SATURDAY

What a happy day for chocolate lovers at Choctoberfest. Check out the 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. yummy lineup of hundreds and hundreds of chocolates and sweets to taste and buy. Try the chocolate fountain or the Chocolate Martini Bar. Watch the Chocolate Cake Showdown, dance the polka, try your luck at the Chocolate Pudding Eating Contest or play Chocolate Bingo. A costume contest to win tasting tickets, too. Admission $10 and kids 12 and under free. Taste Tickets to sample treats are $10 per dozen. It’s all at Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave., Aurora. Free parking. cochocolatefests.com

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

Learn about the six YMCAs of Denver Metro during the last two days of its sneak peek at classes and services and an opportunity to rediscover it as the “Third Place” for families after home and school. It shows the traditional programs as well as the new “from traditional fitness and sports to nutrition, e-gaming and out-of-school care.” Special features are Adventure Zone, Family Trivia and Family Gympalooza. Signups for the six Y sites encouraged but not required at denverymca.org/ymca-open-house.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Rodeo stars gather for Rodeo All Star Weekend at National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St. Three professional rodeo performances with favorites like bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding. And the fan delight, Mutton Bustin.’ Semi-finals 7 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, finals at 7 p.m. Saturday. Have lunch with the champions at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, $18. Post performance parties and a concert.  For tickets: rodeoallstar.com

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

The always anticipated autumn weekend family activity, Pumpkin Festival at Chatfield Farms is here, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton. Tickets include the 10-acre pumpkin patch, the Corn Maze, hayrides, antique tractor exhibit, carnival rides and all the entertainment and activities. Pumpkin prices are by size with an average of $8. Bring a wagon to carry pumpkins and there is free “pumpkin daycare” while families visit other parts of the fun. Food trucks and beverage vendors on site. Tickets online only: $12 for adults, $10 for students, seniors, military and ages 3-15. botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/pumpkin-festival

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Planning some DIY projects around home? So many ideas at the Castle Rock Fall Home Show, 500 Fairgrounds Road. Local home designers and contractors will be on hand, along with vendors, noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. castlerockhomeshow.com

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Everyone will be looking skyward in Fort Collins during the CSU Drone Center’s first airshow and drone experience. Those in the industry and other experts have been participating in professional sessions but several performances are open to the public. The Drone Light Show, with Colorado and CSU themes, is 9:30 p.m. Friday from the CSU Main Campus Intramural Fields. The community day free airshow runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Christman Airfield, 3985 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins. coloradodroneshow.colostate.edu

FRIDAY

It’s a book club for families throughout the area and begins with the free NEA Big Read Kickoff Party at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. Free copies of “Postcolonial Love Poem” by Natalie Diaz, performances, readings and interactive activities for everyone. Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts with a vision to broaden “our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices and perspectives…” denver.org/event/nea-big-read-kickoff-party/106794

SATURDAY

All those strange, weird and gasp-inducing things will inhabit Colorado Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday during The Oddities and Curiosities Expo. It’s a traveling event going from city to city with 150 vendors and exhibits and includes The Oddities Museum. Tickets start at $10 at odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com and $15 at the door. 

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

All about apples this weekend at the 47th annual Lakewood Cider Days festival. A tribute to that area’s agricultural heritage, it is set at historic Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park and a crowd of 14,500 will be treated to 3,500 cups of hard cider and 6,200 cups of fresh Colorado apple cider. Family fun includes a petting zoo, performing pigs, apple pies, line dancing, tractor pulls and a straw maze. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 801 S. Yarrow St. Admission $12 ($8 in advance), $5 for children 3-12, timed slots online at Lakewood.org/CiderDays

SATURDAY

First responders, emergency vehicles, health-care folks, resources and healthy activities are all part of the Safety & Wellness Fair, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Colorado Mills, 14500 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood. Free. 

simon.com/mall/colorado-mills/stream/safety-wellness-fair-6225690

SATURDAY

If it’s a road trip kind of Saturday, it’s the longtime favorite Penrose Apple Day in its 89th year. The star: a free slice of apple pie for everyone. On the schedule, a pancake breakfast at the Fire Department until 11 a.m., a fun run, the Apple Day Parade at 11 a.m. preceded by a Children’s Parade by all grades at the elementary school. Food vendors on Main Street, a semi-truck show in the park to benefit a local family, chili cookoff tasting at 1 p.m. and apple pie eating contest at 4 p.m. penrosechamber.org/apple-day. 

SATURDAY

This Saturday and Oct. 14 the Iron Mountain-top Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park turns Bavarian with Octoberfest. Beer and German food, music and dancing, and competitions  including axe throwing, key bowling, pumpkin tic-tac-toe and the stein-holding.glenwoodcaverns.com/events/octoberfest One of a number of Octoberfests and harvest festivals all across Colorado.

SUNDAY

Costumes and trick-or-treating at the Shops at Northfield Candy Crawl, 8340 Northfield Blvd., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hayrides, Pharoah’s Car Show’s spooky trunks, visit// with Denver police and fire, Morningside and Ghostbuster Hearses and contests.  Wear family friendly costumes. shopsatnorthfield.com