A costume fun run, leaf peeping, kids activities and inspirational speakers this weekend in the Vail Valley
Get into the fall spirit with the Pumpkin Fun Run in Avon, view the fall colors and some of the highest peaks in the state or slow down with a free nature walk
Avon Recreation Center’s Pumpkin Fun Run
Lace up the shoes and hit the path at Nottingham Park in Avon during the Avon Recreation Center’s Pumpkin Fun Run this Saturday. This event is also a costume contest, so make sure your Halloween costume allows for freedom of movement so you can run, walk or stroll down the path.
The course will be on the pedestrian path that goes along Nottingham Lake, so it is relatively flat and family friendly for all ages and ability levels. The distance is approachable, too, since it is only two kilometers (about 1.2 miles). To entice the kiddos, tell them they can collect candy along the route.
Stick around to find out who won the costume contest and bob for apples, have your face painted or carve a pumpkin. The event is this Saturday from 2-4 p.m. For more information, check out the events calendar on .
Leadville Railroad offers Oktoberfest themed trips
If you didn’t head out of town this week for Eagle County’s school break, you could take a day trip to Leadville and ride the scenic rails with a Leadville Railroad tour. Celebrate fall with Oktoberfest on the train with authentic Oktoberfest decorations and a selection of local Colorado craft beers. In addition to brews, you can sip and savor other flavors of the season like hot apple cider and hot cocoa.
The Leadville Railroad started out as a freight line originally owned by the Denver South Park & Pacific Railroad. Completed in 1884, the narrow-gauge railroad would travel to Denver after crossing the Continental Divide twice on the 151-mile route.
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You’ll learn about the history of the Leadville Railroad and some interesting facts about Leadville itself and some of the characters who were in town during its hey day like Horace Tabor and the “Unsinkable Molly Brown.”
The tour is 2.5 hours and wear warm clothes for the open-air passenger cars. For more information and to get tickets, go to .
Fall is for Families on Fridays with Betty Ford Alpine Gardens
Every Friday from now until the ski season opens on Vail Mountain the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is offering free activities for familes that will rotate each week. This Friday, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is teaming up with the Vail Public Library to offer story time and this week’s topic is the ever popular dinosaur. The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has its dinosaur exhibit on display at its Education Center through next spring.
This event is free and will be held at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Education Center next to Ford Park. Look for other events on Fridays including scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, backyard bingo and more. Events run from 10-11 a.m. Go to for more information.
Free nature walks with Walking Mountains
Talk a walk and learn something along the way. Join a Walking Mountains naturalist for one of the free nature walks held at the Walking Mountains Science Center’s campus in Avon this Friday and Saturday from 2-3 p.m. The route takes off right from the center’s parking lot and will take you through aspen groves and riparian environments. You’ll learn about the plants and animals surrounding you on this gentle hike that is suited for all ability levels. The trail is on a dirt path and covers about one-third of a mile and you’ll be stopping and standing while the naturalist explains the nature around you.
Come early or stay after the walk and head into the center to learn more about nature. Walking Mountain’s campus is such a gem and has many exhibits that will educate and entertain kids and adults. Although this nature walk is free, Walking Mountains would like you to register on its website, .
Ethical Leadership Forum
The Ethical Leadership Forum has an event that is open to the public on Friday and will feature great sessions and speakers that will inspire and can lead to transformative, community-driven change. The Ethical Leadership Forum is a collaborative event that brings together emerging and experienced leaders across all sectors like education, nonprofit, business, government, philanthropy and more. The forum is a product of Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder, a nonprofit that was started in Vail in 2007 to help answer the question, “what can we do” and involve students in a bigger, world-view discussion and show them how they can become leaders.
Schedule
- 7:45-9:15 a.m. – Rotary: A Model of Ethical Leadership: Megan McDaniel, executive director of CONAPAC, will speak impactful work in the Amazon and Rotary’s support. Afterward, join roundtable discussions with Rotarians from various clubs.
- 9:30-10:45 a.m. – Stronger Together: Building Partnerships for a Better World: Panel discussion featuring several B:Corp leaders from Colorado, moderated by leadership expert and author Jennifer Simpson.
- 11-11:50 p.m. – Dual keynote produced in partnership with the Vail Symposium with Richard Lackey, founder and chairman of The World Bank, US and Dr. Karambu Ringera, founder and president of International Peace Initiatives.
- 12-1:30 p.m. – An interactive lunch with Longer Tables, a Denver-based nonprofit that believes the common table and shared meal holds the potential to re-humanize people, battle loneliness, fight division and create an effective and powerful place for collaboration. There will also be a Q-and-A with Richard Lackey and Dr. Karambu Ringera.
Attend all sessions or come to the ones you have time for, but it sounds like it will be a very enlightening experience. To register and get tickets and read up on the speakers involved, go to .