Labor Day Races Coming Up!
With the cooler days of September upon us, sign up for a 5K, 10K or Half Marathon this weekend! You can even choose a Virtual Run that you complete on your own. If you’re more of a hiker, you can join a naturalist guide in the backcountry on a family hike to hear elks bugling. Drive-in theaters are still screening your favorite summer movies, and live stand-up comedy has returned to Parker!
TODAY/TONIGHT, September 3
NOT TOO EARLY FOR PUMPKINS
This week’s Virtual Happy Hour is a pumpkin-themed mix of Oktoberfest and fall beers! Let a beer specialist pick out the best beers for the season and teach you how to mix the newest craze of “beer cocktails.” You’ll learn how to create a beer cocktail using Denver Beer Co.’s Hey Pumpkin! Don’t forget to go shopping in advance so you can taste along at home!
HRCA on Zoom
6:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-471-8898
Friday, September 4
CASTLE ROCKER 5K RACE
Dress up like a rock star or just sport your favorite concert t-shirt as you join in on this fun family-friendly 5K run! True to the theme, there’s sure to be a soundtrack playing. Come in costume—the best-dressed rockers will win prizes!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several social distancing measures will be in place. Race registration will be limited and start times will be staggered. Please wear a face covering during the registration process. Those face coverings may be removed once the race begins.
Festival Park, 300 2nd St., Castle Rock
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Registration: $15-$25
FIRST FRIDAY FESTIVAL
Hard to believe it’s September! But the First Friday Festival in Castle Rock is a good reminder. Come out to the park where you can spread out, enjoy delicious bites from food trucks and handcrafted cocktails. There will be games and activities for the kids, as well as live music!
The featured band is Fooz Fighters, the amazing tribute band that will have you convinced you are at a Foo Fighters concert! They will be performing their high-energy show with all the hits including Everlong, Learn to Fly, My Hero, All My Life, Times Like These and more!
Festival Park, 300 2nd St., Castle Rock
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
KIDS NIGHT OUT
Let the kids enjoy a night out—and have a parents’ night out at the same time! At the cooking school just for kids, your 5-12 year olds can learn how to make homemade spaghetti and meatballs with homemade ice-cream for dessert! Staff will be wearing masks during the event and social distancing will be observed.
Flour Power Kids Cooking Studio, 2030 E. County Line Rd., Highlands Ranch
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $39
Phone: 720-656-9405
TOY STORY 4 OUTDOORS
Treat the family to one of their all-time favorite movies—Toy Story 4! Watch Woody, Buzz, and the entire gang in their latest adventure as they head out on a road trip. This is an outdoor movie, so you get to enjoy it on the big screen with plenty of room for social distancing. Admission is FREE—just bring your own chairs or blankets!
American Academy Lincoln Meadows, 10260 Twenty Mile Rd., Parker
6:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 720-292-5300
PARKER COMEDY SHOWCASE
If you’ve been missing the energy of live comedy, check out this exciting new comedy group based in Denver. DeadRoom Comedy is a diverse group of comedians with a range of styles and content—and they’re performing every Friday night in Parker! The shows will be socially-distanced with limited capacity and new lineups each week.
Colorado Taproom and Grill, 19539 Hess Rd. Unit 101, Parker
9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 720-328-8568
Saturday, September 5
PADDLE DAYS AT RUETER-HESS RESERVOIR
It’s not too late to get out on the water! You must pre-register in advance for a timed-entry ticket, and there is a limit of two people per watercraft.
Registration opens seven days prior to each Saturday Paddle Day event, so if you get shut out this weekend, sign up for next weekend pronto!
Reuter-Hess Reservoir, Hess Road, Parker
Arrival times: 7:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Cost: $15 per watercraft
BREAKFAST WITH PILOTS
Enjoy a morning watching cool airplanes fly in and land, then meet the pilots over breakfast! Barrett & Pratt Provisions food truck will be on site where you can buy a tasty bite, then you can stroll through the Exploration of Flight and visit their interactive exhibits.
Exploration of Flight, 13005 Wings Way, Englewood
8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Tickets: $4-$10
PARIS STREET MARKET
This festive, open-air vintage market is inspired by the charming street markets in Paris! You may not be able to travel far this summer, but you’ll feel far away from it all as you peruse booths full of antiques and artisan handicrafts.
Aspen Grove Shopping Center, 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
DRESS GRAB!
How many dresses can you fit in a bag in ten minutes? No, this isn’t a riddle—it’s a dress grab! Since Parker Secret Closet is merging with Bella Boutique, they are leaving Parker and liquidating their inventory of prom and homecoming dresses!
Strict social distancing protocol will be followed, and shoppers will need to wear masks the entire time. Four guests at a time will be allowed in the boutique for each 10-minute round. One flat fee for as many dresses as you can fit in the bag!
Parker Secret Closet, 17151 Pine Ln., Parker
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20
Phone: 720-987-0322
HOMEMADE GOODS AT MAKERS’ MARKET
Find a wide variety of handcrafted goods, custom jewelry, art photography, purses and bags, as well as vintage goods and clever up-cycled items.
Local artisans will display their work at outdoor booths, and there will also be upscale food items like jams, dips, local honey, fresh bread, and so much more!
Outlets at Castle Rock Parking Lot, 5050 Factory Shop Blvd., Castle Rock
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Phone: 719-510-1477
CIRRUS VISION JET SHOWCASE
Aviation buffs will appreciate the chance to get up close to the famous Cirrus Vision Jet G2. This aircraft was one of the first off the assembly line in 2019 and was used as the test airplane for the Garmin Auto Land feature in all G2 Vision Jets! 
Blue Sky Gallery is Wings Over the Rockies’ newest location, where you can wander through an exciting display of aviation exhibits. Stay for lunch and order from Barrett & Pratt Provisions food truck!
Exploration of Flight, 13005 Wings Way, Englewood
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $4-$10
ELK BUGLING HIKE
Get out into the backcountry for an opportunity to hear elks bugling up close! Perfect for families, this hike is perfect for kids ages 5 and up, as well as adults. A seasoned naturalist will point out all kinds of wildlife in their natural habitat, and because it’s dusk, you’re almost sure to hear the bugling of the elk.
Backcountry Wilderness Area, 6005 Ron King Trail, Littleton
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: $7-$10
Phone: 303-791-2500
Sunday, September 6
PARKER FARMERS’ MARKET
Labor Day brings a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables—straight from local farmers’ gardens to your table! There will also be homemade goodies including breads, pastas, sauces, and sweets! Come out to the Farmers’ Market in Parker—and bring plenty of shopping bags!
The Schoolhouse Theater Parking Lot, 19650 Mainstreet, Parker
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
NBA TO THE RESCUE!
NBA players as heroes is nothing new—Space Jam was the iconic 90s movie that had Michael Jordan help Bugs Bunny and a bunch of Looney Tunes characters defeat aliens who stole the powers of NBA players, including Larry Bird and Charles Barkley! This wacky half-animated basketball film will be on the giant screen at the drive-in—what a great way to celebrate the end of the summer!
Park Meadows, 8401 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree
8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $25/vehicle
Monday, September 7
LABOR DAY HALF MARATHON
This Colorado Runner Event is proceeding as planned with carefully planned social distancing and advance registration required. You can choose to run a Half Marathon, 10K, or 5K on the trail, or a Virtual Half Marathon where you choose the time and place to run. If you choose the Virtual Race option, you’ll be mailed your race shirt, medal, and bib!
Salisbury Park, 11920 N. Motsenbocker Rd., Parker
7:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Registration: $35-$70
Lots to Do Near Crystal Valley!
Away from it all, but close to everything, the master-planned community of Crystal Valley offers access to plenty of things to do every weekend! If you’re in the area, stop by the amazing model homes from Century Communities, D.R. Horton, Kauffman Homes, and Richmond American Homes, and find out why our community is among the top five fastest-growing in the state with new homes priced from the $300s.
