Spend Halloween At One Of The World's Largest Horror Film Festivals At This Southwestern Town

Are you a film buff? Do you love horror? Want to go to Colorado this Halloween season and check out one of the largest genre and horror film festivals in the world? You can if you visit Telluride, a charming southwestern town in the heart of the Rockies, known for its beautiful landscapes and world-class ski resorts. However, every October, Telluride transforms into something much darker and more thrilling. The Telluride Horror Show is a weekend festival filled with spooky genre films, interesting events, and special programming and the must-attend event of the season, now in its 15th year.

The Telluride Horror Show, founded in 2010, has grown into a premier horror film festival. It is also Colorado's first and longest-running horror film festival and one of the few genre festivals with the highest attendance in the world. Over the course of three days in mid-October (during the tourist off-season) — in 2024, it runs from October 11 to 13 — filmmakers and fans from around the globe gather in Telluride, Colorado, to celebrate all things horror. The festival showcases a diverse range of films, from big-budget features and indie darlings to emerging shorts and cult classics, covering every murky corner of the horror genre.

Whether you love supernatural thrillers, slasher flicks, dark comedies, sci-fi horrors, or gory B-movies, you'll find the perfect screenings to enjoy at this festival. Telluride's historic theaters, including Elks Lodge, Palm Theatre, and especially the iconic circa-1913 Sheridan Opera House (with a winged gargoyle on its roof), host the screenings. Every festival venue is conveniently within walking distance. As Telluride is surrounded by towering mountains and fall foliage, the eerie ambiance of the season really makes this a unique destination to celebrate Halloween this year.

The Telluride Horror Show offers more than just frightening films. Throughout the weekend, attendees can enjoy exclusive premieres, special screenings, and Q&A sessions with directors, actors, and industry insiders. It's a chance to immerse yourself into the world of horror and genre cinema and get behind-the-scenes insights from the filmmakers who craft the on-screen scares. In addition to films, the festival hosts horror summits, workshops, and book signings where you can meet other festival-goers, celebrities, and up-and-coming stars.

One of the highlights of the weekend is its social events, like the late-night after-parties (especially the closing party!), where you can mingle and unwind after the day is done. The pig roast is another fun gathering with a plentiful barbecue feast provided by Oak, one of the best local barbecue restaurants in town. What makes the Telluride Horror Show stand out is its combination of high-quality film curation and intimate setting. Unlike larger, more commercialized festivals such as Sundance, Telluride maintains a close-knit, unpretentious community atmosphere that's hard to find elsewhere.

To attend, you can purchase a three-day ticket that includes special pass holder-only events, a pack of six individual tickets, or single tickets to certain events here. Beyond the festival, visitors to Telluride can enjoy everything this underrated small town has to offer during the day — explore hiking trails (especially the Jud Wiebe and Bear Creek trails), ride the free gondola, or stroll through the charming downtown streets of this historic town. By night, the festival takes over, and Telluride sets the stage for one of the most iconic horror and Halloween events in America.