Things to Do in Denver This Weekend (October 23–25)

This is peak Halloween weekend in Denver, so expect costumes at breweries, costumes at trivia night, costumes basically everywhere except maybe the hockey game. Red Rocks has a stacked lineup, Ball Arena has two separate reasons to leave work early, and there's enough brunch day-drinking on Saturday and Sunday to cancel out whatever you do Friday night. Grab tickets now for the big rooms because a few of these will be gone by Thursday.

Friday

Shpongle, Supersillyus, Random Rab, Fillmore Auditorium, 7pm, 16+. This psychedelic trio runs two nights at the Fillmore (Friday and Saturday) and this one will sell out, so don't sleep on it if you're into downtempo weirdness with visuals.

Mersiv (Two Sets), Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5pm. Full bass lineup with Know Good, Jaenga, and a handful of others, this one will sell out so grab tickets before you're stuck watching the livestream from a bar.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Ball Arena, 7pm. Friday night hockey downtown means the bars around Ball Arena are going to be loud before puck drop, this one will sell out closer to game time.

Friday Deployment Spirits Block Party, The Block Distilling Co., 5pm. Good low-key way to start the weekend, drinks and a crowd without needing to commit to a whole night out.

A Hollywood Horror Story, The Bug Theatre, 7pm. Local troupe Yeah no Yeah spoofs old Hollywood horror tropes live, a weird little show that's perfect if you want something funnier than a haunted house.

Goopsteppa, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 8pm, $30-35. Dubstep and glitch hop for the bass heads who already blew their budget on Red Rocks tickets.

Odd Mob, Mission Ballroom, doors around 8pm. Solid Friday option if Mission Ballroom is on your way home anyway.

Saturday

Jade Cicada & Mickman, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5:30pm. Second big bass night at the Rocks this weekend, this one will sell out too, so if Friday's Mersiv show didn't work for your schedule, here's your backup plan.

Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Ball Arena, 7pm. First real home game energy of the season, this one will sell out, so don't wait until Saturday afternoon to decide you want to go.

Monster Mash DJ Brunch, The Original at The Rally Hotel, 11am. Halloween themed brunch with a DJ spinning while you eat, good excuse to put on a costume before noon and call it responsible drinking.

Trick or Trivia Fundraiser, Fiction Beer Company, 6pm. Costumed trivia night that raises money for a local literacy nonprofit, so you can feel good about the beers you were going to buy anyway.

Daft Disko Halloween: Denver, Cervantes' Other Side, 9pm. Daft Punk inspired DJ set with disco visuals, a good midsize room option if the big venues feel like too much.

Desert Hearts, The Basement at Club Vinyl, 10pm. Underground house and techno crew, this is where you go after the brewery closes and you're still not ready to go home.

Danceportation: Playhaus, Convergence Station (Meow Wolf), 9:30pm to 2am, 21+. An immersive dance party inside the Meow Wolf universe, tickets run $65-80 but you're basically paying for the weirdest club experience in the city.

Sunday

Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 7:30pm. A full orchestra playing the Stardew Valley soundtrack at Red Rocks, this one will sell out with the gaming crowd and the "I just like Red Rocks shows" crowd alike.

Drag-oween Bingo Brunch, Osteria Marco, 11am. Costumed drag bingo with bottomless mimosas on Larimer Square, the correct way to recover from Saturday night.

Ghosts & Goblins 5K/10K, City Park Pavilion, 9am. Costumed race around City Park if you want to undo some of the brunch damage before it even happens.

Free This Weekend

AMEN SUNDAYS Vol. 06: Halloween Edition, Black Shirt Brewing Co, Sunday 3pm. Free daytime DJ party spinning drum and bass and jungle at a RiNo brewery, show up in costume and stay for the pizza.

Mile High Flea Market, 7007 E 88th Ave, Friday through Sunday, 7am-5pm. 80 acres of vintage junk and genuinely good finds if you're willing to dig.

Union Station Farmers Market, Denver Union Station Plaza, Saturday 8am-1pm. Good coffee, good produce, good people watching downtown before your day gets busy.

Highlands Farmers Market, W. 32nd Ave. & Lowell Blvd., Sunday 9am-1pm. Walk it off, get a coffee, browse the stands, it's a solid low-key Sunday morning move.

South Pearl Street Farmers Market, S. Pearl St. between Iowa and Arkansas, Sunday 9am-1pm. One of the better neighborhood markets in the city, plenty of food stalls if brunch wasn't enough.

Breaking Ice: Sonali Kolhatkar on Immigration, Identity & Belonging, Shop at MATTER, Friday 2pm. A free author talk and discussion at the RiNo bookshop if you want something a little more substantive mixed into your weekend.

That's the short list. Full calendar is always at /events if you want to dig deeper.