Well, there’s nothing better to start the year off than a new restaurant. Jack’s Lone Tree, which we’ve covered in the past, is opening for lunch and dinner today. I’m planning to try it next week and will report back. Reservations can be made here.

Speaking of food, we are running another dinner club night in downtown Castle Rock on Wednesday, January 28th. If you want to get out and meet new people, be sure to sign up for DougCo Social Dinner Club here.

Saddle Up

🎤 Music & Concerts

🎤 Atom’s Open Mic Night
📅 Date: Thursday, January 15
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 The Trio Denver
📅 Date: Friday, January 16
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM - 11:30 PM
📍 Location: Takoda Tavern, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 Rented Tuxedo
📅 Date: Saturday, January 17
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: 105 West Brewing Company, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🎤 Cirkus
📅 Date: Saturday, January 17
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM - 11:30 PM
📍 Location: Takoda Tavern, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 Shrek the Musical
📅 Date: Sunday, January 18
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
📍 Location: PACE Center, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 Arts in the Afternoon Debussy and More: Harp, Flute, Viola
📅 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🔗 See event details

🍽️ Food & Drinks

🍷 Blanchard Family Wines Guided 4-Wine Tasting
📅 Date: Friday, January 16
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: COFF33, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🍫 Blanchard Family Wines Wine and Chocolate Tasting
📅 Date: Saturday, January 17
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: COFF33, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🌶️ Chilli Competition
📅 Date: Sunday, January 18
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
📍 Location: Honnibrook Craft Meadery, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🫖 January Books & Brews
📅 Date: Monday, January 19
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM
📍 Location: 105 West Brewing Company, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🎨 Arts & Culture

💃 Ailey II
📅 Date: Friday, January 16
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🔗 See event details

🎤 Shrek the Musical
📅 Date: Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
📍 Location: PACE Center, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 Arts in the Afternoon Debussy and More: Harp, Flute, Viola
📅 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🔗 See event details

🍹 Nightlife & Entertainment

🎤 Studio Trivia & Music Bingo featuring Kayleigh Royce
📅 Date: Thursday, January 15
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: The Studio @ Mainstreet, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎤 Optimus Club Karaoke at The Studio
📅 Date: Friday, January 16
⏰ Time: 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM
📍 Location: The Studio @ Mainstreet, Parker
🔗 See event details

🎙️ Rion Evans presents Comedy Night
📅 Date: Saturday, January 17
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
📍 Location: The Studio @ Mainstreet, Parker
🔗 See event details

🧩 Puzzle Competition
📅 Date: Monday, January 19
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Alidade Brewing, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

📖 Final Draft Book Club
📅 Date: Monday, January 19
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Sudden Fiction Books, Castle Rock
🔗 See event details

🎙️ Myxed Trivia, Karaoke, & Top Gun Poker
📅 Date: Tuesday, January 20
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🔗 See event details

🃏 Ladies Night, Line Dancing & Poker
📅 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🔗 See event details

❓ Trivia Night
📅 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 Location: Sterling Center, Sterling Ranch
🔗 See event details

🎙️ Avery Kyle Entertainment
📅 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Location: Tailgate Tavern & Grill, Parker
🔗 See event details

🏔️ On the Horizon

🎙️ Comedy Night with Don Jamieson and Pub and Grub Comedy Tour
📅 Date: Thursday, January 22
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍 Location: Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
🔗 See event details

🐅 Passport to Culture The Jungle Book
📅 Date: Saturday, January 24
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🔗 See event details

🥃 Whiskey Tasting-Bourbon and Rye
📅 Date: Saturday, January 24
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Cherokee Ranch & Castle, Sedalia
🔗 See event details

🎮 Game Show Night
📅 Date: Thursday, January 29
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Southridge Recreation Center, Highlands Ranch
🔗 See event details

🐈‍⬛ Nat Geo Live: Wild Cats Revealed with Sandesh Kadur
📅 Date: Friday, January 30
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree
🔗 See event details

Need more events? Check out https://dougcoevents.com (new URL)

Mod Mountain Boutique

Shop for something cute for yourself, or grab a gift for someone else by shopping our Valentine’s new arrivals here!

Land and Lore

Stan Kroenke, best known locally as the owner of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets, is now the largest private landowner in the United States.

That line was crossed in December after Kroenke purchased roughly 937,000 acres of non-contiguous land in New Mexico, the largest single land purchase in the country since 2011. The deal pushed his total holdings to more than 2.7 million acres, spread across the American West and parts of Canada.

While the headline feels far away, the connection to Colorado is direct. Kroenke’s business footprint is centered in Denver, and his land holdings sit in the same Western landscape where water, open space, and development pressures increasingly shape life along the Front Range and in Douglas County.

This is not new behavior. In 2016, he bought Texas’ 535,000-acre Waggoner Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the state and one that had not changed ownership since the 1800s. He also owns major ranches in Montana and Nevada, alongside commercial real estate and sports venues tied to his teams.

As Colorado continues to grow, this is a reminder that some of the biggest land decisions in the West are not made locally or publicly. They happen quietly, through private ownership, and at a scale most people never see.

Source: Sports Business Journal

Hometown Headlines

Douglas County commissioners pick 2026 leadership
TLDR: Commissioner George Teal will serve as Chair for 2026, with Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle as Vice Chair, following unanimous votes on Jan. 13. The board also thanked outgoing Chair Abe Laydon for his 2025 leadership.

Camp Backcountry summer camp sign-ups are open
TLDR: HRCA opened registration for Camp Backcountry, including Nature Camp, Horse-Nature Camp, and new half-day horse camp options at the Backcountry Wilderness Area. If you have kids, this one fills up fast.

Lone Tree moves forward on entertainment district revival
TLDR: Lone Tree Council approved zoning amendments tied to the Westbrook Entertainment and Sports District near the old United Artists site. Plans point toward a mixed-use setup with multifamily housing, a promenade and parks, and commercial space. Site plans come later.

Free meal plus a resource fair in Castle Rock on Jan. 27
TLDR: Douglas County is hosting a Strive to Thrive Resource and Service Fair from 4 to 6 p.m. at Calvary Castle Rock (1480 Canyon Drive). They say 25+ local service orgs will be there, plus a Spring Sports Expo with info on sports scholarships for kids.

County says assistance programs are continuing without disruption
TLDR: Douglas County Human Services posted an update saying TANF remains operational and there is no change to eligibility, benefits, or services at this time.

Need more events? Check out https://dougcoevents.com (new URL)

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