There’s simply something wonderful about traveling at the holidays. Having the opportunity to experience the way different places celebrate, becoming a member of the community, if only for a brief moment in time, and growing closer to our traveling companions, ensuring they will get our dedicated attention as we play and explore. And even as Halloween is not traditionally considered a traveling holiday, the world has changed in the workplace and at school, so with online learning, fall breaks, and remote workplaces, we can make work from home experiences take place anywhere on earth, including our favorite mountain town of Telluride! Of course, families with children may have to consider trick or treating as their number one priority or forever hear the stories of “that one year when you sabotaged Halloween!” But that’s ok! We at Accommodations in Telluride have compiled this guide to Halloween in Telluride, gathering together all the ways you can celebrate the holiday with your traveling group, coming home each night to the creature comforts and mountain luxuries that make our vacation properties stand out in a sea of sameness!
Halloween on the Hill, Sponsored by the Telluride Historical Museum
Obviously, dates and times will vary for these fantastic events and activities, depending on the year you visit, but whenever you are planning your Halloween visit, planning to attend Halloween on the Hill will ensure a successful holiday escape to the mountains. This event is traditionally held on Halloween night and features trick-or-treating on Fir Street as well as a Zombie historical team scavenger hunt that is guaranteed to be a blast for kids of all ages, and yes, that includes your spouse that has chosen to never grow up!
KOTO Halloween Bash
The local radio station here in Telluride sponsors an annual Halloween Bash, generally held on the last Saturday before Halloween. (When Halloween falls on a Saturday, it may be held on Halloween instead!) Proving that this holiday isn’t just for the kiddos, this adult celebration provides a DJ and the best and spookiest music, costume contests, and a live band that will have you and your favorite traveling partner doing the monster mash all night long!
Halloween Parade
Another annual tradition is the Halloween costume parade sponsored and featuring the students of Telluride’s elementary and intermediate schools! The kids dress in their cutest, sweetest, and spookiest costumes and parade down Main Street on the Friday before Halloween, much to the delight of locals and visitors alike! It’s hard not to feel festive when you spot ghouls, goblins, and Elsas and Ninja Turtles strutting their stuff, proud, excited, and anticipating the upcoming holiday and all the sweet treats they will soon be devouring!
Telluride Horror Show, Mid-October
Your kiddos may be after costumes and candy, and although there is nothing wrong with either, you prefer something a little more bone chilling to go along with your Halloween celebrations, and the Telluride Horror Show, a scary movie festival traditionally held in mid-October, is that something more and then some! Passes can be purchased in varying increments, including a single ticket, a six-pack of tickets, or a three-day pass that offers unlimited access to the scariest, bloodiest, goriest, and spookiest new movies of the year! Inviting guest to explore the newest generation of horror film creators, this fun event is destined to be your favorite activity of the season and is NOT recommended for the tiny travelers who may have accompanied you.
Lamplight Cemetery Tour, the Last Three Saturdays of October
You can’t get much more Halloween-y than with a tour of the Lone Tree Cemetery which starts after dark! Learn the history of our town and the stories of the departed souls who has made this cemetery their final resting place and come away with a new appreciation of Telluride and maybe a few blurry pics of the spirits that roam the grounds. The tours sell out early, so be sure to reserve your tickets ($15 for non-museum members in 2023) by calling (970) 728-3344.
No Ghosts Here!
Your most comfortable Halloween adventures will take place in our decidedly NOT haunted holiday hideaways! Offering the warmth you crave as the temps drop, state of the art televisions for binge watching the classic horror movies not being shown at the Telluride Horror Show, and inviting kitchens in which you can create Halloween-themed meals, snacks, and cocktails that will stick to your ribs and warm your soul, our homes welcome and pamper travelers from all over the world. An because they are NOT haunted, your sleep in our serene and tranquil bedrooms is guaranteed to be filled with happy dreams; no nightmares permitted! Reserve your favorite Telluride Halloween haven today.
