Halloween falls on a Monday this year, so of course you should be pre-celebrating all weekend long. Here’s what’s going on ’round town this Thursday through Monday. Plenty of live music, straw mazes and costumes to go around (not that Durangoans need an excuse to dress up. Let’s be real, you do it every month of the year).
Thursday, Oct. 27The Fairytales gRIM Haunted House6:30 -10 p.m., Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim DriveA nightmarish fairy tale-themed haunted house inside the Ballroom of the FLC Student Union. $5 for general public, FLC students free with student ID.
Hipsteriffic Halloween8-11 p.m., Durango Brewing Co., 3001 Main Ave.Dress up like a quintessential hipster to celebrate Halloween at the only North Main brewery. If you’re in the service industry and bring a paystub as proof, you’ll receive discounted drinks all night. Live music from Baconstein’s Monster and the best costumes in several categories win prizes.
Friday, Oct. 28The Passage Between: Celebrating Transitions and Impermanence – 6th Annual Day of the Dead Show5-9 p.m., Studio &, 1027 Main Ave.Studio &’s Day of the Dead art exhibit and celebration will feature work from artists around the region. All media, installations and performance contributions are welcome, as long as they are on theme. $20 entrance fee per artist, drop off your work Thursday, Oct. 27 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the gallery. Show will hang from Oct. 28-Nov. 6.
Fran Blucher’s Asylum for Very Peculiar Children 6 -9:30 p.m., ELHI Community Center, Ignacio at Highway 172 and 151 behind Subway3 Twisted Minds Productions is back with their sixth Haunted House, not for the faint of heart. $7 admission fee, no one under 10 years old admitted.
Things That Go Bump in the Night7-9 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive An evening of spooktacular music with FLC choirs and band. Dress in costume, trick-or-treat on stage at intermission, and bid on Halloween-themed local wares at a silent auction benefiting FLC choirs’ trip to Europe in 2018. Up for auction: A pair of Durango & Silverton train tickets, locally-made jewelry, photographs and food. Adults $5, kids $1, FLC students free with student ID.
Dance of the Living Dead8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College DriveGet wild on the dance floor in support the Four Corners Alliance for Diversity, an organization providing amazing advocacy for the LGBT community. This Halloween dance features DJs Posh Josh & Spark Madden, plus two costume contests with cash prizes; one costume contest held earlier in the evening and the second later in the night. 18-and-over event with $10 admission, $5 student discount.
Straw bale maze 5-8 p.m. River Bend Ranch, 27846 U.S. Highway 550Ride an old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon through Animas Valley to the straw bale maze. Walls are eight feet tall, so don’t get lost. If you do make it out alive, you can toast your own s’mores in the firepit afterwards. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 6. $10 per person, children under 5 free. Group rates available.
“Rocky Horror Show – Live on Stage”7 p.m., 10 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. For the ninth year running, the Strater presents Richard O’Brien’s cult classic of surrealism and wacky sensuality. The glam rock musical will feature familiar faces from Durango and Southwest Colorado, along with some out-of-town talent. This year’s theme is “Rocky Gets Western,” so expect lots of funky Western gear. Audience members (21+) are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Rocky Horror character (but don’t forget to add some cowboy/cowgirl flair). $5 prop-throw bags available at the theater. Adults $25 (door), $20 (advance), students $18 (with student ID).
Saturday, Oct. 29Three Springs 10th Annual Fall Festival11 a.m.-2 p.m., Three Springs Plaza, 175 Mercado St. Don your daytime-appropriate Halloween costume and enjoy a day chock-full of activities, including: daytime trick-or-treating; live music by Dave Mensch and Rob Webster; Anytime Fitness Monster Mash Fun Run; pumpkin patch; face painting; cookie walk, pet adopt-a-thon, petting zoo, concession stands, festival games and more. Free.
Harvest FestivalNoon-5 p.m., Durango Nursery and Supply, 271 Kaycee LaneThis annual Harvest Fest is free, and features live music from Bob’s Yr Uncle, a BBQ, kids’ activities, hayrides, a dog costume contest and a scarecrow stroll to benefit area nonprofits.
ZombieFest 20166 p.m., The Rusty Shovel Saloon, 18044 County Road 501, BayfieldThe third annual ZombieFest in Vallecito will feature bands from the Four Corners including Pryapist, Shadow Remain, The Wedding is Off, Six Minute Suicide, Skull Theory and Incide. A whopping $200 grand prize goes to the best costume. Drink and food specials offered all night long.
Hello, Dollface Presents Dia De Los Muertos Celebration8 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave. “… a mystical night when the veil is lifted between two realms and they may share a day together.” Dia De Los Muertos or All Souls Day is one of beloved local band Hello, Dollface’s favorite holidays. This year, join them in honoring and celebrating loved ones who have passed. With live music from Hello, Dollface, plus special guests, live art from Kestrel Chaney and Britt Gordon, live dance with Anne Pesata from Dancing Earth (Santa Fe), cocktails and festivities. Dress in your classiest Day of the Dead attire, mask and makeup. Advance general admission $10, general admission $12.
Fran Blucher’s Asylum for Very Peculiar Children 6-9:30 p.m., ELHI Community Center, Ignacio at Highway 172 and 151 behind Subway(Description above)
Live music & costume contestDerailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave. 8 p.m., Larry Carver & Black Velvet Band. Costume contest with $100 Pour House gift card for best couple and $50 gift card for best solo.
Straw bale maze 1-8 p.m. River Bend Ranch, 27846 U.S. Highway 550(Description above)
“Rocky Horror Show – Live on Stage”7 p.m., 10 p.m. Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. (Description above)
Sunday, Oct. 30Straw bale maze 1 p.m., River Bend Ranch, 27846 U.S. Highway 550(Description above)
Rocky Horror Show – Live on Stage8 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. (Description above)
Monday, Oct. 31 (Halloween)Halloween Zombie/Monster March 2016Midnight- 2 a.m. (late Monday into the wee hours of Tuesday), downtown Durango Zombies, monsters, faeries and Halloween creatures of every shape and scare-level will be roaming the streets of downtown Durango to end All Hallow’s Eve. Dress up as anything you like (the weirder, the better) for one of Durango’s favorite traditions. The hordes converge at midnight at College (Sixth Street) and Main Avenue, and march North up Main to 12th Street and back. Zombie after-parties will be announced via word of mouth during the march.
Halloween party8 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave. Electro-acoustic live music with Rob Webster. Doors open at 3 p.m. Costume contest with a generous $100 cash prize for best couple and $50 for best solo ensemble.
Halloween Bowling Special at Rolling Thunder Lanes 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sky Ute Casino Resort, 14324 CO-172, IgnacioCraving a more low-key Halloween? Try bowling. You’ll receive half price on open play games. Dress in costume, but no masks allowed on the gaming floor.
Straw bale maze 1 p.m., River Bend Ranch, 27846 U.S. Highway 550(Description above)
Fran Blucher’s Asylum for Very Peculiar Children 6-9:30 p.m., ELHI Community Center, Ignacio at Highway 172 and 151 behind Subway(Description above)