Castle Rock Crew #052

Well, this is issue 52, so it’s been an entire year of weekly newsletters. I appreciate you for subscribing, following along, and being part of the community. I’ll keep this one short, as I’m attempting to take a little time off up in the mountains.

And, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have a very Happy New Year! The miniature hands were a huge hit. I hope you joined me in doing something a little weird to make the holidays just a little bit more fun. Let me know what you did!

I was able to get to Tap & Dough last week for the sneak peek (it’s now fully open). They were gracious enough to contribute two $100 gift cards for a giveaway. If you’d like to enter, head on over to our Instagram giveaway post here and follow the instructions.

Our experience was amazing and I think you’ll enjoy the atmosphere, the food, and the service. It was all dialed in, even during their pre-opening nights. They’ve literally got something for everyone. You can go and watch games at the bar, you can have an intimate date night, you can bring the whole family, or you can get the private room! Oh, and they have NBA Jam and other games in the arcade room if you need a little break from your party. We got the spinach artichoke dip and brussel sprouts to start (highly recommend checking out their apps). Then, we went on to get pizza (Rustic Ranger was amazing), chicken pesto rigatoni, pesto chicken bowl, and the baked bolognese. Nothing but ringing endorsements on all of the dishes! Lastly, we wrapped up with the Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet and Chocolate Brownie because why not, our diets are already shot at this point. This is such a wonderful addition to downtown and I can’t wait to take advantage of their patio this summer. It’s going to be an excellent indoor/outdoor setting with their garage doors opening out to the patio. Anyways, don’t take my word for it and go check it out for yourself. Start scoping out what you’d like to get by checking out their menu here!

Oh, and in case you missed it, The Festival of Lights in Franktown I mentioned a few weeks ago ended up closing early due to record crowds. Even though they wound down early, they still had a huge impact, donating over 13,000 pounds of food along with more than $8,000 in cash to local food banks. Check out their website here or read additional coverage here. What an awesome show the family does for the community. I’m excited to see how they retool it for 2026.

Lastly, for all of you golfers who need to get some off-season swings in, the Par Club is in the midst of their soft opening. I stopped by earlier on in their construction back in September and could tell even then that this is going to be an amazing spot to frequent. If I remember correctly, they’re going to have 7 massive bays, a full bar, a big lounge area with TVs, and more. Check out their Soft Launch details for the rest of the week on Instagram here. And their website is in progress, but if you want to bookmark it for later, check it out here.

Poll results from last week: what’s your go-to Christmas movie? “Something Else” just beat out Christmas Vacation with 25% of the votes versus 23%. I ended up watching Love Actually and the Family Stone! Both casts are absolutely stacked and the movies are a perfect blend of comedy and heartwarming love! Add them to next year’s list if you’ve never seen them!

Grinch - 11%
Elf - 13%
The Holiday - 8%
Love Actually - 11%
Christmas Vacation - 23%
Die Hard - 6%
Four Christmases - 4%
Something Else - 25%

Thanks for participating!

Support the Crew

Castle Rock Crew is 100% free and independently owned and operated (heck, it’s just me and a couple of very important contractors who help me). Your contributions go toward keeping the Crew going so we can have more fun and build more community. I’m genuinely excited for what we’re building in 2026!

If you’ve found value in the Crew this year and want to support it in any way, I’d appreciate it. Thank you, my friends!
- Connor

Pet Adoptions

Since we finally got a little bit more snow, I figured I could feature this Bear who isn’t hibernating.

Sports

Broncos — well, it was a lot closer than I anticipated and the Broncos D didn't get me as many points as I wanted for Fantasy Football, but we got away with a win over the Chiefs. Plus, we got a little Christmas gift a few days later when the Texans beat the Chargers which solidified us winning the AFC West. We face the Chargers this Sunday at home at 2:25pm. This is a must-win game to secure the top AFC spot, as the Patriots who are also 13-3 take on the Dolphins and the Jaguars who are 12-4 (but own the tie-breaker between us) take on the Titans. Both the Patriots and Jaguars should win their games.

Here are our players who were selected for the Pro Bowl: Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Quinn Meinerz, Pat Surtain II, Garett Bolles, and Courtland Sutton.

Nuggets — Nugs are 22-10, which is still good for 3rd in the Western Conference, even after dropping a few games. Lost to the Mavs by a point (131-130), beat the Timberwolves in an epic overtime game (142-138), lost to the Magic by a point (127-126), and lost to the Heat (147-123). We play the Raptors Wed, Dec 31, the Cavs on Fri, Jan 2, the Nets on Sun, Jan 4 and the 76ers on Mon, Jan 5.

Very concerning news coming out of the Heat loss last night where Jokić went down with a knee injury. We’re all waiting for news on how serious the injury is.

He never ceases to amaze, though…in the Christmas game against the Timberwolves, he became the first player in NBA history with 55+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists in a game. Oh, and in the same game he scored the most points ever in overtime with 18. Let’s hope all is well and he’s back on the court soon.

Avalanche — we’re 29-2-7 with 65 points (most in the NHL), and extended our lead to 8 over the Stars (they’ve played one more game). We beat the Mammoth (1-0), beat the Golden Knights in a shootout (6-5), and handled the Kings (5-2). We face the Blues on Wed, Dec 31, the Hurricanes on Sat, Jan 3 and the Panthers on Sun, Jan 4.

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

Events:

Tuesday, 12/30:

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

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

Bien y Tu (every weekday) - Happy Hour - 2:30pm–5:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - 85¢ Wings - 3:00pm–10:00pm

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

Trifecta - Happy Hour - 3:00pm–7:00pm

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. - Geeks Who Drink Trivia - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Elizabeth Brews - Trivia Night - 7:00pm–9:30pm

Wednesday, 12/31:

Wide Awake Eatery - Happy Hour - 4:00pm–6:00pm (Wed-Sat)

Alidade Brewing - Music Bingo - 6:00pm–8:00pm

Wide Open Saloon - NYE Party Featuring Dueling Pianos - 6:00pm–10:30pm - tickets

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

Sinners & Saints - New Year’s Eve Party - 8:00pm–1:00am - tickets

Pines Bar & Grill - 2026 New Year Party - 9:30pm

Thursday, 1/1:

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Trivia Night - 6:00pm

RNK Running - CHOG - 6:00pm

Wide Open Saloon - Country Dance Night with Dance Instructor Marla Gifford - 6:00pm–10:00pm

Hideaway Bar & Grill - Karaoke with Big E Entertainment - 8:30pm–12:30am

Friday, 1/2:

Sinners & Saints - Live Music at the Altar: Grey Rails - 8:00pm–10:00pm

Saturday, 1/3:

The Stagecoach Saloon - Mountain Magic Band - 6:30pm–10:30pm

Heads up on events that are further out:

Philip & Jerry Miller Library - Castle Rock Historical Society & Museum’s Monthly Presentation: DCSO Solves 30 Year Old Murder Case - Jan 8, 7:00pm–8:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - These Guys - Jan 9, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Sudden Fiction Books - An Evening with Peter Heller - Jan 12, 6:00pm–8:30pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Josh Blackburn: Live In Castle Rock - Jan 16, 6:00pm–9:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Sarah P And The Hay Pullers - Jan 16, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Sinatra Tribute Show LIVE! - Jan 16, 6:00pm–9:00pm - tickets

105 West Brewing - Live Music: Rented Tuxedo - Jan 16, 6:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Wags And The Boys - Jan 17, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Chilli Competition - Jan 18, 2:00pm–3:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Vetras And Atomic XPerience Split Set - Jan 23, 6:30pm–10:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Blinker Fluid - Jan 24, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Whiskey Tasting-Bourbon and Rye - Jan 24, 6:00pm - tickets

105 West Brewing - Live Music: Mike Mauer Band - Jan 24, 6:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder & Mystery - Till Death Do Us Part - Jan 30, 6:00pm - tickets

Douglas County Fairgrounds - Winter Ball - Jan 31, 6:00pm–9:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Walker Williams - Jan 31, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Castle Rock Comedy Show with Carla Clay – Hosted by Mark Masters - Jan 31, 7:00pm–9:30pm - tickets

Worth the drive: other Douglas County events can be found in our sister newsletter, DougCo Drop — subscribe below

*We are working on an events calendar with a new URL that will provide both advance notice and greater variety for events. Feel free to provide feedback: https://dougcoevents.com/

⚠️ 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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