. Of course, there’s plenty more to do out at YA YA, located on an 1896 farm – it’s a wonderful spot for a fall family outing. Apples, obviously, are in abundance: the orchard holds 810 trees with over 120 different varieties, and you can fill a bag with five to seven pounds of apples for the bargain price of $12. If you want to pick your own, call ahead – U-Pick is by reservation only. But if you are willing to let someone else do the work, pre-picked apples are for sale at the YA YA store.

There are also friendly Percheron draft horses who would love to be fed some of those apples, if you’re so inclined, as well as mules, chickens, and turkeys. Throw in a gorgeous view of the Rocky Mountain Front Range, and you’ve got yourself a perfect outdoor adventure.