Boulder Fall Guide 2026: Events, Food and Things to Do This October and November

Fall in Boulder is one of the better times of year to get out and enjoy the city. The summer crowds begin to thin, the foothills change color, CU is back in session, and the calendar stays busy well into November.

There is still one major September event ahead before October begins. Boulderthon takes over parts of the city on Sunday, September 27, with the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids run all happening that morning. More than 15,000 runners are expected, so anyone heading downtown that weekend should plan for considerably more activity than usual.

After that, October and November bring a mix of CU football weekends, Halloween events, arts and film, the final weeks of the Boulder Farmers Market and the beginning of Boulder's holiday season.

October Starts With CU Homecoming

Fall and CU football are difficult to separate in Boulder, even if you never set foot inside Folsom Field.

CU Homecoming runs September 30 through October 3 this year, culminating with Colorado taking on Texas Tech at Folsom Field on Saturday. The Pearl Street Stampede on October 2 brings the Golden Buffalo Marching Band and CU spirit squad downtown the evening before the game.

Additional Pearl Street Stampedes are scheduled throughout the season, including October 16 and October 30, followed by two more in November.

These weekends are worth knowing about even if football isn't your thing. A home-game weekend changes the energy around campus, The Hill and downtown, while other parts of Boulder can feel surprisingly normal.

Fall Isn't Just a Pearl Street Thing

One advantage of Boulder in October is that you don't have to stay downtown to find something going on.

The foothills are an obvious choice as temperatures cool, and fall color can make trails around Boulder particularly busy on good-weather weekends. Staying flexible about when and where you hike can make a big difference. Early mornings and weekdays are a different experience from a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The Boulder Farmers Market also continues through fall. Saturday markets run through November 21, while the Wednesday market finishes October 7. It's one of the easier ways to spend a fall morning near downtown without turning the entire day into an event.

October also brings smaller arts, cultural and community events throughout the city. World Singing Day returns to Pearl Street on October 17, while the Boulder Jewish Film Festival runs October 25 through November 1.

Halloween Is a Big Weekend This Year

Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, and Boulder has events spread throughout October rather than packing everything into one night.

Historic Boulder's Meet the Spirits takes place October 3 and 4 at Columbia Cemetery, where volunteers portray people buried in the historic cemetery and tell pieces of Boulder's history. Halloween drive-in movies return to Boulder Reservoir on October 16, and Frequent Flyers hosts its Spooky Cabaret on October 24.

Halloween itself brings Munchkin Masquerade to downtown Boulder from 3 to 6 p.m. on October 31. Children trick-or-treat through participating downtown businesses along Pearl Street and throughout the district.

The Boulder Farmers Market is also open that morning, and CU has a home football game against Kansas State that afternoon. Add the Pearl Street Stampede the previous evening, and October 30–31 should be one of the busier fall weekends around downtown and campus.

A Few Boulder Restaurants Worth Knowing This Fall

Fall events are only part of the reason to spend time around Boulder. The restaurant scene has had some interesting changes in 2026 as well.

Casa Juani opened on Pearl Street earlier this year in the former My Neighbor Felix space. The Spanish restaurant comes from chefs Eduardo Valle Lobo and Kelly Jeun and adds another destination restaurant to the west end of Pearl Street.

Cinq à Sept gives north Boulder another option away from the Pearl Street core. The French bistro opened this summer at 4580 Broadway and comes from the restaurant group behind Oak at Fourteenth and Corrida. For someone who spends most of their Boulder time downtown, it's also a reminder that some of the city's better dining options are scattered well beyond the mall.

Then there are the Boulder standards that continue to evolve rather than disappear. West End Tavern has been around since 1987 and recently completed a renovation. That's fairly representative of Boulder dining in general: new restaurants get plenty of attention, but a lot of the city's identity still comes from places that have survived multiple versions of Pearl Street.

Fall is a good time to mix the two. Try somewhere new, revisit an old Boulder standby, or head north instead of automatically defaulting to downtown.

November Starts the Shift Toward the Holidays

By November, Boulder begins moving from fall into the holiday season, but there is still plenty happening before December.

The Firefly Handmade Holiday Market takes over part of Pearl Street November 14–15 with local artists, makers and designers. The Boulder Farmers Market continues on Saturdays through November 21.

Then downtown changes quickly.

Switch on the Holidays is November 22, when the holiday lights come on along Pearl Street, the Civic Area and around the Boulder County Courthouse. The Snow Much Fun light displays also begin around mid-November and continue into January.

Thanksgiving weekend brings St. Nick on the Bricks beginning November 27, another Pearl Street Stampede that evening, a CU home football game November 28 and Small Business Saturday weekend downtown.

For anyone who likes Boulder during the holidays but doesn't particularly enjoy December crowds, the second half of November is a good window. The lights are up and the seasonal events have started, but you're still ahead of most of the December calendar.

What Fall in Boulder Actually Looks Like

Boulder doesn't have one central fall festival that defines the season. Instead, fall moves around the city.

One weekend might revolve around CU football and Pearl Street. Another might be a morning at the farmers market followed by an afternoon in the foothills. Halloween brings families downtown, while November gradually turns Pearl Street toward the holidays.

That's part of what makes Boulder different from a place that's primarily built around visitors. Major events certainly bring people into town, but much of the fall calendar is made up of things residents can actually work into a normal weekend.

For someone considering a move to Boulder, those details matter. Where you live affects whether Pearl Street is outside your door, the foothills are a quick morning trip, or you can avoid the busiest parts of town entirely when a major event comes through.

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