Flowers at Maxwell Natural Area. ©2025 Kat Valdez/Diverse Fort Collins
Ready for a spooktacular October?
A variety of creative projects and community events (including free and low cost) await you in Fort Collins. Here are a few.
October is Hispanic Heritage Month!
Books and Events to Celebrate Hispanic and Latiné Heritage Month – Poudre Libraries
Oct. 1 Noche familiar de Loteria
Oct. 7 Papel Picado Workshop for Teens
Oct. 17 Celebrando Día de Muertos con Memo Plastilina
Latiné and Hispanic Heritage Celebration – the City of Fort Collins
Latinx History Tour Companion – City of Fort Collins
Hispanic Heritage Month Resources – National Museum of the American Latino
Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Every Thursday in October): Late Night Horror Fest at The Lyric Cinema
Oct. 3 Colorado Queer Comedy Festival at The Lyric
Oct. 3 Linden Street Block Party & First Friday
The City of Fort Collins will close the 200 block of Linden Street (between Walnut Street and Jefferson Street) to vehicle traffic on Friday, Oct. 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. for First Friday activities including live music, sidewalk vendors, family friendly activities and a skateboard expo.
Oct 4 Annual Tour de Corgi
The Tour de Corgi is a Corgi Meet-Up and carnival parade of corgis through Old Town Fort Collins. Civic Center Park and Old Town Fort Collins. Proceeds benefit 4 Paws Pet Pantry, Colorado Corgis and Friends Rescue, Wyoming Dachshund and Corgi Rescue, and Bandit’s K9Care. For up-to-the-minute information, join our Facebook Page and Facebook Group.
https://www.facebook.com/tourdecorgi/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourdecorgi/
Article: Rock On with 300+ Corgis: Tour de Corgi Returns to Fort Collins Oct. 4
Excerpt:
Fort Collins is the home of Bikes, Beers, Bands…and Butts! That’s right — fluffy corgi butts, to be exact! The beloved Tour de Corgi is back for its 11th year, and it’s bringing the cutest parade in the country back to the streets of Old Town Fort Collins.
This year’s theme? “Rock On!” Get ready for a full-on festival of short legs, big personalities, and rockstar vibes as corgis from across the country strut their stuff in costumes worthy of the main stage.
Join us for the 11th Annual Tour de Corgi and enjoy:
-A lively parade through Old Town
-A hilarious costume contest
-Dozens of local vendors
-And plenty of fluffy, frolicking fun!
Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 Larimer County Farmers’ Market. Saturdays through Oct. 25
Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 Fort Collins Farmers’ Market. Sundays through Nov. 9
Oct. 5 Tell It Like It Was: A Four-Week Journey Into Storytelling, Connection and Community Leadership, taught by Mary Roberts. Free.
Explore your past. Shape your story. Inspire your community.
Presented by story coach and author, Mary Roberts, this four-week course is for anyone who wants to tell true stories that matter—whether on the stage, on the page, in conversation, or in circles they create themselves. Through skill-building, guided reflection, story practice, and a toolkit for leading story circles, participants will leave with confidence in their voice and the power to help others share theirs.
No writing or performance experience needed—just a willingness to show up with curiosity and a little courage!
You will come away with:
· A personal story crafted and practiced
· A solid understanding of storytelling elements
· Confidence in giving and receiving story feedback|
· A toolkit to start their own community story circle
· A deeper connection to themselves and others
Mary Roberts is a storyteller, story coach, and author with an M.A. in Creative Nonfiction Writing. With over a decade of experience on storytelling stages and in classrooms, she helps individuals shape true stories with heart, clarity, and purpose. Mary is passionate about using personal narrative to build connection, heal old narratives, and spark change—one story at a time.
Additional Information: Registration is required. Register on the library website, in person at any library, or by calling our Answer Center at 970-221-6740.
Oct. 10 For The Love of Strangers, emceed by Dr. Cori Wong. Doors: 6:30 p.m. Show: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center, 7 Old Town Square, Suite 100 (north side of Mountain Avenue). $10 suggested donation.
For the Love of Strangers is an innovative and highly-interactive community experience. It animates possibilities for being with others by building a hyper-local culture of connection. Each show focuses on a theme and runs about 90 minutes; a story-sharing space blended with small group think tanks.
Oct. 14 CSU Ignites AI: Shaping Tomorrow Together. Livestream info available soon.
Oct. 19 Poetry Curious workshop facilitated by Fort Collins Poet Laureate Melissa Mitchell at Wolverine Farm Letterpress and Publick House. Free.
Oct. 22 Sip and Tell storytelling event at Horse and Dragon Brewing Company, emceed by Susan Earley. Theme: Faceoff. $5.
Oct. 26 “The Gadfly: True Stories and Stand-Up Philosophy” is for thoughtful people who love to laugh, especially as we grapple with the complex conditions of our existence. While not exactly lectures or improv, my shows leave room for questions and crowd work. Far from a “tight five”, the main goal isn’t punchlines to get big laughs. The goal is to make telling the truth a good time.”
Oct. 26 “Oh…Ethics Got Good.”
Nov. 23 “More Power, Please!”
More Details:
Where: Speak Cheesy Lounge (below Slyce Pizza on 120 Mason St.)
When: 5:30-7 p.m. Stand-Up Philosophy (All-Night Happy Hour starts at 5 p.m.)
Cost: $10 suggested donation
Spotlight: New Community Resource
We spotted The Stained Page Project Free Book Trailer at City Park during the FoCo Food Truck Rally on Sept. 9.
What a wonderful way to spread joy throughout the community: the gift of reading. Owner and artist Esmé told us it’s a way of bringing more love into the world. We couldn’t agree more.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Do you ever feel like you are walking on eggshells around someone who is supposed to love you? Crossroads Safehouse is here to help. Domestic violence includes many forms of abuse, not just physical.
Crossroads Safehouse first opened its doors to the Northern Colorado community in 1980 when it offered four rooms to victims of domestic violence. Crossroads is now housed in a 29,000 square foot facility with 31 rooms serving victims and their children every day of the year. Our team of 35 dedicated staff members works hard to provide wrap-around services to victims of domestic violence and interpersonal abuse, including access to our emergency shelter with therapy, advocacy, legal advice, food, clothing and much more.
Nonprofit Spotlight
Fuerza Latina
Fuerza Latina es una organización de inmigrantes y aliados dedicada a educar, informar, organizar y promover el cambio para facilitar una mejor calidad de vida a los inmigrantes en nuestra comunidad.
Fuerza Latina
Fuerza Latina is an organization of immigrants and allies dedicated to educating, informing, organizing and promoting change to facilitate an improved quality of life for immigrants in our community.
Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins
The Cultural Enrichment Center is designed to address the cultural, academic, career, and social needs of middle school and high school African American students in Fort Collins. The enrichment center is crafted in an academic cultural framework for the purpose of connecting participants with history, literature, arts, music, dance, traditions, and folklore of the African American experience.
Business Spotlight
Black Sparrow Media
Black Sparrow Media creates a wide variety of entertainment content, and commercial productions. From conception to execution, we look for the beauty in all stories and find creative ways to express it to a large audience.
Golden Poppy Herbal Apothecary
Herbalism is for everyone. We make it right for you. Whether you’re seeking guidance to re-weave your health, looking for all-natural skin and body care, or simply curious about herbs, Golden Poppy Herbal Apothecary and Clinic is here to serve on your plant journey.
Multicultural Business & Entrepreneur Center
The Multicultural Business & Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) is a free bilingual (English & Spanish) center that provides business owners and entrepreneurs easy access to business service providers, resources, mentorship and specialty training. It also connects them with critical resources to create, launch and grow a business in Fort Collins. All services at the MBEC are free.
NoCo Latino Chamber of Commerce
The voice of the Latino Business Community in Northern Colorado and the Front Range area. We’re in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and surrounding cities working for you! Started in 2021 by Fort Collins and Greeley business owners.
Event Calendars
https://artmuseum.colostate.edu/programs/
https://moafc.org/moafc-events/
https://www.lyriccinema.com/upcoming
https://bandwagmag.com/
https://downtownfortcollins.com/
https://focoma.org/directory/media-resources
https://www.fcgov.com/events/
https://www.larimer.gov/events
https://www.visitftcollins.com/
https://www.wolverinefarm.org/events/
https://poudrelibraries.librarycalendar.com/events/month
Looking ahead: November
Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy – Nov. 8 through Nov. 16 – Race Forward – In Cities, Communities, and Virtual Spaces Across the Country
The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy—a national pulse point for multiracial democracy and cross-racial solidarity—is back! Across cities, towns, and virtual spaces, communities will come alive through music, storytelling, movement, and collective learning. It’s a time to shift the narrative, reclaim the deeper meaning of democracy, and elevate the power of culture to shape what comes next.
Strategic in its approach of meeting people where they are, moving them emotionally, and inviting them into collective action, the Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy provides a range of opportunities and events—some curated and some for you to design on your own.
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