Crystal Valley Blog

With Independence Day activities ranging from down-home community events like a 5K run, Bike and Pet Parade and fireworks in the park to a FREE outdoor philharmonic performance in the Springs to an all-out homage to our country with the Colorado Symphony at Fiddlers Green, and even a Johnny Cash tribute concert! Celebrate America’s birthday in style in the Castle Rock area!

TODAY/TONIGHT, Thursday, June 28

NATIVE AMERICAN WICOTI – A GATHERING
“Everyone is invited—because we are all related,” (Lakota Elder). Come and explore the Lakota culture in this special presentation featuring a Nature’s Educators Bird Ambassador, a native Lakota dancer, and delightful stories from a master storyteller. In a hands-on workshop, create a keepsake from porcupine quills or beadwork, and learn how a bison hide is tanned. This remarkable evening includes a sunset vista from the Cherokee Castle, followed by the rising of the full moon! 

Cherokee Ranch, 6113 N. Daniels Park Rd., Sedalia
5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $27
Phone: 303-688-5555

ROCK OUT WITH SOUL SCHOOL!
Class is now in session! Join Soul School for a free concert as part of the Summer Concert Series in the Discovery Park amphitheater in Parker! You’re in for a rockin’ evening that includes a vast repertoire of music from golden oldies to Motown and jazz, rock, funk, rhythm and blues, and maybe even some beach or country music thrown in! From tight harmonious vocals and smooth jazz to an all-out dance party, this highly entertaining band will kick it into gear!

Discovery Park, 20115 Mainstreet, Parker
6:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE

FREE 80s CONCERT IN HIGHLANDS RANCH!
This is the ultimate 80s experience! The 6 Million Dollar Band leaves the gimmicks behind and focuses on a high-energy, professional quality show that includes classic 80s tracks performed exactly as the original artists, with the sounds and musical style that made them famous! You will be on your feet and dancing barefoot in the park!

Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 Quebec Street, Highlands Ranch
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE

Thursday-Sunday, June 28-July 1

TV COMEDY VETERAN CHRIS FRANJOLA
You may not know Chris Franjola by name, but with almost a decade of writing for and performing in the funniest shows on TV, he has almost certainly made you laugh! Currently, Franjola co-hosts the wildly successful podcast, Juicy Scoop, with Heather McDonald. He was responsible for writing over 1,500 hilarious episodes of E!’s hit show Chelsea Lately, as well as starring in the follow-up, After Lately. 

Franjola has just released his first comedy album, The Shallow End, which received rave reviews and stayed in iTunes Top 10 Comedy Albums for five weeks. He is also a contributing panelist on The Josh Wolf Show on CMT and Funniest Fails on Fox.

Comedy Works-South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village
Thurs., 7:30; Fri./Sat., 7:15 and 9:45 p.m.; Sun., 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$23
Phone: 720-274-6800

Friday, June 29

CULTURE ON THE GREEN – FREE JAZZ CONCERT!
If it’s about time to kick back and ease yourself into mid-summer days, you won’t want to miss this FREE outdoor jazz concert in beautiful Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch! Pack a picnic and bring the entire family for sounds reminiscent of the Benny Goodman swing tradition with the award-winning band, After Midnight. 

One of the hottest jazz bands out there, this extraordinary group of musicians will enthrall you with hits made famous by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Lionel Hampton, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.  It’s modern, exciting, danceable, and great fun for listeners of all ages!

Civic Green Park, 9370 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE

JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE SHOW!
“I wear black for the poor and the beaten down,” Johnny Cash once explained. If you’re a fan of the legendary Johnny Cash, you won’t want to miss this special tribute filled with stories, memories, and songs made famous by the Man in Black himself, as performed by local Castle Rock musician and Cash historian, David Chapa. Also appearing will be Johnny Cash’s one and only drummer of over thirty years, WS “Fluke” Holland. Cash fans will appreciate the heartfelt and authentic talents of this very special Johnny Cash tribute artist!

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$55
Phone: 303-805-6800

Saturday, June 30

PINNACLE PARK FOOD, FUN AND GAMES!

The Grand Opening celebration of Pinnacle Park, right here in the heart of Crystal Valley — with an official ribbon cutting dedication at 12:00 noon — is this Saturday and you’re invited! Join a happy horde of Crystal Valley neighbors and friends and enjoy food and dessert trucks; bounce houses and lawn games; a DJ with family-friendly music; face painters, and balloon artists. PLUS, you’ll want to enter the Grand Opening giveaway for a chance to win one of two $500 Home Depot gift cards! The Pinnacle Pool will be open, too, so (save the date and) grab your swimming suits and lawn chairs and head to Pinnacle Park for food, music, entertainment, games and some splish-splash summer fun!

Pinnacle Park, 2160 Fox Haven Dr., Castle Rock
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
FREE

Sunday, July 1

PARKER FARMERS’ MARKET
Everyone knows that eating vegetables may lower your risk for some kinds of cancer, especially vegetables high in carotenoids such as carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. But did you know that it took a Supreme Court ruling in 1893 to make the tomato a vegetable? (It’s actually a fruit!) 

Come out to the Parker Farmer’s Market and see what other discoveries you can make about the region’s freshest produce and artisan foods! With over 70 vendors in attendance, you’ll want to bring several shopping bags!

Mainstreet in Downtown Parker
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Phone: 303-693-3662

Wednesday, July 4

INDEPENDENCE DAY 5K RACE
Start your Independence Day with a bang! Bring the entire family (including dogs on leashes) to walk, run or stroll in this 5K race in downtown Highlands Ranch. Participants receive a t-shirt, FREE pancake breakfast, and more. Back by popular demand is the refreshing water slide finish for that hot morning of racing! After the race festivities are over, head over to watch the annual Highlands Ranch Community Association’s 4th of July Parade!

Town Center South, 9352 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch
8:00-11:00 a.m.
Registration: $25-$45
Phone: 303-471-7048

4TH OF JULY PARADE!
Get the kids and pets dressed up, decorate those bikes, and be a part of the patriotic Bike and Pet Parade! Families with children in grades two through six  are invited to march on the parade route preceding the Community Parade, then find a place to watch the rest!

The annual Highlands Ranch Community Parade includes patriotic-themed floats, music, and of course, plenty of candy thrown out to parade watchers!

Town Center North, 9285 Hepburn St., Highlands Ranch
8:30-10:30 a.m.
Registration: FREE
Phone: 303-791-2500

HIGHLANDS RANCH FIREWORKS AND MUSIC!
For a real community 4th of July celebration, head out to Highlands Ranch for an evening full of activities for the entire family! Face painting, henna, inflatables, balloon animals, and Eurobungee are among the fun things to do! And you won’t want to miss the Hot Dog Eating Contest at 5:30 p.m.! Enjoy live music by Coverado, The Drones Band, and No Visible Flaws all evening long!

A spectacular fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. The best viewing locations are the soccer fields and park amphitheater! Shuttle parking is available to and from the event from Highlands Ranch High School and Rock Canyon High School.

Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch
4:00-10:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE

FREE PHILHARMONIC 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION!
This is the region’s largest 4th of July event with amazing food, a thunderous fireworks display, and a star-spangled performance by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic!

The program includes selections of All-American favorites including America the Beautiful, Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, John Philip Sousa’s rousing Hands Across the Sea, and John Williams selections from E.T. and Star Wars! Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture rounds out this night of patriotic celebration!

Memorial Park, 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs
5:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone:  719-520-SHOW

COLORADO SYMPHONY’S FAMILY-FRIENDLY FOURTH OF JULY
The Colorado Symphony’s performance of the summer is the family-friendly outdoor Fourth of July spectacle, held at the fabulous Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater! Don’t miss this celebration of the good ol’ USA, featuring your favorite contemporary scores and the best fireworks the Front Range has to offer! 

The musical extravaganza includes patriotic classics such as the Armed Forces Salute, Stars and Stripes Forever, Overture of 1812, God Bless America, as well as a wide variety of popular American music such as Gershwin’s Strike up the Band, selections from Bernstein’s West Side Story, the theme music from Star Wars, Steve Perry’s Don’t Stop Believing, and Pharrell Williams’ Happy!

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $22-$36.75
Phone: 303-623-7876

Family-Friendly Things to Do Near Crystal Valley!

You don’t need to venture far from Crystal Valley to find fun fourth of July events for the entire family! Stop by if you are in the neighborhood (every day BUT the fourth!) and visit the beautiful new models offered by D.R. Horton, Kauffman Homes, and Richmond American Homes. Crystal Valley homes are available in ranch and two-story models and priced from the high $300s.