What to do in Colorado this week: The scariest corn mazes in the state

It started in 1997 with a pumpkin patch, hay rides and a few farm animals on the Anderson Farm near Erie. Over the years the family added pony rides, pumpkin cannons and supposedly the state’s first corn maze. But the farm’s more fearsome attraction debuted in 2001 with the creation of Terror in the Corn, a haunted mile-long journey of nightmares and jumpscares that starts when the sun sets. 

This weekend, we’ve got haunted corn mazes, a Halloween parade, a jack-o’-lantern hike and a canine costume contest.

Oct. 15-21

Haunted corn mazes. Now celebrating “25 years of fear,” Terror in the Corn has refined its lore (the backstory about wicked twins and an abandoned coal mining town can be found on the website) and has even been spun off into a comic book and video game.

Not far from Terror in the Corn is Thornton’s own Haunted Field of Screams, which isn’t actually a corn maze, but more of a haunted house-style attraction (next to a corn maze) on Riverdale Road, the 11-mile stretch between Thornton and Brighton known as one of the most haunted roads in the country.

And up north in La Salle, just south of Greeley, Fritzler Farm Park’s Scream Acres maze is open throughout the month.

There are plenty of corn mazes around Colorado that are far less frightful. The Field of Scream’s sister attraction, Maize in the City, is family-friendly and open during the daytime. The corn maze at the Denver Botanic Garden’s Chatfield Farms is carved to celebrate the state’s 150th birthday this year, and Rock Creek Farm in Broomfield has three different maze lengths to choose from.

And remember, if you do go down the haunted path but are too terrified to continue, all you have to do is tap an actor and ask to be escorted out. But consider yourself warned: There are no refunds. 

Various prices; Various dates in October; Various locations

Other events to consider

• Pumpkin Hike at Mueller State Park. A quarter-mile evening hike at Mueller State Park lined with jack-o’-lanterns. Vote for your favorite pumpkin, take a guided nocturnal animal hike, and enjoy Halloween story time and hot chocolate back at the trailhead. Free, but requires state park pass; 6-8 p.m., Friday; Mueller State Park, 21045 Highway 67 S., Divide
• South Broadway Halloween Parade. Much more than your typical crawl of sponsored floats, Saturday’s party on South Broadway is a properly spooky spectacle. Expect over-the-top costumes, plenty of candy and choreographed dances. Free; 6-9 p.m., Saturday; South Broadway from Fifth Avenue to E. Virginia Avenue, Denver
• Howl-o-ween in Golden. A pet parade at the Golden Mill with prizes for the best dog, group and kid costumes, along with live music and lots of treats. Free; noon-3 p.m., Sunday; The Golden Mill, 1012 Ford St., Golden

Note: This is a curated list by the reporter to give readers a sense of arts and culture events happening across Colorado that they may not have otherwise known about. This is not meant to be an exhaustive account of things to do.