DougCo Drop – Dec 10th – Award Winning Denver Restaurant Opening Location in Lone Tree, Development Deals and Updates, and More

Happy Wednesday! I hope you’re juggling the holiday season well and not getting too caught up in 2026 planning. I had held off thinking about what I want to do and who I want to be in 2026 until I saw Marvin Mims Jr. point to two teammates to both block the Raiders’ punter on his TD return. Now that is the energy I want to bring into 2026!

Saddle Up

🎤 Music & Concerts

🎤 Live Blues: Chuck Grossman
📅 Date: Thursday, December 11
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 Location: 105 West Brewing Company, Castle Rock
🎤 Detail: Enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of one of Castle Rock’s favorite breweries while soaking in Chuck’s performance, the perfect pairing of local craft beer and local music!

🎤 Dueling Pianos
📅 Date: Friday, December 12
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Wide Awake Eatery, Castle Rock
🎤 Detail: Colorado’s top dueling pianists bring the heat with crowd favorites, solos, and spontaneous fun.

🎤 Go Go GirlZilla
📅 Date: Friday, December 12
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 Location: Pines Bar & Grill, Castle Pines
🎤 Detail: Rock the night away with Go Go GirlZilla as they return to Pines Bar & Grill in Castle Pines for a three‑hour set packed with energy!

🎤 Live Music! Josh Blackburn
📅 Date: Friday, December 12
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 Location: Honnibrook Craft Meadery, Castle Rock
🎤 Detail: Catch the electrifying Josh Blackburn as he brings his signature blend of rock, soul, and acoustic magic to the stage.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family

⛄ Winter Bazaar
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 10
⏰ Time: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Teaology Tea Café, Castle Rock
⛄ Detail: Stroll through a festive marketplace filled with handmade gifts, jewelry, art prints, candles, and gourmet treats from local artisans.

🤴 The Nutcracker
📅 Date: Thursday, December 11 to Tuesday, December 16
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
📍 Location: PACE Center, Parker
🤴 Detail: Celebrate the magic of the season with Parker Arts and Denver Ballet Theatre’s enchanting production of The Nutcracker!

🎅 BCOC Presents A Celtic Christmas
📅 Date: Friday, December 12
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM - 7:30 PM
📍 Location: The Schoolhouse Theater, Parker
🎅 Detail: Celebrate the season with a sparkling winter concert blending Celtic traditions and timeless carols.

🎅 Holiday Market
📅 Date: Friday, December 12 & Saturday, December 13
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Fri) & 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Sat)
📍 Location: Providence Park, Sterling Ranch
🎅 Detail: Featuring over 60 vendors offering unique, handcrafted gifts, this free event is packed with holiday cheer.

🎅 Storytellers & S'mores
📅 Date: Saturday, December 13
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Festival Park, Castle Rock
🎅 Detail: Santa and friends will share beloved seasonal tales from the giant Storyteller Chair, while families enjoy roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, sipping hot chocolate, and more.

💹 Tinsel & Trouble — Bad Moms of Parker Holiday Market
📅 Date: Sunday, December 14
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Bodega Beer Company, Parker
💹 Detail: Shop local this season while supporting talented mom‑owned businesses offering handmade crafts, baked goods, unique gifts, and services perfect for holiday gifting or treating yourself.

⭐ Sinai South Chanukah Party
📅 Date: Sunday, December 14
⏰ Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Southridge Recreation Center, Highlands Ranch
⭐ Detail: Join us for our annual Sinai South Chanukah Party, a family‑friendly evening filled with holiday joy.

🏃 Fitness

🏃‍♀️ Ladies’ Climbing Night
📅 Date: Thursday, December 11
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
📍 Location: Übergrippen, Castle Rock
🏃‍♀️ Detail: Ladies’ Climbing Night is all about connection, community, and getting on the wall together!

🎨 Arts & Culture

📘 Final Draft Book Club
📅 Date: Monday, December 15
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Sudden Fiction Books, Castle Rock
📘 Detail: Join us on Monday in the shop for lively book discussions across every genre chosen and recommended by the group.

📔 Conversation & Book Signing with MICHAEL & KATHLEEN GEAR - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS
📅 Date: Monday, December 15
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Cherokee Ranch & Castle, Sedalia
📔 Detail: Enjoy a moderated conversation, holiday reception, and book signing in a beautifully decorated setting.

👺 Retired FBI Agent Jonny Grusing Presents "The Devil I Knew: Unmasking a Serial Killer"
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 10
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Pikes Peak Event Center, Parker
👺 Detail: Join us at the Pikes Peak Event Center in Parker for a gripping evening as retired FBI Agent Jonny Grusing shares the story behind his arrest of serial killer Scott Kimball.

🍽️ Food & Drinks

🍾 Winter Winefest
📅 Date: Saturday, December 13
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Southridge Recreation Center, Highlands Ranch
🍾 Detail: Sip, savor, and discover your new favorite holiday wine!

🍪 Christmas Basics Cookie Decorating Class at Lala's
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 10
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Lala's Coffee and Boba, Castle Rock
🍪 Detail: Learn piping and flooding techniques while creating six adorable Christmas cookies to take home.

🎉 Holiday Party
📅 Date: Saturday, December 13
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Petals and Pop, Castle Rock
🎉 Detail: From free photos with Santa and sweet treats to jewelry, hats, cookies, and more, this holiday celebration is packed with pop‑ups, retail discounts, hot drinks, fresh florals, and gifts for the whole family.

🍹 Nightlife & Entertainment

🎅 Stumblin' Santa 2025
📅 Date: Saturday, December 13
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM
📍 Location: Downtown Castle Rock, Castle Rock
🎅 Detail: It’s a night of festive fun, holiday cheer, and plenty of mischief.

👚 Hot Girl Clothing Swap
📅 Date: Sunday, December 14
⏰ Time: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
📍 Location: Sinners and Saints, Castle Rock
👚 Detail: The Hot Girl Clothing Swap is back, bringing sustainable fashion and community vibes under one roof.

🎤 Myxed Trivia & Karaoke Tuesdays
📅 Date: Tuesday, December 16
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🎤 Detail: Trivia night just got smarter and easier! With Myxed Trivia, you play entirely on your phone, so you never have to put down your drink or step away from the food.

🏔️ On the Horizon

🎄 Holidays & Broadway, A Castle Cabaret
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 17
⏰ Time: 6:45 PM
📍 Location: Cherokee Ranch & Castle, Sedalia
🎄 Detail: Celebrate the season at Cherokee Ranch & Castle with a festive cabaret featuring Carter Smith and Sarah Holmes of Vintage Theatre.

🎼 The Ugly Seasonal Sweater Soiree
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 17 to Sunday, December 21
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM & 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🎼 Detail: This brand-new original musical comedy brings festive fun to the stage with a live band, treasured seasonal songs, and plenty of quirky December traditions.

🎄 The Pub & Grub Comedy Tour
📅 Date: Thursday, December 18
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🎄 Detail: Get ready to laugh till it hurts as Kris Shaw (Kevin Hart’s LOL Network) and Dan West (World Series of Comedy) bring their high-energy stand-up to Parker.

🍺 Whiskey Tasting at the Castle!
📅 Date: Saturday, December 20
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Cherokee Ranch & Castle, Sedalia
🍺 Detail: Step into the Castle for an unforgettable evening of Scotch and Bourbon enjoyed by famous figures throughout history.

🕺 Sounds of the Season
📅 Date: Monday, December 22 - Tuesday, December 23
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Southridge Rec Center, Highlands Ranch
🕺 Detail: Just days before Christmas, The Denver Brass fills the air with powerful brass sounds, from classic carols to cheerful fanfares.

🚗 Worth the Drive 

🎄 Trail of Lights
📅 Date: Friday, November 21 - Sunday, January 11 (closed Nov. 27 & Dec. 25)
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Chatfield Farms, Littleton
🎄 Detail: Experience Colorado’s countryside aglow this holiday season at Littleton’s Chatfield Farms.

🎅 Hudson Holidays
📅 Date: Friday, November 28 until January 4
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Hudson Gardens, Littleton
🎅 Detail: The season sparkles beginning Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, with shows on select nights through Jan. 4, 2026.

The Gardens
Your Premier Garden Store in Highlands Ranch

• Poinsettias, multiple sizes and colors

• Colorful Blooming Christmas Cactus

• Fresh Greenery - Boughs, Garlands and Wreaths

• Certified Organic Maple Syrup from the Hudson Valley in New York

• Waxed Amaryllis bulbs

Show us your DougCo Drop ad and receive 20% off any item in our boutique gift shop through December 24th (not valid on previous purchases)

The Gardens Garden Center
9542 S. University Blvd, Highlands Ranch
303-791-0338 | Visit our website

Wanted, Help

Local jobs and opportunities across Douglas County.

• Sales Director - Packaging Equipment - Prevalent Group - Highlands Ranch

• Supply Chain Management - Kiewit - Lone Tree

• Athletics Coordinator - Cherry Hills Christian School - Highlands Ranch

If you’re hiring, reach out at [email protected] for a free posting.

Land and Lore

Crowsnest Annexation: Parker weighs in, then the petition gets pulled

We’ve covered the proposed Crowsnest annexation a couple of times now. It’s the nearly 795-acre stretch east of The Canyons that the developer, VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, wanted to bring into Castle Pines.

One question that kept coming up from readers was why the petition was headed to Castle Pines at all, given how close the land sits to Parker. As it turns out, Parker’s leadership had concerns of their own.

Earlier reporting showed Parker Mayor Joshua Rivero calling the proposed density “three times as dense as the neighboring communities.” The concept plan included about 4,000 residential units, 50 acres of mixed-use development, and roughly 500,000 square feet of commercial space. Parker noted major infrastructure impacts, especially on road capacity along Crowfoot Valley Road, which could require future six-lane expansion that is not in their financial plans. They also pointed out unanswered questions around parks, recreation, open space, and commercial details.

Then came the update.

As of December 5, the applicant withdrew the annexation petition entirely due to errors in the legal description of Crowfoot Valley Road and an incomplete public notice in the Douglas County News-Press. Because of that, Castle Pines canceled the eligibility hearing that was scheduled for December 9.

If the developer wants to move forward again, the whole process has to restart from scratch. That includes filing a new petition, verifying compliance with state law, holding an eligibility hearing, and going through the required first and second readings.

This probably is not the last time we hear about Crowsnest. The land, the location, and the scale mean it will likely come back in some form. We’ll keep tracking it as the next version of the proposal takes shape.

Sources: Parker Chronicle & City of Castle Pines

Quick Update: Bella Mesa North moves forward in Castle Rock

Cardel Homes has purchased roughly 290 acres in Castle Rock for a new 525-home community called Bella Mesa North. Redland, the planning and engineering firm on the project, confirmed that the site development plan has already been approved. The neighborhood will include a park, open-space corridors, and connections to regional trails, with early development work now moving ahead.

Sources: Redland and Denver Business Journal

Hometown Headlines

Jack’s Modern Steakhouse is Coming to Lone Tree
TLDR: Jack’s Modern Steakhouse, the award-winning Denver restaurant known as Jack’s on Pearl, is opening its second location in Lone Tree on January 6. The former Mimi’s Café space has been transformed into a two-story, 5,700-square-foot restaurant with private dining rooms, a bar and lounge, and a patio with mountain views. The menu will mirror the Denver location but will exclusively serve Wagyu beef, alongside seafood, sashimi, cocktails, and new dishes created just for Lone Tree. A grand opening celebration is planned for January 10.

Tall Tales Ranch Plans to Break Ground on Inclusive Living Community
TLDR: Tall Tales Ranch in Lone Tree is moving forward on a neurodiverse Life Sharing Community that will include 28 apartments for adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. The project aims to create a supportive neighborhood with shared spaces, a community clubhouse called “the peggy,” an event barn, and a brick-and-mortar home for the nonprofit’s popular Tall Tales Coffee Company. The organization currently supports about 60 ambassadors and offers life skills programming, employment training, and community outreach. Fundraising continues as they work toward breaking ground in early 2026.

Serenity Mental Health Centers Opens Clinic in Parker
TLDR: Serenity Mental Health Centers has opened a new outpatient psychiatric clinic in Parker offering same-day appointments and advanced treatments including psychiatric evaluations, medication management, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and ketamine infusion therapy. The organization reports an 84 percent response rate and 78 percent remission rate for TMS, with results lasting multiple years. The expansion aims to improve access to mental health services for residents seeking alternatives to traditional approaches.

Lone Tree Brewing Releases Chocolate and Pistachio Stout
TLDR: Lone Tree Brewing has launched a new winter seasonal, Chocolate and Pistachio Stout, now available in cans and on draft across Colorado. The 5 percent ABV stout features cacao nibs from Ecuador, natural pistachio flavor, oats, lactose, and vanilla for a full-bodied, roasty, slightly sweet profile. It joins the brewery’s rotating lineup of seasonal releases and is available at both Lone Tree taprooms and select retailers.

Tried & True

🍺 Tried & True: West Main Taproom — Parker

West Main Taproom surprised me in all the right ways. From the outside, I expected more of a sports-bar setup, but once you’re inside the space feels bigger, cleaner, and more intentional than I anticipated. It’s connected to the Parker hotel, has plenty of booth seating, and wasn’t overly crowded, which made it an easy spot for a weeknight dinner.

We started with the Homemade Meatballs, and they were the kind of starter you’re genuinely glad you ordered. Rich, well-seasoned, plenty of sauce, and the grilled bread was the perfect complement. Good shareable appetizer.

For mains, I went with the brisket tacos. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I don’t think I’ve ever ordered brisket tacos, but was happy to see a solid chunk of brisket on each one. They were quite delicious. Someone at the table got the Cuban and gave it a thumbs up, and the baked pasta came out in a portion big enough that leftovers were a given (also got a thumbs up). Across the board, the food was better than you’d expect from a place with so many TVs on the walls.

Drinks are where West Main leans into its identity. They’ve got 54 Colorado beers on tap plus a lineup of local spirits, and it feels like they actually curated it instead of just filling a menu. Whether you want a flight, a local whiskey pour, or an easy cocktail, you’re covered.

Overall, West Main is one of those restaurants you file under “reliable and worth returning to.” The food was solid, portions were generous, drinks were well chosen, and the atmosphere was relaxed without feeling dead. If you want an easy dinner spot in Parker that delivers more than you expect, this one’s a good bet.

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