Colorado's beloved autumn traditions of apple picking and pumpkin patches have been severely disrupted this year after a string of extreme weather events devastated the state's farms. An April overnight freeze wiped out fruit crops in the North Fork Valley, while an unusually hot spring and summer, a record-hot July in Denver, and a hail-and-flood-hit Labor Day weekend combined to leave many growers with little or nothing to harvest. The disruption matters beyond lost seasonal fun, as it threatens farmers' livelihoods, seasonal workers' jobs, and families' access to a cherished autumn tradition.

Some farms have cancelled events entirely: Sonrise Farm scrapped its pumpkin patch in June after deciding not to plant, while Berry Patch Farms had to alter its plans due to poor harvests. Ela Family Farms lost its entire apple crop after trees bloomed three weeks early and were then killed by the April frost, forcing owners to invoke an "act of God" clause to cancel contracts with seasonal H-2A visa workers, some of whom had to find alternative employment. Farmer Mike Nolan, in his 22nd season at Mountain Roots Produce, described this year as the strangest he has experienced, and growers are now adapting by installing irrigation and rethinking schedules for future seasons.