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

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. 

G'Knight Ride

More Info: http://www.gknightride.org

For the month of June, Longmont was officially re-christened “BikeMont.” Seriously! Perhaps the biggest public display of this deep love of all things two-wheeled took place last weekend during the second annual G’Knight Ride, when more than 2,000 cyclists young, old and in between took to the streets of the city for a scenic evening ride. 

Put on by Bicycle Longmont (with sponsorship from Oskar Blues Brewery – it’s named after one of their brews), you have three route options – one mile, three miles and 10+ miles. We were ambitious and chose the 10-mile route this year – though we hopped off when we cruised past our house in Old Town. 

The ride is really just the beginning of the fun, however. Before and after in Prospect, there’s a big festival, with kids’ activities, live music and food trucks. Proceeds go to Bicycle Longmont, so you’re just helping a bike-friendly town get even bike-friendlier. See you there next year!

Longmont Farmers Market

When: Saturdays, 8am-1pm, first Saturday in April through the first Saturday in November

Where: Boulder County Fairgrounds (9595 Nelson Rd.)

Web: www.boulderfarmers.org

With every passing year, the Longmont Farmers Market gets bigger and better. What once was a fairly bare-bones affair has grown into one of the bigger events of its type on the Front Range. On sunny Saturday mornings, throngs gather to enjoy the fresh bounty of local farms. Of course, this is a 21st century farmers market, so the produce is merely the beginning of the goods offered. Munch on tasty pastries, sample some Colorado wines, listen to a little live music, buy handmade crafts and get your cutlery sharpened. Highly recommended: the artisanal cheeses at Windsor Dairy's booth. They're made with 100 percent grass fed milk from Swiss cattle, aged over 60 days, all natural -- but the important thing is that they are totally delicious. There is plenty of prepared food too, ranging from pupusas to pizza, so the market is a great breakfast, brunch or lunch destination.

Tip: Though parking is generally in abundance at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, we strongly recommend biking. Not only is the market located right off of the St. Vrain Greenway, but Bicycle Longmont (www.bicyclelongmont.org) offers a free bike valet service, located at the north end of the market. Just drop off your wheels with them and start exploring.