‘Casa BOOnita’ returns to Casa Bonita this fall with Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations

Just when you thought cliff divers in a landlocked Mexican restaurant was peak weird, Casa Bonita said “hold my sopapilla.”

Casa BOOnita, the Halloween and Día de los Muertos takeover of Denver’s most wonderfully absurd restaurant, is returning this fall, and the spooky transformation is already being teased on the restaurant’s website. The seasonal event blends the colorful traditions of Día de los Muertos with the spirit of Halloween in a way that only a restaurant with underground waterfalls, puppet shows and Black Bart’s Cave can pull off.

This year’s event will run September 29 through November 1. A regular Casa Bonita dining reservation is required to experience BOOnita, there’s no separate ticket. Halloween costumes are encouraged, and if you can’t find one, the restaurant is selling Halloween merch.

Last year’s inaugural Casa BOOnita turned the Lakewood landmark into a costumed, candlelit celebration that drew national attention. Performers went full Halloween with their shows, the décor leaned into the spooky-meets-festive aesthetic and guests were encouraged to come in costume, because dressing up at a restaurant where a gorilla already roams the dining room is basically mandatory.