Drive-Through Holiday Events!
Castle Rock is keeping the holiday spirit going with a series of drive-through events in the area for a safe way to view holiday lights and even get a picture with Santa from the car! There are also a number of online events you can enjoy from home, including a virtual TEDxMileHigh Talk. And if you want a fun workout, the Rink at the Rock is open for family ice skating!
TODAY/TONIGHT, December 3
SNOW AROUND THE WORLD
This internationally-themed holiday light show in front of Parker Performing Arts building is the perfect place to get in the holiday spirit! Decorate your car, dress up in winter costumes, and bring the whole family to this drive-through event. Registration for timed entry slots is required.
To make the holidays even more meaningful, bring an UNWRAPPED toy in its original packaging for a Toy Drive to benefit children in the Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
Parker Performing Arts School, 15035 Compark Blvd., Parker
5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration: FREE
Phone: 720-709-7400
VIRTUAL BEER TASTING
Find out about the Breckenridge brand of craft beers with this fun FREE virtual tasting! You’ll have a chance to try holiday favorites like Christmas Ale, Nitro Vanilla Porter and Winter Beer, among others. Don’t forget to go shopping first, so you can taste along with the virtual crowd!
HRCA on Zoom
6:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-471-8898
Thursday-Saturday, December 3-5
DRIVE-THROUGH LIGHTS!
Take a stroll or drive through the holiday display of lights in Philip S. Miller Park in Castle Rock!
There will even be food trucks you can stop at for treats and hot chocolate, so play some Christmas tunes through your car speakers and get ready to share some good cheer in a socially distanced way!
Philip S. Miller Park, 1375 W. Plum Creek Pkwy., Castle Rock
5:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Information: FREE
Phone: 720-724-2010
Thursday-Sunday, December 3-6
SANTA PHOTOS
Capture the delight on your little ones’ faces as they get their photo taken with Santa! You’ll need to make a reservation to get your own professional photo packet of your child with Santa. Due to COVID-19, your child may need to be social distanced from Santa and/or wear a mask based on current state regulations.
Park Meadows Shopping Center, 8401 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sun., 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Register: Packages starting at $39.99
Phone: 303-792-2533
RINK AT THE ROCK IS OPEN!
It’s time to dig out your ice skates and head over to the Rink at the Rock for a rollicking good time! Never skated before? No problem! They’ve got lessons you can sign up for! Don’t have your own skates? They’ve got rentals! There’s no reason NOT to try this fun winter sport!
Rink at the Rock, 414 Perry St., Castle Rock
Thurs., 4:00-8:00 p.m.; Fri., 4:00-9:00 p.m.; Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Cost: $8 – $10
JUNIOR LEAGUE HOLIDAY MART
This year’s popular Holiday Mart sponsored by the Junior League of Denver has moved online, but the variety and quality of merchandise is the same high standard you remember from previous years. Peruse these great holiday gift ideas from the safety and comfort of your home!
JLD Online
Information: FREE
Friday, December 4
HOLIDAY DRIVE-THROUGH
Highlands Ranch’s version of a Holiday Drive-Through includes a visit with Santa and a photo with him beside your car! This is sure to be a memorable photo of the year when nothing was the same! The street will be lined with booths you can stop your car in front of and receive free treats and crafts for the kids! Tell them to bring their letters to Santa—he’ll even write back if they include their address!
Eastridge Recreation Center, 9568 University Blvd., Highlands Ranch
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Register: $5 per car
QUARANTINE HOLIDAY QUIZ SHOW
This special holiday edition of the virtual quiz show is a fun way for your family to test your knowledge of Christmas past, present, and future! Questions will cover classic holiday books and movies, a sprinkle of holiday pop culture, and a dash of winter facts and fun. Don’t forget to pre-register to get your Zoom link in time to join in on the fun!
Douglas County Libraries Online
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Register: FREE
Phone: 303-791-7323
Friday-Saturday, December 4-5
OLD-FASHIONED HOLIDAY TEA
Treat the family to a special holiday tradition—tea in a real castle! This event is perfect for adults, teens, and children ages 10 and over. You can get dressed up in your holiday best and enjoy the decorated castle while you sip tea and try the tasty finger foods.
Don’t forget to take plenty of family photos!
Cherokee Ranch & Castle, 6113 N. Daniels Park Rd., Sedalia
Fri., 1:30 p.m.; Sat., 12:00 p.m.
Tickets: $58
Phone: 303-688-5555
HOLIDAY FESTIVAL MARKET
An outdoor holiday festival and market gives you plenty of room to social distance while doing some holiday shopping. There will be more than 30 vendors set up in the park selling unique crafts and specialty items. Enjoy holiday treats like hot cocoa, mulled wine, and roasted chestnuts, while listening to music of the season!
Festival Park, 300 Second St., Castle Rock
Fri., 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.; Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Information: FREE
Phone: 720-724-2010
Friday-Sunday, December 4-6
CHATFIELD’S TRAIL OF LIGHTS
As one of the area’s favorite outdoor holiday events, you need to book FAR in advance to get a timed-entry slot for this amazing holiday light display! This weekend and the next two are sold out, but you can still get tickets for Christmas Eve and the week after Christmas if you act now!
The whole family will enjoy this magical winter wonderland, with synchronized music in the children’s play area and a three-sided light tunnel! Antique buffs will appreciate the illuminated classic and model tractors on display.
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Rd., Littleton
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $9 – $13.50
Saturday, December 5
TED TALK: VISION
The enormously popular TED Talks feature forward-looking thinkers and doers who inspire audiences through a 20-minute talk! You’ll have the opportunity to watch a brand-new Colorado edition of the event LIVE as it streams into your home!
This TEDxMileHigh event focuses on how we envision the future, with eight extraordinary speakers in the fields of science, art, health, poetry, and activism: “While there is no magical formula for perfect vision, when we ground ourselves and look inward, we start to see more clearly and reconnect with our humanity.”
TEDxMileHigh Online
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25 suggested donation
HOLIDAY CARAVAN
Another drive-through holiday opportunity! Enjoy the festive lights at this historic Austrian homestead and shop for your favorite old-world traditional foods and decorations! Pre-order your goodies, and then pick them up when you visit the Holiday Caravan!
There will be free apple cider, hot cocoa, and traditional kinderpunsch passed out for you to enjoy as you drive around the ranch looking at the lights. Santa will even be there to collect the kids’ letters and wave you on your way!
Schweiger Ranch, 10822 Havana St., Lone Tree
5:00 – 7:00 p.m
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-790-0557
DENVER DOLLS CHRISTMAS SHOW
This nostalgic musical Christmas show, A Very Vintage Holiday, pays tribute to Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters as popular old-time singers, the Denver Dolls, perform upbeat vocal harmonies and good-natured on-stage commentary. You’ll hear all your favorite songs from the White Christmas era and a good measure of old-fashioned holiday cheer!
Due to the recent increase in COVID levels, the show will be performed online only, so register now for the link to hear this festive LIVE show from the safety and comfort of your home!
Lone Tree Arts Center Online
Registration: $25 – $40
Sunday, December 6
CELTIC FAMILY CHRISTMAS AT HOME
Renowned fiddler Natalie MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, and Alison Krauss, and has recorded with Yo-Yo Ma. But in this special streaming event, she invites you into her family’s home to share in their Christmas preparations—which, of course, centers around music. There will be plenty of candid moments in the kitchen, decorating the tree, and other bits of Christmas chaos!
Parker Arts Online
Tickets: $20
It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas in Crystal Valley!
Playing carols on Pandora, and decorating for Christmas keeps you busy, but so do all the things to do near the master-planned community of Crystal Valley! You can get back to nature and still have easy access to all your favorite activities in the Castle Rock area. With beautiful model homes from D.R. Horton, Century Communities, Kauffman Homes, and Richmond American Homes, it’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home, priced from the $300s.
