Crystal Valley Blog

It’s a big weekend for Women’s History Month and springtime, with in-person and virtual events revolving around women, backcountry nature, and Easter! Live in-person comedy and music shows are back, and little ones will have a chance to get their Easter pictures taken! 

TODAY/TONIGHT, March 18

EASTER CHARITY EVENT
This one is a win-win! You get a FREE 4×6 professional portrait of your little ones all dressed up in front of a beautiful Easter backdrop, and community members in need get canned food donations that you supply. What better way to celebrate the joy of Easter than to pass along hope and help!

Sandy Puc’ Photography, 6044 W. Canyon Ave., Littleton 
9:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Register: FREE (with food donation)
Phone: 303-730-8638

KIDS MAKE A MINI-GARDEN
No matter the weather, your kids can get started planting their very own mini-garden! This fun online activity will walk kids through the process of building and decorating their plant container, planting the seeds, and some instructions on caring for their mini-terrarium!

Michaels Crafts Online
3:00 p.m.
Register: FREE

DENVER POPS ORCHESTRA ONLINE
Everyone looks forward to the annual Denver Pops spring concert, and this year is no different! Well—maybe a little different. It’s fully online and completely FREE this year, and you won’t have to worry about tickets being sold out! 

Register for your link to join the livestream from Highlands Ranch Cultural Affairs Association, and your whole family will enjoy the uplifting music of this renowned community orchestra. The Denver Pops is known for its light-hearted approach to classical music, and the show is peppered with pop favorites.

HRCA Livestream
6:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-791-4100

COMEDY TRIPLE THREAT
This is one laugh-packed evening of in-person entertainment! You get not one but THREE national-touring headliners, each doing a full set, all in one super show! Stephanie McHugh’s claim to fame is as Nickelodeon’s Funniest Mom in America. She was also the morning host on KOOL 105 and has appeared in Speed Dating.

Louis Johnson is one of the founding members of the critically-acclaimed The S.E.L.L.O.U.T. Comedy Tour, and can be seen on Showtime, Comedy Central, A&E, B.E.T. and his own Showtime Comic of the Month special. Bryan Kellen is an energetic comedic powerhouse. You may have caught him on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, Comics Unleashed, or Lopez Tonight. Don’t miss this triple dose of comedy relief!

Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $14
Phone: 720-274-6800

Thursday-Saturday, March 18-20

SHAMROCK HUNT
St. Patrick’s Day may be over, but the hunt for shamrocks is not! The Town of Parker invites you to see if you can spot Lucky the Leprechaun and his magic shamrocks. When you find any of them hidden around town, just take a photo and email it for a chance to win the lucky prize basket!

ParkerOnline.org/Events
Information: FREE
Phone: 303-805-3253

Thursday-Sunday, March 18-21

EASTER PHOTOS WITH THE BUNNY
Dress up your kids in their Easter finest for a picture with the Easter Bunny! Professional photo packages will be available for purchase, and the little ones will have a great story to tell!

Park Meadows, 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.
Reserve: Photo packages start at $34.99
Phone: 303-792-2533

Friday, March 19

AN EVENING OF LATIN JAZZ
Whether you’re ready for some in-person live music or would prefer to stream this event, it will be a great evening of sizzling jazz when the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra returns to the PACE Center with an exciting evening of Latin-inspired music!

You’ll hear selections like Manteca from Dizzy Gillespie, Peanut Vendor from the Stan Kenton Orchestra, and even some Stevie Wonder with a Latin flair. Can you imagine Count Basie’s classic Corner Pocket as a Cha Cha? Tickets are available in-person or online.

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$29
Phone: 303-805-6800

Friday-Saturday, March 19-20

WOMEN IN FILM AND MUSIC
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic and Rocky Mountain Women’s Film celebrate Women’s History Month with a virtual screening of two Oscar-winning films about music and women! 

Music by Prudence is the story of 24-year-old Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Prudence Mabhena as she transcends her world of hatred and superstition by immersing herself in music. The second film, The Lady in Number Six: Music Saved My Life, is a documentary about a German-speaking Jewish pianist from Prague who was, at her death, the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor. She speaks powerfully in the movie about how to have an optimistic outlook on life.

Rocky Mountain Women’s Film and Colorado Springs Philharmonic Online
Available for 48 hours after purchase
Streaming Link: $12

RAW COMEDY FOR THE THICK-SKINNED
This adults-only, hard R-rated, live comedy show is a competition where amateur and national touring comedians compete for cash prizes to be the funniest person in the room. No holding back, no punches pulled, it’s comedy the way hard-core comedy was meant to be.

As much as “good” comedy is rewarded in this show, “bad” comedy is ridiculed by the show’s host, comedian Mike Stanley and a rotating cast of his comedian friends. It’s a comedy roast not for the faint of heart!

Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village
Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Phone: 720-274-6800

THE MUSIC OF JAMES TAYLOR 
Inspired by the golden friendships and music of the 70s folk-rock movement, Take to the Highway recreates the relationships between James Taylor, Carole King, and Carly Simon through music and conversation.

The concert highlights dozens of Taylor’s Top 40 hits like Carolina In My Mind, Fire and Rain, and You’ve Got A Friend, as well as chart-toppers from Simon and King, including I Feel The Earth Move, It’s Too Late, and You’re So Vain. Performed by a five-piece band and four talented vocalists, the concert is a spectacular 36-song event of the music you remember and love! The show is available in-person or as a livestream.

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree
Fri./Sat., 8:00 p.m.; Sat., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $50-$60
Phone: 720-509-1000

Saturday, March 20

WOMEN IN THE WILDERNESS
This special “women only” survival course lets you feel comfortable exploring your adventure options in the company of other women. In one day, you’ll get hands-on experience in backpack essentials, fire-starting, knot-tying, camp setup, plant ID, and more! Geared toward adults and mature teens, the workshop is a great place to hone your outdoor skills or learn new ones!

Backcountry Wilderness Area, 6005 Ron King Trail, Highlands Ranch 
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Register: $18-$22
Phone: 303-471-7052

WOMEN IN WINGS
Learn about the many ways that women have been an important part of aerospace! You can celebrate Women’s History Month by discovering all the careers involving flight that women have pioneered.

The day kicks off with a discussion about aerobatics led by Dagmar Kress, a Wings board member, Professor of Aerospace Science at MSU Denver, and International Professional Aerobatics Champion. Later, you can watch and cheer on Dawn Zoldi, the CEO of P3 Tech Consulting and host of the InterDrone’s Drones at Dawn Podcast.

Exploration of Flight, Centennial Airport, 13005 Wings Way, Englewood
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: $4 – $10
Phone: 303-360-5360 ext.160

FAMILY CAMPFIRE HIKE
Head out to the backcountry for a fun family hike! This guided nature tour starts at the Backcountry Base Camp and includes a short hike, meeting the resident farm animals, and maybe even building a snowman! Afterwards, there will be a campfire with stories and s’mores!  

Backcountry Wilderness Area, 6005 Ron King Trail, Highlands Ranch 
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Register: $7-$10
Phone: 303-471-7052

THE COMEDY ZONE IN PARKER
For a fun night out, you can’t beat this trio of comedians appearing live onstage in Parker! Geoff Tice emcees a pair of comedians who each has his own unique solo style. Tice is a Denver-based comedian who is a regular at the Comedy Works and performs all across America.

Big Al is a winner from America’s Funniest People who empathizes with his audience even as he’s making fun of them.  He was performing for large venues and events before the pandemic and is happy to be back on stage. James R. Zingelman is a veteran stand-up comedian who’s been performing since the 1980s. His act is on the cleanish side, as far as comedy goes, but no less funny!

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $29
Phone: 303-805-6800

CONSTELLATIONS AND COCOA
Take in the wonders of the springtime skies at night with this wonderful star-gazing opportunity in the backcountry! Bring a picnic dinner along with a blanket or camp chairs to sit on as astronomers use their know-how and telescopes to teach on the constellations of the winter sky. Cocoa will be provided, but bring your own mug!

Backcountry Wilderness Area, 6005 Ron King Trail, Highlands Ranch 
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Register: $8-$12
Phone: 303-471-7052

Sunday, March 21

CRAFT EGG-STRAVAGANZA
Kids ages 3-8 will have a blast making their very own piece of Easter pottery! The day will also include supervised playtime and a chance for parents to run some errands on their own. 

Pottery will be fired in the kiln the following week and can be picked up any time after that. One free adult admission included with each child admission for the craft activity.

Play Street Museum, 9370 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite A-2, Highlands Ranch
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Register: $18 per child (includes one free adult)
Phone: 303-357-3024

STORYTIME WITH OPERA COLORADO
Either in person or livestreamed, this event is a great chance for kids ages 5-12 to get acquainted with opera! The owners of Bravo Books know how magical stories are and will introduce kids to characters who will pull them into the story. Kids will enjoy two different opera stories, each running at approximately 30 minutes in length. If you’d rather not attend in person, you can also purchase tickets to the livestream performance!

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree
1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 720-509-1000

Family-friendly activities NEAR Crystal Valley!

There’s always something to do near the family-friendly community of Crystal Valley! Enjoy the relaxed lifestyle of Castle Rock and surrounding area where cultural and entertainment activities abound! Check out the beautiful model homes from Kauffman Homes, Richmond American Homes, D.R. Horton, and Century Communities, and picture yourself in your very own dream house! With ranch and two-story models available, new homes are priced from the $300s.