Community Event GuideKid and family events in the North Denver Metro area

A free Thursday-evening farmers market — 1st and 3rd Thursdays through the season, which wraps up Sept 17. Local makers, live music, and the Farm Bar. Leashed dogs welcome, free on-site parking.

Kids are back to school — grab your gals and head downtown for a mom's night out with drink specials, local vendors, shopping deals, spa demos, and coffee tastings across downtown Brighton.

Create your own pinwheel using stickers, markers, and glitter — a perfect craft for little hands and big imaginations. Stop by anytime during the hour; open to families with children of all ages. Hosted in English, with materials available in English and Spanish. No registration necessary.

A Dolly-themed family day inspired by kindness, creativity, and dreams — rhinestone bookmark making, a butterfly craft, a "Dress Like Dolly" day, and a community "Coat of Many Colors" kindness project. Also learn about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which mails a free book each month to enrolled kids from birth to age five.

A free, drop-in hands-on science program brought to the library by WOW! Children's Museum — held the first Saturday of every month.

Celebrate the start of fall with a lakeside community market featuring dozens of local makers and vendors — free to attend, with coffee, pastries, and lake views at the coffee house.

A fall car show for the whole family — car enthusiasts and casual visitors alike are welcome to browse classic and custom cars on display.

A drop-in ice cream social just for homeschooling families — a chance to meet other homeschooling families, build cross-family connections, and discover everything the library has to offer.

Fort Lupton's biggest annual gathering, dating back over 100 years. Friday brings a street dance (4th & Denver) and a golf tournament; Saturday opens with a community pancake breakfast, a downtown parade, and a full day at Railroad Park with live music, a car show, a vendor and artisan market, food trucks, a beer garden, and cooking/cornhole competitions. Free admission; pancake breakfast and food/vendor purchases extra.

A remembrance ceremony honoring those lost on September 11th, with a bagpiper and honor guard, followed by a pancake breakfast.

Wear your pajamas and spin the wheel for a chance to win a free prize. Clothes must follow the rink's dress code rules.

A daytime skate session for homeschooling families. $5 entrance, $2 roller skate rental, $4 extra for rollerblades, and $5 extra for "skate mates" support aids for new skaters.

A free family arts festival bringing together a juried artist market, live performances, and interactive, hands-on activities for kids.

A long-running fundraiser dinner supporting injured and retired South Adams County firefighters and their families — meet crews and enjoy a plate of spaghetti for a good cause.

Grab a coffee, decorate a tiny pumpkin, and meet other local moms and their little ones at this fall-themed meetup.

A free, family-friendly celebration of Latino culture and heritage with live music and entertainment, interactive art experiences, food, and community resources.

A fun, hands-on cupcake decorating workshop for little bakers — kids get creative decorating their own cupcakes for an hour of after-school fun. Register by calling 303-655-2200 or visiting brightonco.gov/youthprograms.

A station tour to see where firefighters live when they're at work, a snack, a story together, an up-close look at a firefighter in full gear, and a visit to the fire trucks. Pre-registration is required — space is limited.

A monthly distribution of free food boxes filled with locally grown produce, plus community resources. Reservation required via the Plentiful app (search ThorntonCC) due to limited supply — no documents, proof of income, or ID needed.

A blacklight glow skate night — wear neon or white to glow under the blacklights. All glow merchandise is half price for the night.

A family evening celebrating one year since Hank the Highland cow joined the farm (donated by Laura at RCM Miniature Cattle Company) — visit all the animals and help celebrate Mr. Hank. The farm has hinted at a fundraiser announcement to bring Hank a Highland cow friend of his own.

A free day of food, fun, and community spirit in downtown Lochbuie — the town's flagship fall celebration, with a free Kid Zone featuring face painting and family-friendly activities. Great music, happy kids, a stronger community.

Get your kids ready to sing, dance, and play! This energetic class introduces children to the joy of music through songs, activities, dancing, and creative movement. Session 1: Sept 19 & 26. Session 2: Oct 17 & 24. Register online or call 720-928-4073.

See birds up close at a live bird-banding station, join a mindful bird walk, browse educational booths, and enjoy family-friendly games — plus a coffee cart and food truck on site.

Postpartum isolation is incredibly common, and you don't have to navigate it alone — enjoy a drink on the house in the good company of other moms and start building your village. Private event, sign-up required in advance.

Show up with your craziest hairdo — the skater voted craziest by other customers gets to skate free all through October.

An afternoon of axe throwing at Lizzie's Northglenn location — 2 hours on-site. Valid Fort Lupton Rec waiver (good for one year) required.

A free, faith-based empowerment event for middle school girls combining horseback riding, art and creativity, and ranch games — designed to build confidence and friendship. "Rise Strong. Create Your Future. Embrace your Worth."

Bring the whole crew — groups of 6–10 people only pay admission for the first 5 guests, plus skate rentals for everyone in the party (maximum 10 people per group).

A seasonal vendor market marking the shift from summer to fall — food and treats, local vendors, unique finds, fall vibes, and family fun.

Grab a Coffee Crawl card starting Sept 28 and make your way through downtown Brighton's coffee shops — 7AM Somewhere, Willow & Fern, Grim & Grind Coffee House, and Wolf + Honey. Bonus stop: Something Brewery is bringing back the Neighborino, a coffee cream ale with cinnamon and vanilla, for an extra stamp toward a chance at a bonus basket. This is the 2nd annual crawl — exact end date wasn't posted yet, so check with participating shops.

Celebrate fall on the farm — every ticket includes a pumpkin to take home, a hayride, time with the animals, fall games and activities, plus a silent auction with items donated by local businesses.

A free, family-friendly exhibit on 70 years of Thornton history at the Thornton Arts & Culture Center — drop in any Monday.

Adams County 4-H offers 60+ hands-on project clubs (STEM, animals, arts, cooking, and more) plus school, library, and rec-center outreach programs. Enrollment is open year-round for most clubs.

Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies and their caregivers at the original Anythink branch (2009), the nation's first carbon-negative, LEED Gold library. No registration necessary. Branch manager: Rebecca Bowman.

A free, nutritious snack sponsored by the Food Bank of the Rockies, confirmed running on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in recent months — Anythink doesn't lock it to one fixed weekday, so it won't appear on a specific calendar square here; check the day-of listing on Anythink's site.

A sleek, sustainable branch with a cozy fireplace nook opening onto an enclosed backyard garden. Runs the same free storytime, toddler playdate, and Kids Café snack program as other Anythink branches, plus a community garden tended with Denver Urban Gardens. Branch manager: Jacob Pacheco.

A 25,000-sq-ft branch at Conifer & Huron streets serving Thornton, Northglenn, and Federal Heights, with the standard free storytime, toddler playdate, and Kids Café snack programs. Branch manager: Cristy Moran.

A free, nutritious snack sponsored by the Food Bank of the Rockies — swing by the Nature Library, no registration necessary.

Colorado's first nature-based library — 15 acres with a trail loop connecting to the 140-acre Aylor Open Lands, outdoor gardens, a storytelling circle, a mud-play pit, and nature-focused TryIts (even camping gear and paddleboards). Programs run on Saturdays and range from nature ID and gardening to mindfulness and art. Branch manager: Maria Mayo-Peaseley.

Discover, play, and explore with new friends at this drop-in Playdate session — no advance registration necessary.

Two back-to-back Monday sessions: Baby Bounce (songs, rhymes, and stories for birth–23 months) followed by Toddler Time (stories, songs, and activities for active 2–3 year olds). No registration necessary.

Anythink's LEED Gold flagship branch, with a one-acre park, pollinator and community gardens, EV charging, and The Studio makerspace alongside the usual free storytime, playdate, and Kids Café programs. Branch manager: Morgan Van Duyne.

Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies and their caregivers. No registration necessary.

Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies and caregivers in the Nature Library's sunlit reading room. No registration necessary.

Songs, rhymes, and fingerplays for babies. Older siblings are encouraged to bring their own baby to interact with. Call 303-536-4550 with questions.

Spanish-language stories, songs, and a craft — a bilingual storytime for infants through preschoolers and families exploring bilingual learning. Held at the Fort Lupton Museum rather than the library building.

Babies/toddlers storytime with rhymes and movement (10am session for infants–walkers, 11am for walkers–age 2), an interactive Toddlers & Preschoolers storytime with STEAM and art activities, an after-school family program (formerly "Kids Club") open to kids of all ages, and a Homeschool Material Swap for Fort Lupton, Brighton, and Hudson families. Also home to the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten take-home reading program, available year-round.

Volunteer naturalists lead an introductory birding walk for all skill levels — Barr Lake hosts over 370 recorded bird species. Registration encouraged but drop-ins welcome.

The High Plains Library District bookmobile brings free books, storytime, and library programs right to Keenesburg — no library card required to browse.

A weekly storytime for kids at Reunion Coffee House — stories, and a chance to connect with other local families over coffee.

A ladies-only Bunco night — doors open at 5:30pm, games run until 8pm, with the coffee bar open until 6:30pm and snacks provided. A fun, low-key night out with other local moms.

Create, explore, and find your creativity with LEGO Club — a free drop-in weekly building session for kids at the library.

Design and build with tens of thousands of LEGO pieces under the guidance of Play-Well instructors, exploring fundamental STEM concepts and collaborating without fear of mistakes. Projects rotate seasonally. Contact James Donahue (james@play-well.org, 720-990-0169) or sign up at play-well.org.

Age-specific storytimes plus a hands-on Discovery Lab full of science, sensory play, and STEAM-based crafts at Broomfield Library.

Free admission to the pumpkin field to pick your own — pumpkins are priced by size. The same site runs a corn maze and, after dark, the Haunted Field of Screams (both paid, separate from the free pumpkin field).

Sing, dance, and play games to music — a movement class for kids and their caregivers. Younger siblings are welcome to join too.

Sing, dance, move creatively, and play basic instruments — a music and movement class for little ones and their caregivers. Space is sometimes limited with registration required.

Rotating free art exhibits at the Thornton Arts & Culture Center's OZ Gallery — an easy, low-key stop for an afternoon out with kids.

Open gym time for little ones to climb, swing, and tumble on gymnastics equipment with a parent alongside — the new Monday slot is timed for 27J families who have Mondays off. Cost isn't listed on the flyer; call ahead to confirm pricing.

Drop the kids off for pizza, trampolines, and the skate area at SNÖBAHN while you get a few free hours to yourself. SNÖBAHN's site currently notes this has shifted to a class format, so double-check the latest schedule.

Leave the kids at the Brighton Recreation Center for games and supervised fun while you get a night out on the town — or a quiet night at home.

Drop-in programs like Parent/Tot playtime and Kids Corner run monthly at Commerce City's two recreation centers — a good ongoing option beyond the dated festivals.

Step into a storytime where tales whisper, creatures wander, and imagination blurs into reality — for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade.

A bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime with music, movement, and stories for toddlers.

Songs and stories for little ones (now offered in two back-to-back sessions) plus Create HQ, Hudson Public Library's free hands-on maker space for building, tinkering, and crafting.

A teen leadership and volunteer committee — members research youth activity matters, help organize community volunteer events, and present youth engagement ideas to local schools and organizations. Applicants need at least a 2.5 GPA. New term applications open each August.