Independence Day ROCKS in Castle Rock!
Whether you want to celebrate Independence Day with a bright-and-early 5K run, a bike-and-stroller July 4th parade, or a dazzling display of fireworks with live music in the park—your choice of pop or classical—you’ve got a wide range of choices nearby!
TODAY/TONIGHT, July 4
HIGHLANDS RANCH 5K RACE
Kick off your Independence Day with a family-friendly 5K! Bring the 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!
Town Center South, 9352 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch
8:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: $25-$45
Phone: 303-471-7048
4TH OF JULY PARADES!
There are two parades in Highlands Ranch this morning—a Community Parade to watch and a Family Parade to participate in! Dress up the kids, dogs, and bikes and make a sign for your family to show off your patriotic spirit! The Family Bike and Pet Parade kicks off first thing in the morning, with line-up starting at 8:45 a.m. Kids ages 2 through 6th grade can participate (with parents’ accompaniment). Then grab a place to watch the Community Parade that follows, complete with patriotic-themed floats, music, and of course, plenty of candy thrown out to parade watchers!
Town Center North, 9285 Hepburn St., Highlands Ranch
8:45 – 10:30 a.m.
Cost: FREE
Phone: 303-791-2500
CASTLE ROCK MEADOWS PARADE AND FESTIVAL
If your ideal way to start the holiday is to sleep in, then this is the parade for you! Decorate your bicycles, strollers, and wagons for The Meadows Patriot Parade. Once the parade is over, the fun continues with live music, concessions, inflatable rides, and activities the entire family will enjoy.
Bison Park, 1390 Clear Sky Way, Castle Rock
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
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, and balloon animals 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 After Midnight, Soul School, and The Petty Nicks Experience 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!
Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch
4:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE
SUMMER SYMPHONY AND FIREWORKS
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! Wild Blue Country, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, warms up the night with their patriotic repertoire. Activities and concessions will be available all evening, leading up to the All-American program by The Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Then at dusk (approximately 9:00 p.m.), a spectacular fireworks display will light up the night sky!
Memorial Park, 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs
5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Phone: 719-520-SHOW
STARS AND STRIPES IN PARKER
For a laid-back evening in the park, with 80s-inspired live music and lots of activities for the kids—Bounce houses! Face painting! Mini-train!—Parker’s Stars and Stripes Celebration is the ticket! Bring blankets and lawn chairs to set up on the lawn, and don’t forget your wallet—fantastic food from local vendors will be available for cash purchase. The evening culminates in Parker’s most exciting fireworks display to date!
Salisbury Park, 11920 Motsenbocker Rd., Parker
6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
CASTLE ROCK FIREWORKS
If you’d rather host your own BBQ this Fourth of July, there’s a chance you might be able to see fireworks from your own backyard! Castle Rock will be putting on a high-flying show that will be visible from some locations in Crystal Valley Ranch! Check out their visibility map to see if your backyard is within good viewing range! If not, you can also head out to one of the many parks in Castle Rock to watch.
Town of Castle Rock
9:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Friday, July 5
FIRST FRIDAY FREE CONCERT IN CASTLE ROCK
In addition to the holiday weekend, it’s also First Friday—which means an awesome band will be rocking Festival Park in Castle Rock! This month you won’t want to miss the Red NOT Chili Peppers all the way from L.A., paying tribute to the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Keep the 4th of July celebration going as you jam to this popular rock music from the 90s. This family-friendly event includes activities and treats for the kids, as well as a tasty spread of food truck fare and cocktails!
Festival Park, Downtown Castle Rock
5:00 pm.
Tickets: FREE
WATCH A MOVIE WHILE YOU SWIM!
Treat the kids to a fun holiday activity—watching a movie while swimming! The Incredibles 2 was one of the mega-hits of the past year, and your kids will enjoy watching the adventures of this special family even more when they are swimming with their friends and family. Come out and enjoy a swim in a warm, indoor, salt-water pool while watching the antics of America’s favorite family! Lifeguard supervision, popcorn, and a drink are included in the price.
Dolphinz Swim School, 18920 E. Plaza Dr., Parker
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Register: $10 per child; 1 adult free with each child purchase
Phone: 720-851-1524
Saturday, July 6
4TH OF JULY PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Holiday weekends were made for pancake breakfasts—and when you come out the Blue Sky Aviation Gallery for this one, you’ll also have a chance to check out this outpost of the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum and support a good cause!
The breakfast is being held to raise funds for a student-built RV-12 aircraft, under construction by 6th to 12th graders. Your entry fee includes access to the Boeing Blue Sky Aviation Gallery, as well as all the pancakes you can eat!
Blue Sky Aviation Gallery, Centennial Airport, 13005 Wings Way, Englewood</span
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Tickets: $10
Phone: 303-360-5360
Saturday-Sunday, July 6-7
CHILDREN’S WEEKEND AT THE RENAISSANCE FAIR!
Summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Colorado Renaissance Festival, and this is the perfect weekend to go if you have little ones. Not only are all children admitted for free this weekend, but there will also be special activities centered around the young Princes and Princesses in your life!
A costume contest will be held at 3:30 p.m. and there will be a special Royal Quest, followed by a Knighting Ceremony for all who complete the deed! All this in addition to the regular non-stop entertainment including comedy, music, dancing, circus performers, wild animals, jousting knights on horseback, and much more! For this weekend only, all children 12 and under experience the festival for FREE with a paying adult!
Renaissance Festival Grounds, 650 W. Perry Park Ave., Larkspur
10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $23; Children 12 and under are FREE this weekend
Sunday, July 7
MEET BEAUTY AND ARABIAN PRINCESSES!
Break out your daughter’s best princess dress and head over to a real castle for a fairytale party she won’t forget! Fancy snacks and beverages, mingling with other princesses, and the opportunity to make her very own crown are just some of the highlights of this special party! Guest princesses include Beauty Princess and Arabian Princess!
Cherokee Ranch, 6113 N. Daniels Park Rd., Sedalia
1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35
Phone: 303-688-5555
Wednesday, July 10
FOOD TRUCK ROUNDUP AT CRYSTAL VALLEY
You don’t need to leave the neighborhood to sample a wide selection of delectable cuisine! A bevy of food trucks are coming to Crystal Valley every other Wednesday this summer. Bring the family and join your neighbors in this self-pay summer-buffet party. Check for weather updates on the official Crystal Valley Facebook page for residents: Crystal Valley Community Group!
Pinnacle Park, 2160 Fox Haven Dr., Castle Rock
5:30-8:00 p.m.
Freedom Rings in Crystal Valley!
You’re free to do so many different things in and around the master-planned community of Crystal Valley every weekend, all year-round! 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 one of these ranch or two-story designs, priced from the $300s.
