Per usual, I got myself into a sticky situation with finding the McAwesome Ranch venue for The Colorado Bluegrass Festival. Waze had me going to the complete wrong side of the venue and trying to force me in over a fence. I felt like Michael Scott in The Office driving straight into a lake because the GPS told him to…anyone? No one? Resolution on this GIF is horrible, so if you want to watch the real deal, here's the YouTube link to the 2-minute scene.

But, once I did make it in there, I was happy I “persevered” and found it. Music was amazing, ranch was (mc)awesome, and the sense of community was great. I was able to see at least 6 of the bands perform. Some highlights were Salomé Songbird, the organizer's band Before the Sun, and Tome (ten women harmonizing with one guitar). If you're a music lover in general, I'd be sure to follow them so you don't miss them next year.

Fare thee well, summer, though I don't think the weather entirely got the memo. Regardless, we've got a stacked September with all of these events as fall comes into full swing. Here are some of my top picks that I wanted to make sure are on your radar.

If you really want to test your event-going stamina, see what you can all pack in on the weekend of September 12th. Unfortunately, I am out of town and will have to miss these so someone's going to have to carry the flag in my stead.

Castle Rock Artfest — Perry Street and Festival Park. Two days: Sat 9/12 from 9am to 6pm and Sun 9/13 from 10am to 5pm. Free admission. It's one of the Chamber's big ones, with more than 110 exhibitors showing everything from life-size sculpture to photography and jewelry. I went last year and genuinely enjoyed just walking the street looking at all of it.

Castle Rock Beer Fest Under the Stars — Sat 9/12, Miller Park Amphitheater, 4pm to 9pm, and it's 21 and up so bring your ID. 105 West Brewing hosts it. Tickets run $90 if you're drinking and $60 if you're not, and either way it's all-inclusive, which is the whole pitch: pours from more than 25 breweries plus a few distilleries and wineries, and unlimited servings from seven-plus food trucks. Their words, not mine: leave your wallet at home.

Douglas County Supercross — Sat 9/12, Douglas County Fairgrounds, 3pm to 10pm, $17.85 and up. Pros and amateurs racing wheel-to-wheel for championship points and a cash purse, with special features on the card like the Pro and 65cc Dash for Cash, the Stocker Brawl, and a vendor midway and food. Kids 5 and under get in free, parking is free, and it runs rain or shine. VIP gets you an elevated viewing area over the track and complimentary Coors if you're 21 and up, and code SAVE5 takes $5 off.

Twilight on the Trails — Sat 9/12, 5:30pm to 9pm at Lost Canyon Ranch, $75. This one's a fundraiser, and the money goes back into trail building, public access and stewardship. The ticket gets you a signature cocktail, beer and wine, dinner, and a guided mini tour of the property. Live music is Brandywine and the Mightyfines, a local five-piece bluegrass band, which after last weekend I am fully on board with.

And the rest of the month, in order:

The last polo Sunday of the season — Sun 9/6, Denver Polo Club, gates at 10am, $28.52 and up, all ages. I just bought my ticket. It gets billed as a tailgate, but there are actual polo matches, and this'll be my first time at this one. There's also an outdoor cocktail bar, food trucks, the Westernaires performing, a DJ and dance party on the field, and the divot stomp, where everybody walks out at the break and stamps the torn-up turf back down. Season finale, so it's the last one until next summer.

Cherokee Ranch & Castle Community Day — Sun 9/13, 10am to 3pm, and it's free, but you do have to reserve a ticket first. Everyone needs one, and you pick an hour-long arrival window (10am, 11am, noon or 1pm); once you're in you can stay until it wraps at 3pm. The castle interior is not open that day, so this is the grounds, the cattle and those Front Range views. Cherokee Ranch charges for just about everything else it does, so a free day out there is the one to take advantage of.

Just Between Friends Children's Consignment Sale — Douglas County Fairgrounds, Wed 9/16 through Sun 9/20. Gently used kids' clothes and shoes from newborn through teen, plus toys, books, baby gear, nursery furniture, maternity and sports equipment, at 50 to 90 percent off retail. Admission is $3 at the door, or free if you grab a ticket online first — one per family, good for all four public days. Wednesday is early access and you buy a ticket to get in ahead of the public. There's a Teen Thrift Fest Thursday from 4 to 8pm, a half-price presale Saturday afternoon, and Sunday is discount day. Hours: Thu 10am to 7pm, Fri 9am to 7pm, Sat 9am to 3pm, Sun 9am to 2pm.

Tunes for Trails: Ninety Percent 90s — Thu 9/17, Miller Park Amphitheater, 6:30pm, free. This is the last one of the series, so the amphitheater goes quiet until next summer.

Castle Rock Oktoberfest — Sat 9/19, 1pm to 9pm, Wilcox Square right downtown, and it's free to get in with no ticket needed, which for a full eight-hour street party is hard to argue with. It opens with a keg tapping at 1pm, Neue Polka plays the afternoon, and a DJ closes it out from 7pm to 9pm. More than twenty breweries, wineries and distilleries pouring, sixteen food trucks, and free bounce houses and a rock wall for the kids. There are also stein hoisting competitions at 2:20pm, 3:20pm, 4:20pm and 5:20pm, if you want to find out in public how long you can hold a full liter out at arm's length.

Lone Creek Farms Fall Festival — opens Fri 9/25 in Franktown, then runs Thursdays through Sundays all the way to November 1. Friday through Sunday it's 10am to 9pm; Thursdays are 10am to 5pm. General admission is $27.95, kids 3 and under are free, and seniors and military are $25.95. New this year: a nighttime light show included with your ticket, Friday through Sunday only, not Thursdays.

Colorado Highland Games — Sat 9/26 and Sun 9/27 at the Denver Polo Club. I went last year and enjoyed walking around seeing all of the different attractions. Heavy athletics all day, pipe bands, Highland dancing, clan tents, whisky tastings, a British car show on Sunday, a rugby exhibition, and some Highland cows that every kid there finds inside of four minutes. Adults are $25 a day or $45 for the weekend; seniors 55 and up, active-duty military and kids 7 to 17 are $20 a day. Under 7 is free. Seven Nations headlines Saturday night. One warning: parking is $5 and it's cash only at the gate, so pre-pay it online.

Harvest Day at CALF's Lowell Ranch — Sat 9/26, 10am to 2pm, pay what you can, and that covers parking too. It's a working ranch off I-25 that opens up for the day: hands-on farm stuff, the animals, educational booths, and local produce and goods for sale. Everything they take in goes back into their programs.

National Public Lands Day at Lost Canyon Ranch — Sat 9/26, 9am to noon, free. The Town is asking for volunteers to pull barbed wire fencing near the Cattleman's Trailhead so wildlife can move across the property more freely. A couple of things to know before you go: you have to register ahead of time, volunteers need to be at least 14, and you meet at the Cattleman's Trailhead lot a mile up the dirt road. Tools, gloves and snacks are provided, and it counts toward community service hours.

Seven years — we can hardly believe it! ❤️

We're busy behind the scenes getting Mod Mountain ready to celebrate how far we've come, and we're pulling out all the stops for a very special anniversary weekend. We're prepping a wide selection of fall styles, planning some fun surprises, and getting the store ready for three days of celebrating with the people who have made these seven years possible. Mark your calendar for September 11–13 — we can't wait to celebrate with you!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for more details (and a giveaway) leading up to the event! To get things started, we're giving away a $50 gift card to a Castle Rock Crew subscriber.

Winner announced in next week's newsletter.

Take a look at this “shy but loveable girl”, Daphne. She's been at the Buddy Center for a few weeks, but with a face like that I can't imagine she won't find a home soon!

Wednesday, September 9 — two dinners, one night, both right here in Castle Rock.

Dinner Club is the one where you show up at 6:30pm and sit down with five neighbors you've never met. We do the matching and make the reservation, and the restaurant gets revealed the day of. You order off the menu and pay for your own food and drinks. Afterward we all spill over to Wild Blue Yonder for the after-party.

Grab a seat here.

Couples Dinner (55+) runs the same night if you'd rather bring your person. Same idea, different room, and this one we can tell you up front: it's at Courtyard Social on Perry Street.

Use code COUPLES10 for $10 off — grab a table here.

Signups close Monday, September 7 at 6:30pm.

Broncos — The 53-man roster is set, and the headline is that we're carrying three quarterbacks. Sam Ehlinger stuck behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham after throwing three touchdowns in the preseason finale, which is no small thing when most teams keep two. Sean Payton still hasn't said who the backup is. The real surprise went the other way: fifth-round tight end Justin Joly got cut and was immediately claimed by Miami, while seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley made it. Jaleel McLaughlin and Cody Schrader both got cut, leaving four running backs. Red Murdock, the very last pick of this year's draft, was let go, and not one undrafted rookie made the roster, which is unusual for a team that normally finds one. Marvin Mims hurt his foot Friday, made the 53 anyway, and turned up on Monday's injury report. Jonathon Cooper went on the Commissioner's Exempt List Sunday, which means he doesn't count against the 53 and can't practice or play while the league works through the domestic violence case against him. We open for real Monday, September 14 at Kansas City.

Nuggets — Quiet week by comparison. We signed Bryce Hopkins, the 49th overall pick, to a two-way contract, which means both of this year's second-round picks are now under contract. There's also reporting that the front office wants to move Zeke Nnaji, with draft capital attached, to get back under the second apron after the DeRozan signing.

Avalanche — Cale Makar signed an eight-year extension that runs through 2034-35. It comes out around $20.4 million a year, which is what you pay when you've decided a defenseman is the entire franchise. He still had a year left on the six-year deal he signed back in 2021, so this one takes him into the next decade. First preseason look is the Avs and the Mammoth at Ball Arena on Sunday, September 20.

Rockies — We took two of four in Washington and then got swept in Atlanta, which stings extra because all three were close: 6-4, 2-1, and 3-2 in ten innings. That's four straight and puts us at 52-85, still last in the NL West. The upside is we're home for a good stretch now, with Baltimore in town to start the week and St. Louis for three over the weekend. Weather permitting, anyway.

Rapids — We beat Real Salt Lake at home Saturday (1-0). That moves us to 10-11-1 with 31 points, seventh in the Western Conference, which is on the right side of the line since the top seven go straight into Round One of the playoffs. We're at Columbus Saturday at 5:30pm.

Summit FC — Six to one. We hosted the Chicago Stars on Saturday and won 6-1, which is not a scoreline you see often in this league. That puts us at 7-8-6 with 27 points, ninth in the NWSL, and the top eight make the playoffs. We host Gotham FC Sunday at noon.

Want your business in front of 5,500 locals? Reach out if you're interested in sponsoring the newsletter.

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Council votes on 402 homes tonight. The Chateau Valley site development plan covers 402 homes, 254 detached and 148 attached, on 112 acres east of Memmen Park. The Planning Commission recommended approval 6-1 on August 13, and it's item 16 on the agenda when Town Council meets tonight, Tuesday, at 6pm at Town Hall, 100 N. Wilcox. The plan sets aside 50 acres of open space and a regional trail; a “Save Memmen Ridge” effort wants the parcel looked at for open-space acquisition instead. Public comment is open, and if you'd rather watch than show up, it streams at CRgov.com/CouncilMeeting. I'll have the result in next week's issue.

The November ballot is set. Three seats are up: District 3, District 5 and Mayor. Ballot order was drawn by lot last Thursday. District 3 is Chris Phelen, Tiffany Coyle and Matt Smith. District 5 is Mitchell Sawin and Patrick Reilly. Mayor, which everyone in town votes on, is Laura Cavey, Amelia Thomas and Stu Butler. Ballots start going out October 2 for the November 3 election, and if you're not sure which district you're in, it's at CRgov.com/ElectionDistricts. Write-ins only count if the candidate files an affidavit with the Town Clerk by 5pm Friday. Don't worry — I'm working on mine as we speak.

Five new sculptures just went up around town. The 2026 Art Encounters pieces are in at Festival Park, Triangle Park, Butterfield Crossing Park, the Miller Activity Complex and Cantril School, each on loan for a year. There's a free audio tour through the Otocast app with commentary from the artists. And the high-fiving bear at Third and Perry from last year's group? The town liked it enough to buy it, so that one's staying put.

Engineering Manager, Castle Rock Water — Town of Castle Rock — $134K-$156K/yr

SPED Teacher, Moderate Needs Interventionist — Douglas County School District — $56K-$119K/yr

AM Cook — Upland Brewing Company — $18/hr

Looking for more? Every open job we track across the county lives at dougcosocial.com/jobs.

Don't forget to get your vote in. You can always change it or add more as you try new places.

Tons of categories. Best burger, best green chile, best cinnamon roll, etc. Takes a minute or two. No wrong answers.

Vote in the Best of Douglas County →

Tuesday, 9/1:

Pines Bar and Grill - Trivia Night - 6:00pm–8:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Line Dancing with Joyce - 6:30pm–9:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Tuesday Trivia at The Whiskey Lodge - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Wednesday, 9/2:

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Arts Afield 2026 at Cherokee Ranch - 8:30am–1:00pm - $39

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

Savina's Mexican Kitchen - Savina's Summer Concert Series: Union Gray - 6:00pm–9:00pm

Pines Bar and Grill - Karaoke Night at Pines Bar and Grill - 6:00pm–9:00pm

105 West Brewing Company - Trails & Ales Mountain Bike Ride at 105 West - 6:00pm–7:00pm

105 West Brewing Company - Vinyl Night at 105 West - 6:00pm–9:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Wednesday Bingo at The Whiskey Lodge - 6:30pm–8:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Weekly Bingo at Sinners & Saints - 6:30pm–8:30pm

Thursday, 9/3:

Alidade Brewing - Learn to Play Mah Jongg at Alidade - 5:00pm–8:00pm

Bar Hummingbird - Castle Rock - Live Music at Bar Hummingbird - 6:00pm–10:00pm (lineup posted later in the week)

Crowfoot Valley Coffee & Crowbar - Trivia Night - 6:00pm–8:00pm (theme posted later in the week)

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

Courtyard Social - Jewel & the Rough at Courtyard Social - 6:00pm–9:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Free Whiskey Tasting & Poker Night at The Whiskey Lodge - 7:00pm–10:00pm

Sinners & Saints - Western Line Dancing Night at Sinners & Saints - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Friday, 9/4:

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Castle Tour at Cherokee Ranch & Castle - 10:00am–11:30am - $21-$24

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Afternoon Tea at the Castle - 1:00pm–3:00pm - $74.95

Douglas County Fairgrounds and Event Center - Rocky Mountain Koi Show & Aquatic Expo - 1:00pm–5:00pm

Louviers - DLC Hops Hike with 105 West Brewing - 5:00pm–7:30pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Dinner and Dueling Pianos at Wide Awake Eatery - 6:00pm–9:00pm - $28.52

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

Bar Hummingbird - Castle Rock - Live Music at Bar Hummingbird - 6:00pm–10:00pm (lineup posted later in the week)

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder & Mystery: Till Death Do Us Part - 6:00pm–9:15pm - $85.95

Wide Open Saloon - The Petty Nicks Experience & Disco Revue — Firefighters Benefit - 6:00pm–11:00pm - $33.85-$108.55

The Whiskey Lodge - Friday Karaoke at The Whiskey Lodge - 7:00pm–11:00pm

Sinners & Saints - Bunny Blake — Live at the Altar - 8:00pm–10:00pm

Saturday, 9/5:

Douglas County Fairgrounds and Event Center - Castle Rock Farmers Market - 8:00am–12:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Castle Tour at Cherokee Ranch & Castle - 10:00am–11:30am - $21-$24

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Afternoon Tea at the Castle - 1:00pm–3:00pm - $74.95

Bar Hummingbird - Castle Rock - Live Music at Bar Hummingbird - 6:00pm–10:00pm (lineup posted later in the week)

Pines Bar and Grill - Live Band Saturdays at Pines Bar and Grill - 6:00pm–9:00pm

105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Six Bucks & A Flight at 105 West - 6:30pm–9:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Country Music Project at The Stagecoach Saloon - 6:30pm–10:30pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Saturday Live Music at The Whiskey Lodge - 7:00pm–10:00pm

Wide Open Saloon - Whiskey Road at Wide Open Saloon - 7:00pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Live DJ in the Lounge with 'DJ Max' - 9:00pm–12:00am

Sunday, 9/6:

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

Teaology Tea Cafe - All Things Spiritual at Teaology - 10:00am–12:00pm

Denver Polo Club - Closing Weekend Polo Tailgate at Denver Polo Club - 10:00am–3:00pm - $28.52+

105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Giant Zero at 105 West - 2:30pm–5:30pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Sunday Karaoke at The Whiskey Lodge - 6:00pm–9:00pm

Monday, 9/7:

The Stagecoach Saloon - The Band These Guys Live at The Stagecoach Saloon (Labor Day) - 12:30pm–4:30pm

The Whiskey Lodge - Monday Bingo at The Whiskey Lodge - 6:30pm–8:30pm

Looking for more? Every Douglas County event we track lives on our events calendar: dougcosocial.com/events.

Heads up on events that are further out:

The Millhouse at Miller Park - Batty About Castle Rock - Tue 9/8, 6:00pm–7:00pm

Apres Coffee - Coffee with a Cop at Apres Coffee - Thu 9/10, 9:00am–10:00am

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Sinatra Tribute Show LIVE at Cherokee Ranch - Fri 9/11, 7:30pm–9:30pm - $86.80

Sinners & Saints - Derek Hall — Live at the Altar - Fri 9/11, 8:00pm–10:00pm

RNK Running and Walking - RNK Marathon Training Run: 16 Mile & 10 Mile - Sat 9/12, 7:00am–11:00am

Festival Park - Castle Rock Artfest 2026 - Sat 9/12, 9:00am–6:00pm and Sun 9/13, 10:00am–5:00pm

Douglas County Fairgrounds and Event Center - Antique Bottle Collectors of Colorado Show & Sale - Sat 9/12, 9:00am–4:00pm

Douglas County Fairgrounds and Event Center - Douglas County Supercross - Sat 9/12, 3:00pm–10:00pm - $17.85-$60.54

Miller Park Amphitheater - Castle Rock Beer Fest Under the Stars 2026 - Sat 9/12, 4:00pm–9:00pm - $60-$90

Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space - Twilight on the Trails 2026 - Sat 9/12, 5:30pm–9:00pm - $75+

Butterfield Crossing Park - Tri the Rock - Sun 9/13, 6:30am–11:30am - $60

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Cherokee Ranch & Castle Community Day - Sun 9/13, 10:00am–3:00pm

Mission Hills Church Castle Rock - Fall Fest at Mission Hills Castle Rock - Sun 9/13, 10:30am–1:00pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Elk Bugling Sightings & Sounds at Cherokee Ranch - Tue 9/15, 5:00pm–7:30pm - $44

Festival Park - A Rally of Hope for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month - Wed 9/16, 5:30pm–7:30pm

Douglas County Fairgrounds and Event Center - Just Between Friends Children's Consignment Sale - Wed 9/16–Sun 9/20, hours vary by day - Free-$3

Wide Awake Eatery - Comedy Night at Wide Awake Eatery - Thu 9/17, 5:00pm–9:00pm - $28.52

Miller Park Amphitheater - Tunes for Trails: Ninety Percent 90s - Thu 9/17, 6:30pm–9:00pm

Iron Mule Public House and Brewery - Spooky Swing Paint & Sip in Castle Rock - Fri 9/18, 6:00pm–9:00pm - $49.87

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Stones & Stories: The Geology Behind the Castle - Sat 9/19, 9:00am–11:00am - $38.50

Douglas County Libraries - Castle Rock - Fall Seed Swap - Sat 9/19, 1:00pm–3:00pm

Wilcox Square - Historic Downtown Castle Rock - Oktoberfest - Sat 9/19, 1:00pm–9:00pm

Future Soaring Hawk Park - Castle Pines Drive-In Movie Night - Sat 9/19, 7:00pm–9:30pm - $10 per vehicle

Alidade Brewing - Welcome Fall Cookie Class at Alidade Brewing - Sun 9/20, 2:00pm–4:00pm - $85

Sudden Fiction Books - Final Draft Book Club: Fantasticland - Mon 9/21, 6:30pm–8:00pm

CALF's Lowell Ranch - Business Unwind: Building Bridges with Nonprofits - Wed 9/23, 4:30pm–6:30pm

Lone Creek Farms - Lone Creek Farms Fall Festival 2026 - Fri 9/25 through Sun 11/1, Thursdays 10:00am–5:00pm and Fri–Sun 10:00am–9:00pm - $23.95-$27.95

Denver Polo Club - Colorado Highland Games - Sat 9/26, 9:00am–8:00pm and Sun 9/27, 9:00am–5:00pm - $20-$45

Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space - Public Lands Day Volunteer Project at Lost Canyon Ranch - Sat 9/26, 9:00am–12:00pm

CALF'S Lowell Ranch - Harvest Day at CALF's Lowell Ranch - Sat 9/26, 10:00am–2:00pm

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

⚠️ 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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