October is Arts Month in Colorado Springs. The annual initiative is orchestrated locally by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPR) as part of a collective movement across the United States. The Springs’ arts scene is always vibrant, but each October the calendar overflows with creative entertainment. This year’s theme, Real Art: Made for the Moment, celebrates the connection created when artists share their work and audiences participate by showing up, paying attention and responding. And the calendar is filled with hundreds of events to experience, celebrate and even unleash your own creativity.
“Our theme this year, Real Art: Made for the Moment, is an invitation to experience the arts as they happen,” says Angela Seals, COPPR executive director. “Artists begin the moment, but audiences bring their own attention and energy to it. Whether you visit a gallery, see a performance or try something unexpected, showing up makes the experience complete.”
Arts Month encourages people to begin with an art form they already enjoy, then make room for something unexpected. Experiences will take place in theaters, museums and concert halls as well as neighborhood galleries, libraries, parks, studios and community spaces throughout the region. The month also carries added significance for COPPR as the organization celebrates 20 years of championing the artists, organizations and creative businesses that contribute to the region’s cultural life.
To do that, you can find full schedules of Arts Month events at ArtsOctober.com. Some of the options will challenge your preconceptions and make you think. Others will pull you into the action and let you forget — your worries, your inhibitions or your insecurities that you’re not artistic. Many of the events will inspire and entertain you. There’s something for everyone.
To help you get started, here are our Top 12 ways to celebrate Arts Month in Colorado Springs.
1. Join COPPR’s Stronger Together Artist Mixer
The first days of Arts Month 2026 include COPPR’s free Stronger Together artist mixer and community open house on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Cultural Office, 287 E. Fountain Blvd., Unit 100, in downtown Colorado Springs.
The Stronger Together exhibition features 34 original works created by 21 local artists, each inspired by an arts organization serving the Pikes Peak region. The project connects COPPR’s anniversary to the people and organizations that have built and continue to shape the region’s creative community. The commissioned works were purchased with support from project underwriter Herman Tiemens, directly supporting participating artists. At the conclusion of the exhibition, each work will be presented to the organization it honors.
Light refreshments will be served, and you can purchase treats from Rizuto’s ice cream truck. Find all the Stronger Together event details here.
2. Play Arts Month Digital Bingo and Win
The digital Arts Month Bingo Passport by Visit Colorado Springs makes it easy to discover creative experiences — and you can win great prizes.
All you have to do is sign up here, and you can follow the instructions to add the app to your phone’s home screen. You’ll have a pocket guide to events and creative stops all over the region. Check in at geolocated spots to fill out your bingo card and win stickers and earn entries for bigger prizes, including a giraffe experience at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, a $150 gift card to the Ent Center for the Arts, an overnight stay at The Mining Exchange Hotel and more.
“The Arts Month Digital Passport makes it fun and easy to check in at over 30 local sites to earn points and win prizes,” Seals says. “Behind that game is the realness of driving economic impact to our creative businesses, nonprofits and local artists. Buy creative, buy local, buy tickets, support our arts scene this October. And with the passport, you might even win some great rewards, too!”
3. Go to Arts Month First Friday
First Friday Art Walks are always a great monthly opportunity to roam new gallery exhibitions, meet artists and savor special events and receptions throughout Manitou, Old Colorado City and downtown. Arts Month First Friday will be even more festive on Oct. 3 as artists and art lovers around the region gather to see and celebrate new work. Learn more about the experience in our Insider’s Guide to First Friday.
4. Applaud the Theater and Film
Focus your Arts Month festivities on the stage and screen. The Sondheim classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Theatreworks is one play you don’t want to miss. The Fine Arts Center Theatre’s Come From Away is another. But hurry, both finish their runs on Oct. 4. The Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival is another. And with Halloween on the horizon, you’ve got many other options to lean into the spooky vibes of the season, from scary movie series to haunted ghost tours and more. Highlights include the Three Nights of Horror Film Festival and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
5. Be Moved by Music and Dance
Get out to a concert or dance performance — or sing some karaoke and kick up your own heels at a dance event. There’s always a full lineup of live music, from local artists to national acts, and this month is no exception. October brings options including Drowning Pool and Saliva, Kansas, Dwight Yoakam, For King and Country, the Buffalo Grass Music Festival and the Philharmonic. Check out Dizzy Charlie’s schedule of curated live music all around town or pick your favorite venue.
6. Be Inspired by Poetry, Prose and Comedy
Be moved and inspired by the spoken word, whether it’s in poetry verse or jokes and comedy skits. The Poetry 719 Annual Poetry Festival hosts open mics, poetry slams, workshops and inclusive events all month. Loonees Comedy Corner hosts the Colorado Springs Comedy Festival Oct. 7-11. And the Pikes Peak Zine Fest hosts its free small press gathering on Oct. 17.
7. Savor the Visual and Culinary Arts
Food is art too. The downtown Banana Cat Bar Crawl is inspired by the mural and blends art, food, drinks and fun. Ephemera is hosting an Ode to Carrots paired dinner with visiting Chef Hannah Cupples. The Penrose Room hosts a Meet the Makers: Penfolds Wine paired-dinner event. And you’ll find much more on the local creative culinary menu.
8. Make Your Own Art
Arts Month is all about a new creative experience — so it’s the perfect time to get out and make something. Bemis School of Art has a wide range of creative classes, where you can make pinatas and ofrendas for Dia de Muertos or learn basic drawing, photography and more. Or sign up for a painting event at a place like Painting With a Twist. Create pottery at Cottonwood Center for the Arts or Color Me Mine. And make crafts at Who Gives a Scrap. These no-pressure DIY workshops are great for date night, family fun or girls night out.
9. Explore Public Art
Colorado Springs is a gallery in and of itself thanks to its vibrant public art installations. Downtown is host to 12 new sculptures and murals, plus permanent pieces, in the Art on the Streets collection, and you can follow a guided or self-guided tour to enjoy them. And you’ll find more interesting art all over town, from Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City to University Village, Briargate and more.
10. Hit the Road
The Pikes Peak region is big and filled with creative and artistic discoveries. Fall is a beautiful time to explore it while the aspen trees add an artful glow of gold. Head to Cripple Creek for a show at the Butte Theatre. Take a day trip to Green Mountain Falls to see the public art of Green Box Arts and the immersive Skyspace by James Turrell. Take a short hike to visit Rita the Rock Puller, the giant troll in Victor, by international artist Thomas Dambo. Or upcycle new treasures that you find in the antique shops of Penrose and Canon City.
11. Find Something Weird and Unusual
Take a walk on the offbeat side and find new curiosities to add to your decor, gallery or gift-gifting stash. The small local shops of Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and downtown are great places to find unique treasures. Novis Mortem and Cronk Art and Curiosities are standouts. And don’t forget about the May Natural History Museum, aka the Bug Museum, for a beautiful and unusual collection of insects.
12. Keep the Arts Going with Season Tickets
Don’t stop enjoying, celebrating and supporting the arts when Arts Month ends. If you tried and loved a new experience, consider buying season tickets or a membership to a local arts organization or group. Most groups, such as the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Theatreworks, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and the Millibo Art Theatre, offer a variety of ticket packages and memberships to meet every budget. And your support keeps the arts in Colorado Springs strong and thriving.
Dive into Arts Month at artsoctober.com.
