Get your pumpkin on today

It's almost time to get serious about pumpkins -- but Aurora's annual Jack-o-Launch at its Pumpkinfest is pretty much all fun and games. The pumpkin-launching teams are competing to dress weirder and, of course, chuck a pumpkin farther than their competitors. Today's fall festival also features hay rides, a pumpkin patch, live music and more; it runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Historic DeLaney Farm, 170 South Chambers Road, and it's all free. Visit http://auroragov.org for information.

If you didn't find a pumpkin in Aurora, head to the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield for the annual Pumpkinfest, where you can select the perfect gourd from an 8.5-acre patch, plus take ghost tours of the historic, circa 1860s homestead and check out a new children's play area called Deer Creek Discovery. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow, and costs $5 for adults, $3 for kids, $4 for member adults and $2 for member kids -- but kids in costume get in free. Bring some extra cash for your pumpkin! The Gardens are at 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton; for more info, visit www.botanicgardens.org.