Well, I’m really enjoying the days getting longer, and it’s been fun to see what’s going on with the sunsets and moonrises. I was driving two nights ago and saw how cool the moon was, but it wasn't nearly as cool as this shot I saw on Facebook by Dominic Weskamp, who got it right above the Rock. Incredible.

Anyways, onto things that I don’t know anything about.

I'm probably the least qualified person to be writing a Valentine's Day guide, so I'm not going to pretend I know what I'm doing here. I'm just going to list out what's happening around Castle Rock and let you figure out the rest.

🍷 Date Night

Blanchard Family Wines is doing a blindfolded wine tasting at COFF33 on both Feb 13 and Feb 14 — four wines to taste each, a bottle to take home, and a vibe that's way more interesting than another dinner reservation you'll forget about. $103 per couple.

Cherokee Ranch is adding a nice twist to their typical tours with a Valentine’s Tea with Tour on Feb 13 — champagne, scones, finger sandwiches, and pastries in the great hall overlooking the Front Range, followed by an hour-long guided tour of the castle. Dressy attire encouraged. If you're trying to impress someone, this could be the move.

Cherokee Ranch had a Valentine's weekend show that already sold out, but their Love Notes concert on March 1 is still available — same romantic castle setting, just a couple weeks later. Not a bad backup plan if you're still in love at that point…

👯‍♀️ Galentine's

Per usual, we’ve got plenty of Galentine's events — Hydrate IV Bar is hosting a wellness social on Feb 6 with free MIC injections, hand treatments, and mocktails ($35). The Outlets are throwing a free party on Feb 7 with a live typewriter poet, chocolate fountain, and DIY bouquets. And LaLa's is doing a Sips & Skin night the same evening — mini facials, swag bags, and a cozy intimate setup for $55.

So, we’ve got three Galentine's events and not a single thing for the guys. Not one Guyentine's. No poker night. No axe throwing. No meat and whiskey pairing. No guys being dudes. What am I supposed to do? Someone please fix this for 2027. I'm begging.

🎨 Creative & Family

Teaology Tea Cafe is running Valentine's watercolor workshops on Feb 10 and 12 — $20, all supplies included, and a chill way to make something you can actually give as a gift. And on Valentine's Day itself, Alidade Brewing is hosting Furever Love with adoptable dogs from Animal Rescue of the Rockies. Free. You might leave with a new best friend.

💘 Singles

If you're between 27 and 40 and tired of the apps, there's a speed dating night at Sinners & Saints on Feb 11 — $18, welcome drinks included, and you get a Valentine's Day drink voucher whether you find a match or not.

☕ Valentine's Specials Worth Grabbing

A few local spots are rolling out Valentine's menus and gift boxes too. Après Coffee, Wild & Blume, and Bagl teamed up on a Sweetheart Box ($32–$40) — coffee, fresh flowers or a plant, and mini sweetheart bagels with chocolate strawberry schmear. Pickup is Valentine's Day morning at Après. And Oo·de·Lally Coffee has been running their full Valentine's menu since early January — themed espresso drinks, hot chocolate flights, and a heart-shaped Sweetheart Cup at the Crystal Valley location. Overachievers.

Now that we’ve got all the love business out of the way, if you’re looking to meet friends here locally, please check out DougCo Social Dinner Club. Our last one was here in Castle Rock on Jan 28. We had 60+ people and over half of those made it to the after-dinner drinks. Feedback overall was a 4.8/5.0, so we’re doing another one in Parker on Feb 19. Would love to have you come out and join us!

FAQs:

Learn more and sign up here: DougCo Social Dinner Club

If you’re looking for a cuddle buddy, Pretzel loves giving kisses, snuggling up, and sharing her joyful personality with anyone ready to give her some love.

Broncos — so the coaching picture is a lot clearer now. Vance Joseph interviewed with five teams — Raiders, Cardinals, Giants, Ravens, Titans — and none of them hired him. Which honestly? Best case scenario for us. The defense was the best unit in football this year and losing him would've been a massive setback, especially after we already lost Jim Leonhard to the Bills as their new defensive coordinator. Leonhard was the guy everyone assumed would step in if Joseph ever left, so that one stings a little. Pete Carmichael Jr. left for Buffalo too as their OC, so the Bills basically raided our coaching staff this offseason.

On the offensive side, Payton fired Lombardi — along with WR coach Keary Colbert and CB coach Addison Lynch. Lombardi apparently described Payton as being "in a mood" — take that however you want. Davis Webb gets promoted to offensive coordinator after withdrawing from the Raiders head coaching search, and Logan Kilgore moves up to QBs coach. I like the Webb move. He's been a big part of Bo's development and there was a real sense that Payton fired Lombardi partly to make room for Webb so he wouldn't leave. Smart move if that's the case.

Speaking of Bo — he says he's on track to be back in four to six weeks and ready for the offseason program. The ankle surgery went well and he's not worried about it long term. What I am a little worried about is the weird tension between him and Payton. Payton told the media Bo had a "predisposed" condition that made the break inevitable, and Bo basically said that's not true and that Payton shouldn't be sharing his medical history publicly. His exact words were something like "he doesn't even really know that." Owner Greg Penner stepped in to smooth things over, saying the surgery was straightforward with no concerns going forward. None of that is great, but it's February. There's time to sort it out.

Bottom line — the core is coming back, the defense should be elite again, and if Bo comes back healthy we're right back in the conversation. Super Bowl or bust, right?

Nuggets — Nugs are staying steady and are 3rd in the Western Conference. We lost to the Pistons (109-107), beat the Nets (107-103), beat the red-hot Clippers with Jokić returning to the court (122-109), and lost to the first-place Thunder (121-111). We play the Pistons Tue, Feb 3, the Knicks on Wed, Feb 4, the Bulls on Sat, Feb 7, and the Cavs on Mon, Feb 9.

About time! Jamal Murray finally gets the All-Star nod that he deserves after nine years in the league. All-Star weekend takes place in LA between Feb 13 and 15.

Avalanche — we’re 36-8-9 with 81 points (most in the NHL) after dropping a few games this past week. The Wild have overtaken the Stars for 2nd in the Division with 76 points (we’ve played fewer games). We lost to the Senators (5-2), lost to the Canadiens (7-3), beat the Red Wings (5-0), and then lost to the Red Wings (2-0). We face the Sharks on Wed, Feb 4 before the NHL breaks for the Olympics. Eight Avs will be representing their respective countries in the Olympic Games in Italy:

Rockies: Spring training will start up here on Feb 20 against the Diamondbacks. Check out the schedule here.

Rapids: the Rapids are gearing up for their season opener against the Sounders on Feb 22 in Seattle. Check out their schedule here.

Mammoth — we maintained 2nd overall with a record of 5-2 after we demolished the Buffalo Bandits. (20-9). Game recap can be found here. We’ve got a week off before we visit the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on Fri, Feb 13 at 8:30pm.

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

Tuesday, 2/3:

Douglas County Libraries - Coffee Chat - 8:00am–11:00am

105 West Brewing Company - Pints & Pours - 6:30pm–8:30pm - tickets

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

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

Wednesday, 2/4:

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

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

Millhouse at Miller Park - Colorado Bluebird Project - Open House - 7:00pm–8:00pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - D&D Game Night - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Thursday, 2/5:

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Trivia Night - 6:00pm

RNK Running - CHOG - 6:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Dueling Pianos - 6:00pm - tickets

105 West Brewing - Trivia Night - 6:00pm–8:30pm

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, 2/6:

Hydrate IV Bar - After Hours: A Galentine's Social - 5:00pm–7:00pm - tickets

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines Pop-up - 5:00pm–9:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Luke Story - 5:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Wine Tasting at the Castle ~February is the Month for Love and Chocolate! - Feb 6, 6:00pm

COFF33 - Guided 4-Wine Tasting - 6:00pm–7:00pm - tickets

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Josh Blackburn - 6:00pm–9:00pm

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

Wide Open Saloon - Sarah P and the Hay Pullers - 7:00pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Wendy Woo - 8:00pm

Saturday, 2/7:

Wide Awake Eatery - Tony Crank - 10:00am

Outlets - Galentine's Party - 11:00am–1:00pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Mead & Magic: Castle Rock - 5:00pm–7:00pm

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines Pop-up - 5:00pm–9:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Andre LaMotte - 5:30pm

COFF33 - Wine and Chocolate Tasting - 6:00pm–7:00pm - tickets

LaLa's Coffee & Boba - Sips & Skins - Galentines - 6:00pm–8:00pm - tickets

105 West Brewing - Live Music: Tron - 6:30pm–9:30pm

Wide Open Saloon - Guild of Ages - 7:00pm–10:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - These Guys - 7:30pm

Heads up on events that are further out:

Teaology Tea Cafe - Valentine’s Watercolor Workshop - Feb 10, 4:30pm–5:15pm

Sinners and Saints - Find Your Valentine – Speed Dating - Feb 11, 6:30pm–9:30pm - tickets

Teaology Tea Cafe - Valentine’s Watercolor Workshop - Feb 12, 4:30pm–5:15pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Valentine’s Tea with Tour - Feb 13 & 14, 1:00pm - tickets

Wide Awake Eatery - Jennifer Lane - Feb 13, 5:30pm

Philip & Jerry Miller Library - Castle Rock Historical Society & Museum's Monthly Presentation: Colorado Before 1876 - Feb 13, 7:00pm–8:00pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Sinatra Tribute Show Live! - Feb 13, 7:00pm - tickets

COFF33 - Valentine’s Day Blindfolded Tasting - Feb 13, 7:00pm–9:00pm - tickets

Wide Open Saloon - Whiskey Road - Feb 13, 7:00pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Alyssa Mongiovi - Feb 13, 8:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Wayne Wilkinson - Feb 14, 10:00am

Alidade Brewing - Valentines Furever Love - Feb 14, 2:00pm–4:00pm

Douglas County Fairgrounds - Maverick Tour - Feb 14, 2:00pm–4:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Steve Thomas - Feb 14, 5:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Blinker Fluid - Feb 14, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Cherokee Ranch and Castle - The Jersey's Rock the Castle! - Feb 14-15, 6:45pm

COFF33 - Valentine’s Day Blindfolded Tasting - Feb 14, 7:00pm–9:00pm - tickets

Wide Open Saloon - Hot Like Wasabi - Feb 14, 7:00pm–10:30pm

Advent Health - Get Your Health Fix in 2026! - Feb 17, 11:30pm–1:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Charlie Zanichelli - Feb 20, 5:30pm

Buff City Soap - Buff City Soap Grand Opening - Feb 20, 10:00am

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines: Pages & Pours Decant & Swirl Edition - Feb 20, 6:00pm–8:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - SARAH P AND THE HAY PULLERS - Feb 20, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Wide Open Saloon - Gritty Velvet - Feb 20, 7:00pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Derek Hall - Feb 20, 8:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Shaun Peace - Feb 21, 10:00am

Wide Awake Eatery - Jennifer Lane - Feb 21, 5:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Freddy Rodriguez Legacy Jazz Band - Feb 21, 6:30pm

105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Sarah P and the Dirty Logger - Feb 21, 6:30pm–9:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - WALKER WILLIAMS - Feb 21, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Wide Open Saloon - Off Ramp - Feb 21, 7:00pm–10:30pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Luke Story - Feb 27, 5:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder & Mystery Show at Cherokee Castle! Death of a Gangster - Feb 27, 6:00pm

Rancho Vaya Con Dios - Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony - Feb 27, 6:00pm–10:00pm

Wide Open Saloon - Struggler Project - Feb 27, 7:00pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Bunny Blake - Feb 27, 8:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Tony Crank - Feb 28, 10:00am

Wide Awake Eatery - Charlie Zanichelli - Feb 28, 5:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - WAGS AND THE BOYS - Feb 28, 6:30pm–10:30pm

105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Full Throttle - Feb 28, 6:30pm–9:30pm

Wide Open Saloon - Hooligans Holiday - Feb 28, 7:00pm–10:30pm

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.

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