This year’s public Halloween activities — socially distanced though they may be — are less pretend-scary and more consequential than ever.
It forces us to think about what Halloween means. Is it just about trick-or-treating and costume parties, or are there other ways to find brief but transgressive glee while marking the season? In this uncertain time, can we also include self-care and spiritual rituals? What about virtual reality and app-driven activities?
Here are some traditional and not-so-traditional events to consider. Expect all to be timed and ticketed, with mask-wearing and social-distancing requirements at in-person events.
Most are open now and run daily through Oct. 31. Listed ticket prices do not include service fees and add-ons. See individual websites for more details.
Haunted houses
Itap an idea whose time has come: No Place to Go, a collaborative, artist-driven haunted house, will debut in Lakewood on Oct. 22with bizarre, handmade and painfully relevant scares that address fears in the coronavirus age. Expect strong social consciousness in some of these pieces, which visitors will see from their cars in a 2-mile drive-through format that begins at 7310 W. Colfax Ave. Directed bySerena Chopra, Kate Speer and Frankie Toan, the 90-minute experience is part outdoor art installation, part dance theater, and all spooky fun — with an app and VR component to boot. The five sites span Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District and Wheat Ridge. Limited to five people per car. $25-$60.
ٱԱ’s13th Floor Haunted House (3400 E. 52nd Ave.) is once again offering the traditional (if limited-capacity) , but those wary of indoor spaces can try City of the Dead. Located on the same site, the drive-in haunted house brings the scares to your car with a 30-minuteprogram of horror shorts, costumed actors and horror trivia. According to a colleague who’s already visited, itap fun but not too intense for the younger set. $40-$60per car.
Colorado Springs’ HellScream Haunted House(3021 N. Hancock Ave.) is back with its main attraction, “Escape from Hellscream” (think choose-your-own-adventure escape rooms) as well as paranormal tours and the longtime, popular Haunted Mines — a “lights-off flashlight” attraction thatap been expanded for 2020. $22-$56per person, or $300per group for paranormal tours.
The Frightmare Compound (10798 Yukon St. in Westminster), one of Colorado’s last few family-owned haunted houses, also bills itself as Denver’s oldest haunted attraction, having debuted in 1983. That means they’ve had plenty of opportunities to work out the kinks and learn which scares stand the test of time. $30-$40.
The outdoorTerror in the Cornand its action spin-off,Zombie Paintball Hunt (6728 County Road 3¼ in Erie),are back at Andersen Farms with a narrative-driven experience inspired by Colorado history. $25-$30.Also outdoors is Thornton’s Haunted Field of Screams(10451 McKay Road), a 40-acrecornfield thatap only open on the weekends this year. $40-$55.Finally, Parker’s Fright Acres (11321 Dransfeldt Road) offers a quartet of themed, scary walks outdoors on weekends through the end of the month. $30-$45.
Witchcraft
Ritualcravt, the one-stop-shop for practicing witches (and anyone who just enjoys metaphysical decor), invites people to contribute to its public Dia De Los Muertos altarOct. 31-Nov. 2. No pictures, though, as “leaving a picture on the altar would require others in attendance to care for your ancestors in your absence,” according to Ritualcravtap website. “This can become an overwhelming task very quickly.” The store will also part the veil between worlds with a seance at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10. Leaving items at the altar is free. This weekend’s seance, led by Kaedrich Olsen, is $25. 7700 W. 44th Ave in Wheat Ridge.
Witch’s Tea sounds like a potentially poisonous potable, but in this case itap your choice of herbal teas, served Oct. 24-25 in two seatings per day, at the historic Lumber Baron Inn. The popular wedding venue and bed-and-breakfast has always had a soft spot for the magical, so tarot and Lenormandcard readings are available. $40 for admission and the full tea menu, plus an optional $30 for a 20-minute reading. Call 303-477-8205 or visit for reservations.
Learn about your past lives — assuming you believe in them — with facilitator Jennie McDaniel as part of her virtual event from 10-11:30 a.m. on Oct. 31. Hosted by and The Alchemy Sisters, the event is geared toward channeling knowledge as much as wayward spirits. All you need, as the organizers put it, is Zoom, $33 (before Oct. 24; after that itap $44) and an open mind to participate. Email jennie.mcdaniel@gmail.com.
Apropos of its name, Reign Rituals is offering SamhainCBD beauty and wellness services (think spooky nails and eyebrows) coupled with tarot card readings on Halloween (2801 Downing St.). The by-appointment sessions offer themed CBD giveaways and 30-minute tarot and rune readings, plus Halloween makeup sessions that are either “above-the-mask or full-face.” How very 2020. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 31. Prices unavailable.
Parties and festivals
Remember parties? Some people are still having them, albeit with reduced capacity. Union Station, which is offering pumpkin carvings and a pet parade at 1701 Wynkoop St., will also roll out its Cooper Lounge MASKerade Party7-10 p.m. on Oct. 31. Limited to 75 people, this is most definitely an adults-only costumed affair.Tickets are $80 per person and include three specialty cocktails and appetizers. Advanced purchase is required.
Paranormal Palace, one of the city’s most iconic Halloween parties, is forging ahead with a charity event this year at the Hilton Doubletree DTC (7801 E. Orchard Road inGreenwood Village) dubbed “MASK-arade.” Tickets for event, which includes a ball and costume contest, come in packs of six and include a hotel room at the venue. Doors open at 7 p.m. Oct. 30-31. $100-$2,900.
Loveland Zombie Crawl, which comes just after the inaugural Downtown Pumpkin Festival, will gather the socially-distanced undead from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 (4th Street and Lincoln Avenue). The city’s historic Rialto Theatre(228 E. 4th St.) is also offering ghost tours at various times, Oct. 26-30,in the run-up to its Ghouls Gala fundraiser (Oct. 30). $5.
