Día de los Muertos festivals, Colorado wine pairings and more on tap

By Steve Graham

Get Out of Town is our weekly roundup of recommended events across Colorado, mostly focusing outside of Denver, to help everyone enjoy the entire state. For more happenings, check out our robust and expanded events calendar.

We are assuming you already have Halloween plans for tomorrow, so let’s jump ahead to Day of the Dead and other upcoming events past the big dress-up day.

Dia de los Muertos across Colorado

The Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos have spread throughout the state, with a variety of events remembering and honoring deceased loved ones. Here are a few celebrations:

This year, the date coincides with First Friday art walks all over Colorado. Lakewood Arts and 40 West Arts host a Colfax Art Crawl that includes art exhibitions, finely crafted altars, Aztec dancers, hands-on crafts, food trucks and more.
The Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce hosts its first Día de los Muertos costume parade through the Pueblo Riverwalk at 2 p.m. Saturday.
A variety of Greeley events on Saturday will mark the holiday. The UNC Library Innovation Center hosts craft projects and a collaborative ofrenda (community altar) from 3 to 5 p.m. From 4 to 6 p.m., a procession from the library will head to the opening reception for a Tointon Gallery exhibit, followed by a community celebration in the 8th Street Plaza, with family activities and live performances from Mariachi Ositos, Azanet Rodriguez and Baile Folklorico Orgullo Latino.
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College hosts a celebration from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a children’s costume parade, live performances, hands-on crafts, an art installation, community altar and a themed market.
A celebration runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Town Center at Aurora, with live music and dance performances and Las Catrinas (elegantly attired skeleton women) walking around for photo opportunities.

Aurora Borealis Festival

Across Aurora, the city’s first Aurora Borealis Festival comes to the Aurora Highlands Winged Melody Park Friday through Sunday.

A laser-generated Aurora Borealis effect will light up the night sky. And interactive art display immerses attendees in caverns and winding paths of color and light.

The event also includes live performances, yoga, silent disco, crafts and more.

Cannibal: The Musical

Carrying on the ghoulish traditions of Halloween, Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center will stage “Cannibal: The Musical” through Sunday. The musical is a campy Colorado-inspired project from Trey Parker and Matt Stone that predates the Casa Bonita revamp, “The Book of Mormon” and even South Park. The director promised Westword an “offensive but not hurtful" show.

Limited tickets remain for Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Colorado Uncorked

The Colorado Uncorked pairing dinner at the History Colorado Center in Denver celebrates Colorado’s wine industry, and particularly this year’s Governor’s Cup winners. Top local restaurants will craft small bites to pair with each winning wine.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in the Get Out of Town column, we will add them to our events calendar.