Castle Rock Crew #036

Hope you had a great weekend! I took advantage of the beautiful weather on Sunday and got out and walked around Artfest later in the morning. Very cool to see what everyone had to show off…including a live falcon (didn’t see that one coming). When the weather wasn’t as nice earlier in the weekend, I ducked inside and ended up playing around with this Fall Foliage Prediction Map — apparently peak colors are expected to arrive earlier than usual this year.

On the food front, a couple quick updates: La Loma has officially rebranded as Savina’s (along with the downtown Denver location), following the owners’ divorce. Their other concepts here in town, The Brinkerhoff and Bar Hummingbird, are both slated to open soon, according to their Instagram.

Featured Events

September is basically built for food, beer, and good company — and Castle Rock is right in the center of it all. From brats and steins downtown to a night under the stars with unlimited tastings, to caber tosses and bagpipes in Sedalia, this month is a marathon of festivals. Pace yourself, my friends.

🍺 Castle Rock Oktoberfest

Downtown Castle Rock - Saturday, September 20th - 1:00pm-9:00pm
Event Details: https://www.downtowncastlerock.com/oktoberfest

Free, family-friendly, and packed with food, drinks, and entertainment. Oktoberfest brings German music, bounce houses, and a vendor fair downtown — plus plenty of beer, wine, and cocktails for the grown-ups.

🎶 Entertainment

• 1:00pm - Keg Tapping Ceremony

• 1:15pm-4:00pm - Denver’s Thirsty Five

• 2:00pm-5:00pm - Stein Hoisting contests, sponsored by FirstBank

• 4:15pm-5:30pm - The Denver Dolls

• 5:45pm-6:45pm - Castle Rock Dance Academy

• 7:00pm-9:00pm - DJ Dance Party with DJ Markus

🍴 Food Highlights

• Doner kebabs from CO Berliner Haus

• Sausages from Bohemian Wurst

• Pretzels, BBQ, empanadas, cookies, kettle corn, and more than a dozen local food trucks (I really want to try the Korean food truck Koco Street Food, even though I already know I’m going to have a kebab and a sausage…).

🍻 Drinks

• Local favorites: Wild Blue Yonder, 105 West, and Rockyard

• Regional breweries & cideries: Denver Beer Co, Ratio, Stem Ciders, Wibby, and more

• Plus non-alcoholic options from Best Day Brewing (I’ve seen these on Instagram and am excited to try them out)

🛍 Vendors
Dozens of booths with wellness shops, local orgs, and even alpaca apparel.

Parking: Free at Encore Garage, Douglas County Garage, Philip & Jerry Miller Library, and more (see map).

🌌 Castle Rock Brew Fest Under the Stars

Phillip S. Miller Amphitheater - Saturday, September 13th - 4:00pm-9:00pm
Event Details: https://www.105westbrewing.com/featured-events/brewfest

If you need to warm up the body before tackling a whole stein at Oktoberfest, Brew Fest is the perfect training round — all-inclusive tastings, live music, and food truck bites under the lights.

Beers. Bands. Food. Fun. What else do you need? Brew Fest Under the Stars is back for its 9th year.

🍻 All-Inclusive Night
When they say all-inclusive, they mean it:

• 25+ breweries plus a few distilleries and wineries

• 7+ food trucks serving signature small-to-medium portions (taste as much as you want)

• Unlimited samples of beer, wine, and spirits all evening

🎶 Music
Classic rock fans, this one’s for you — That Arena Rock Show is headlining, with alternating stages keeping the music going non-stop.

🎟 Tickets

• Drinker Ticket: $90 (+$5.79 fee)

• Non-Drinker Ticket: $60 (+$4.29 fee)

🏴 Colorado Highland Games

Denver Polo Club (Sedalia) - Saturday & Sunday, September 20th–21st
Event Info: https://www.scottishgames.org/

And if you’re somehow still standing after Brew Fest and Oktoberfest, cap off the marathon with hammer throws, tartan parades, and bagpipes at the Highland Games.

The 61st Annual Colorado Highland Games bring Scottish tradition to the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia — just minutes from Castle Rock. This family-friendly festival blends bagpipes, athletics, food, and culture into one of Colorado’s longest-running community events.

🎶 Music & Pageantry

• Massed Pipes & Drums with Parade of Clans (noon both days)

• Highland dance + solo piping & drumming competitions

• Saturday evening concert: Wicked Tinkers & Swagger (6 PM, food + drinks available for purchase)

🏋️ Athletics

• Caber toss, hammer throw, and stone put

• Rugby exhibition (Sunday)

⭐ Crowd Favorites

• Parade of British Dogs (10 AM both days)

• Bonnie Knees Contest (Saturday)

• British Car Show (Sunday)

🥃 Food & Culture

• Whisky tasting seminars

• Cooking demos with The Celtic Caterer (smoked salmon whisky soup, sticky toffee pudding, and more)

• Renaissance Scots Village (blacksmithing, weaving, leatherworking)

• Celtic vendors + Scottish-style food & beer

Still thirsty? Scroll down to Worth the Drive for more Oktoberfests and wine festivals happening around the region.

Tri Arts Project

Tri Arts Project, a nonprofit dedicated to building a vibrant hub for creativity, invites you to explore a wide range of enriching classes in the arts—including painting, drawing, music, sewing, printmaking, and more. Many of our classes include all supplies, making it easy to jump right in and start creating. By signing up, you’ll gain not only hands-on instruction from talented local artists and educators but also the chance to connect with others who share your passion for creativity. Located in the historic Cantril School building at 312 Cantril Street in Castle Rock, CO, our center is proud to serve Castle Rock, Douglas County, and the surrounding region. When you participate, you’re also supporting our nonprofit mission to provide a place and opportunities for education, creation, and presentation of the arts, fostering creativity that is accessible for everyone.

Explore classes here: https://triartsproject.org/classes/

Pet Adoptions

The Lord of the Rings fan in me really wants to adopt Eowyn…now I’ve seen names from two of my favorite franchises (Star Wars earlier this year)…when am I going to see some Harry Potter names?

Reach out if you’re interested in sponsoring the newsletter. [email protected]

Sports

Broncos - Every year I think preseason is where all the kinks are worked out and
I forget how that’s not the case, and that September football is ugly, very ugly. Although it was ugly, we fortunately got the win over the Titans thanks to our defense and the Titans’ wideouts dropping every pass they possibly could. Not only does ball control need to be fixed, but some of the coaching decisions also need some quality control...not kicking for a touchback at the end of the 2nd quarter…throwing the ball on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal at the end of the game…very puzzling stuff. Anyways, we got the W and we face the Colts this Sunday at 2:05pm. I’m excited to see what the offense can do this coming week after getting some of these turnovers out of its system. Would love to see what we can do on the run.

Nuggets - Carmelo is officially enshrined in the Hall of Fame. I enjoyed checking out some of his highlights this past weekend…we’ve got preseason coming at the beginning of October which is not that far away…check out the schedule here.

Avalanche - Avs are gearing up for the season. Check out the training camp schedule here and the regular season schedule here.

Rockies - highlight of the week was somehow shutting out the Padres in one game, even though we lost the series…2-8 in the last 10 and are now 40-104 overall.

Rapids - the Rapids were off this past week and remain at 10-13-6 with 36 points but remain in playoff contention at 8th in the Western conference.

Sabercat Football - the Sabercats destroyed Chaparral this past week (35-0). They are 1-1 and face off against Horizon on Friday, September 12th at 6:30pm at home for Homecoming. Check out their schedule here.

Huskies Football - the Huskies had a decisive win over Smoky Hill (44-16). They’ll be facing Rock Canyon away on Friday, September 12th at 7:00pm. Check out their schedule here.

The Bulletin

Want to spread the good word about your business, a project you’re working on, a hire you’re looking to make, or just want to say hi to 5,600 friends?

Serava: Serava crafts small-batch, handmade shower steamers designed to elevate your daily ritual. Blending natural ingredients with carefully chosen essential oils, each steamer transforms an ordinary shower into a calming, spa-like experience. With scents for every mood, Serava makes self-care simple, refreshing, and restorative. Refresh your routine!

La Roche Academy of Dance: At La Roche Academy of Dance, our mission is to bring the art of dance to students of all levels through a supportive environment promoting confidence, self-accomplishment, and physical well-being. Our new dance season has begun, and there’s no better time to join our studio family. From tiny twirls to big leaps, we’ve got a class for every dancer! Offerings include Recreational Classes as well as Performance and Competition Company Programs, for dancers ages 2-18 plus adults! Registration is open - so dance on in!

Castle Rock Wellness: Castle Rock Wellness offers holistic services like acupuncture, cupping, auriculotherapy, and electro-acupuncture, all tailored to support whole-body healing. They specialize in treating everything from sports injuries and hormonal imbalances to anxiety, insomnia, and pre- and post-natal care. Whether you're looking to heal, rebalance, or simply feel better in your body, they bring thoughtful care to every session. Book a session!

Mod Mountain Boutique: your effortless fall style starts here! From cozy staples to layered looks, our boutique has everything you need to look and feel your best as the season changes—stop by and see what’s new!

Reach out for a spot on the bulletin!

Events:

FREE FORMAL ATTIRE FOR STUDENTS - Clover’s Closet is doing their 6th Annual Homecoming Pop-Up Shop again this coming weekend (12th-14th) as well as the following weekend (19th-21st).

Hours: Fri - 3:30pm-6:00pm, Sat - 10:00am-6:00pm, and Sun - 11:00am-6:00pm

Info

Tuesday, 9/9:

Douglas County Libraries - Castle Rock or Pines - Coffee Chat Tuesday - 8:00am-11:00am

The Office Co. | Bar & Kitchen (every day) - Happy Hour - 2:00pm-7:00pm

Courtyard Social (every weekday) - Happy Hour - 2:30pm-5:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - 50¢ Wings - 3:00pm-10:00pm

Bucketlist Tavern (every weekday) - Happy Hour - 3:00pm-6:00pm

Hideaway Bar & Grill (every day) - Happy Hour - 3:00pm-6:00pm

Millhouse - Animals Around the Rock Series | Batty About Castle Rock - 6:00pm-7:00pm - deets

I.C. Brewhouse - Trivia - 6:30pm

Wednesday, 9/10:

Emporium - Give a Bag - Get a Bag - deets

The Oaks at Plum Creek - District 6 Open House with Councilmember Tim Dietz - 4:00pm-6:00pm - deets

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing - Needle Felt Class with Emma Paints Colorado - 6:00pm - deets & registration

Iron Mule Brewery - Music Bingo - 6:00pm-8:00pm

105 West Brewing - Trails N’ Ales (Mountain Bike) - 6:00pm-7:00pm

Alidade Brewing - Musical Bingo - 6:00pm-8:00pm

Tri Arts Project - Auditions | Vocal Arts of Castle Rock - 6:00pm-8:00pm - deets

The Grange Main - Sound Bath Meditation - 6:30pm-8:00pm - deets & registration

Hideaway Bar & Grill - DJ Trivia - 7:00pm-9:00pm

Thursday, 9/11:

Buka Yoga - Parent & Child Yoga (2-8) - 4:30pm-5:30pm - deets

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Trivia - 6:00pm

RNK Running - CHOG - 6:00pm - deets

Philip & Jerry Miller Library - Castle Rock Historical Society and Museum’s Monthly Presentation - 7:00pm-8:00pm - deets

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Video Music Bingo - 7:00pm-8:30pm

Hideaway Bar and Grill - Karaoke with Big E Entertainment - 8:00pm-12:00am

Friday, 9/12:

Ecclesia Market - Taste of Ecclesia - 4:00pm-7:00pm - deets & tickets

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Wine Tasting at the Castle! Sips of Spain - 6:00pm-9:30pm - deets & tickets

Wide Open Saloon - Live Music: Jeff Goodwin and the Front Range Cowboys - 7:00pm-10:30pm

Wellspring Community - Club 21: Pajama and Movie Night - 7:00pm-9:00pm - deets

Sinners & Saints - Live at the Altar: Derek Hall - 8:00pm-10:00pm - deets 

Saturday, 9/13:

Main Street Elizabeth - Family Color Run - 8:00am-1:00pm - deets

The Meadows - Fall Community Garage Sale - 8:00am-4:00pm - deets

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Stones & Stories: The Geology Behind the Castle - 8:30am-10:30am - deets & tickets 

Douglas County High School Parking Lot - Free Paint Recycling Event - 10:00am-2:00pm - deets

Teaology - Live Music: Sizzle - 12:00pm-2:00pm

Kiddie Academy - Grand Opening Celebration - 12:00pm-4:00pm

Philip S. Miller Amphitheater - Brew Fest Under the Stars - 4:00pm-9:00pm

Wide Open Saloon - Live Music: Aces & Eights - 7:00pm-10:30pm

Sinners & Saints Cocktail Lounge - Live DJ in the Lounge with ‘DJ Max’ - 9:00pm-close - deets 

Sunday, 9/14:

Festival Park - Festival Park Farmers Market - 9:00am-2:00pm - deets 

105 West Brewing - Live Music: David Chappa - 2:30pm-5:30pm

Monday, 9/15:

105 West Brewing - Trails N’ Ales (Run Club) - 6:00pm-7:00pm

Heads up on events that are further out:

Teaology - Coffee with a Cop - September 17th - 9:30am-10:30am

Festival Park - A Rally Hope for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month - September 17th - 5:30pm-7:30pm

Fairgrounds - Just Between Friends: Fall & Winter Event - September 17th-21st

Miller Park - Tunes for Trails: DanceX - September 18th - 5:30pm

Cantril School (TAP) - Author Showcase & Book Fair - September 19th - 4:30pm-7:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Sinatra Tribute Show LIVE! - September 19th - 6:00pm - deets & tickets (SOLD OUT, SO BUY YOUR OCT/NOV/DEC ONES AHEAD OF TIME)

Downtown - Oktoberfest - September 20th - 1:00pm-9:00pm

Future Soaring Hawk Park - Drive-in Movie Night: Moana 2 - September 20th - 7:00pm-9:30pm - parking opens at 5:30pm - deets

105 West Brewing - 6th Annual Walk to End ALS - September 21st - 1:30pm

Denver Polo Club (Sedalia) - 61st Colorado Highland Games - September 20th and 21st - Enjoy Scottish athletics, bagpipe and traditional dance competitions, whisky tastings, clans/genealogy, living history, Scottish and Irish music, beer and food vendors, children’s activities, and more!

Larkspur Community Park - Autumn Arts & Crafts Fest - September 20th and 21st - deets

Casey Jones Park (Elizabeth) - ElizaFEST: A Toast to Elizabeth (Featuring the Community Rodeo) - September 26th - 2:00pm-9:30pm - deets

Miller Park - Glow Dance Party: Benefiting the Therapeutic Recreation Program - September 27th - 6:30pm-9:00pm - details

Alidade Brewing - Fall Festival - September 28th - 12:00pm-6:00pm - baby goats — need I say more?

Castle Rock Museum - Ghostly Stories and Tragic Tales of Castle Rock - October 1st - 7:00pm-8:00pm

Miller Park - Castle Rock Trail Festival - October 4th - 6:00am-3:30pm - details

Outlets at Castle Rock - Shopping Extravaganza - October 4th - 10:00am-6:00pm

Downtown - Restaurant Week - October 5th-11th - details

Miller Park - Spooktacular - October 18th - 1:00pm-4:00pm - details

Festival Park - Fall Festival Featuring Creepy Crawlies Around the Rock - October 19th - 10:00am-3:00pm

Festival Park - Fangtastic Festival - October 24th - 12:00pm-3:00pm - details

Main Street Elizabeth - Harvest Festival Chamber Boo Bash - October 25th - 10:00am-3:30pm - deets

Worth the drive:

Sporty Pickle - First There Foundation Pickleball Fundraiser - September 13th - 8:00am-1:00pm - Come cheer on our hometown heroes as they trade uniforms for paddles in a showdown you won’t want to miss!

Red Rocks - 9/11 Stair Climb - September 11th - 8:00am -

Ball Arena - Nate Bargatze - September 12th (7:00pm) and 13th (3:00pm & 7:00pm) - tickets

CSU Spur Hydro - Market at The Center Presented by the National Western Center - September 13th - 10:00am-2:00pm

The Highlands (NW Denver) - Highlands Oktoberfest & Market - September 13th - 10:00am-6:00pm

Union Printers Home at Printers Hill (Springs) - Pawtoberfest - September 13th - 11:00am-4:00pm - details

Palmer Lake Recreation Area - Palmer Lake Wine Festival - September 13th - 12:00pm-5:00pm - deets

Wynkoop Plaza at Union Station - Handmade in Colorado Expo - September 13th & 14th - 12:00pm-6:00pm

Red Rocks - Bert Kreischer World Tour - October 1st - 7:30pm - tickets 

Red Rocks - Run the Rocks: Supporting the American Lung Association - October 12th - 7:30am - sponsorship opportunities are available

⚠️ Please verify event details and availability with the respective venues or organizers, as schedules may change.

Let us know of any events, locations, establishments, or businesses that you would like us to highlight in coming editions. [email protected]

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