What takes over Ferril Lake's shoreline once the swan boats come off the water for the winter? This year, it's the bandstand rebuild. The March fire that destroyed the City Park bandstand also delayed the lake's rental season, and both projects now run on the same calendar. The boats stop on Sunday, Nov. 1. The city has said the bandstand comes down this fall, and that rebuilding should start by the end of the year so a new structure is ready by June 2027.
So the next 10 days are the last time this year to see the lake with paddlers on it. After that, the shoreline becomes a work site.
Friday Night Is the Costume Paddle
Denver Parks & Recreation's Spooky Paddle is tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 23, listed from 5 to 9 p.m. At City Park it starts from the Adventure Hub at Ferril Lake. Washington Park's hub at Smith Lake hosts the same night. Costumes are encouraged. Rentals are first come, first served, there are no reservations, and the usual rental rules apply.
One thing to plan around: on a regular fall weekday the hub closes at 8 p.m. and hands out its last rental an hour before that. The event listing doesn't say whether rentals run later that night. If the group wants a boat, get there early.
Two Weekends, Then the Hub Closes for Winter
The city lists the Adventure Hub's fall season as Aug. 24 through Nov. 1, 2026. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 3:30 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. After the Spooky Paddle, two weekends are left. One is Oct. 24 and 25. The other is Halloween weekend, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The booth can close 45 minutes early if no one has rented anything in the last hour, and it stays closed for the winter season.
Here are the current rates from the Adventure Hub page:
| Watercraft | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Single kayak or stand-up paddleboard | $15 |
| Tandem kayak or canoe | $25 |
| Two-person flamingo pedal boat | $25 |
| Four-person swan, duck or dragon pedal boat | $35 |
You pay per boat, not per person. A Parks spokesperson told The Denver Post in July, "For families, as long as you fit, you can go." That makes the $35 swan the cheapest way to get four people onto the lake. You can rent for up to three hours, and the hub takes cash, credit cards and Apple Pay.
Rules for kids, if you're bringing them:
- Ages 0 to 2 can ride only in pedal boats.
- Ages 3 to 7 must ride with an adult in a canoe, tandem kayak or pedal boat.
- Ages 8 to 17 can go out on their own once a parent or guardian signs a waiver.
- Everyone wears a life jacket the whole time. Rentals include them.
- No swimming, no alcohol and no pets on rentals. You get on and off at the dock.
Why City Park's Boats Started Late
This was the first season in at least two decades that the city ran City Park's boat and bike rentals itself. Denver ended its contract with Wheel Fun Rentals in early 2026, after more than 20 years. A Parks spokesperson told The Denver Post that bringing rentals in-house cost less and gave the city more control over the experience.
Washington Park's hub opened in early June. City Park's didn't open until mid-July. The Denver Post reported the reason: the electricity running the rental booth's point-of-sale system had to be replaced after the bandstand fire. So the bandstand fire cost Ferril Lake a month of boating in early summer, and the bandstand rebuild is now waiting for the last weeks of fall.
The city's City Park Projects page still has notes from the early assessment saying the lake is closed to boating. Those notes are out of date. The rental schedule above is the current one.
What the Swallows Have to Do With It
A structural assessment found the remaining bandstand can't be saved. Denver plans to take it down this fall, start building a replacement by the end of the year, and open the new one in time for the 2027 City Park Jazz season. The project page lists June 2027 as the completion date.
Birds have set the start date. During the assessment, crews found barn swallow nests under the decking. Barn swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In early September, project manager Katie Russell told The Denver Post the city hoped to start dismantling the structure in mid-September but had to wait for the birds to leave. "It's a bit of a moving target because the birds are currently nesting in the structure," she said. "We're not allowed to touch anything until they've fledged, but our wildlife specialists have been going out there every week to check if there are still nests, eggs and babies."
Western States Demolition will take the structure down. Permits and construction come after that, and the Post reported in September that the construction contract had not been announced yet. Parks says it wants a careful removal that limits the impact on wildlife and the lake. The area around the bandstand will be fenced off during the work, but general access to the park shouldn't change. The city hasn't posted a demolition date or a map of the fenced area. The best way to follow the timing is the project update sign-up on the City Park Projects page.
A Rebuild That Keeps the Old Stone
The structure that burned was already a replica. It was the third bandstand on the site, in a line that goes back to 1896. Because it's a replica, the Denver Landmark program and the National Register both list it as a non-contributing structure inside two historic districts. Even so, the plan sticks closely to what was there before.
- Design team: Denver firm Mundus Bishop leads the design, with Nan Anderson as architect and AE Design on electrical.
- Look: The reconstruction rendering keeps the original design and adds an ADA access ramp.
- What carries over: The original stone piers stay, and steel beams a structural engineer found reusable will be salvaged.
- Approval: The Post reported the team is keeping design changes minimal, with the blessing of the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission.
Russell also told the Post the schedule is "pretty quick turnaround for a government project," in part because so many people are watching it. The city's permitting office is also losing wedding and event rental income while the site sits unused.
Who Covered the Deductible
On Sept. 2, the Mayor's Office announced a $125,000 grant from Colorado philanthropists Scott Miller and Tim Gill to Denver Park Trust. It was matched by $125,000 raised by Denver Park Trust, City Park Alliance, City Park Friends and Neighbors, and Denver Parks and Recreation. The combined $250,000 covers the insurance deductible, so taxpayer money goes only to necessary upgrades and improvements. The early fundraising was led by 9News anchor Kyle Clark through his Word of Thanks Fund.
The deadline everyone is working toward belongs to City Park Jazz. The free concert series turned 40 this summer. The fire left the nonprofit without a stage or power for its 2026 season, and it estimates the mobile stage and power cost about $30,000. Its band submission form for 2027 is already open.
What's Left on the City Park Calendar
- Friday, Oct. 23: Spooky Paddle at the Ferril Lake Adventure Hub, listed 5 to 9 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25: Regular weekend rentals, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: The last City Park Farmers Market of the season at the Esplanade, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Boats are available on the lake that afternoon.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: Last day of the Adventure Hub's fall season.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: The Pumpkin Pie 5K and 10K start at 9 a.m. from City Park Pavilion, 2001 Steele St. Registration is $36 for the 5K and $46 for the 10K from Oct. 16, then $40 and $50 on race day.
The city's target is a new bandstand on the old stone piers by June 2027, in time for the next City Park Jazz season.
Thinking about how the bandstand rebuild fits into your plans near City Park? Joaquin follows these park projects block by block and is glad to talk them through, in English or Spanish. Joaquin Avila offers a free Denver market consultation whenever you're ready.
