Skipping an intro because it was a late night at the Dinner Club after-party at the new Border Burger Sports Bar in Castle Rock. Thank you to the 60+ who came out! I really enjoyed meeting some new first-timers!
Highlands Ranch has a brand-new cookie shop, and its cookies already have a following.
It used to be Quinnie’s Cookies, a home bakery that started in Castle Pines a few years back. Owner Sarah Carlson rebranded it to Joy Batch Cookies & Coffee and opened her first storefront on Dorchester St near S Broadway on Friday, Oct 9.
I got there early enough on opening day to make the first 100, which meant a free chocolate chip cookie, and I brought home five total. My ranking, best first: Toffee Pretzel, Cookies & Cream Cheesecake (the one with the Oreo on top), Peanut Butter Cup, Cake Batter Confetti, then the free chocolate chip. I stopped by a second time because “I was in the area and wanted a few more photos” and also tried the Cinnamon Toast, which ranks near the top as well.
There’s a full coffee menu too, and when I stopped back by on Tuesday they were kind enough to give me a Joy Freeze taster. I’ll be going back before my caffeine cutoff for a full one.
The shop itself is just as cute as advertised: a logo wall behind the counter, a window nook to sit in, and a balloon wall that says “you’re so sweet.” Awww…thanks.
If you’re going, go early. Right now the day starts with a coffee hour at 9am with a limited selection, and the full cookie case comes out at 10am. They close at 3pm for now, though the plan (no date yet) is to start earlier and stay open later once full production is running. It’s a sweet little stop even just for a coffee.
Good to know:
9315 Dorchester St, Unit 109, Highlands Ranch, near S Broadway
Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 3pm for now (launch hours, so double-check before you go)
Coffee hour at 9am has a limited selection (dozen packs and dipper cookies); the full cookie case is out at 10am
Double Decker cookies are $4.75 each, $27 for six or $48 a dozen. Quinnie’s Minis are $30 a dozen
The Joy Freeze is $7, and coffee drinks run $3 to $7
No gluten-free cookies yet. They hope to have a safe option in the next month or so
The Castle Pines Chamber is holding a ribbon cutting at the shop Tuesday, Oct 20, 4 to 5pm
Here’s the full story with photos.
Paint Night at Downhill Brewing
Thursday, October 15, tonight. Downhill Brewing in Parker.
Emma is running her Dreary Ghost class at Downhill Brewing from 6pm to 9pm. You pick a 16x20 oval canvas or a 12-inch round wood sign, and they walk you through it step by step. No experience needed. All the materials plus an apron are included.
Help Wanted
Local jobs and opportunities across Douglas County.
If you're hiring, reach out at [email protected] for a free posting.
Wednesday, October 28. Downtown Parker.
If you haven't joined yet, you just show up at 6:30pm and sit down with five neighbors you've never met. We do the matching and book the restaurant. You order off the menu and pay for your own food and drinks. After dinner, every table heads to the after-party at a bar nearby.
Use code PARKER5 for $5 off.
Saddle Up
Featured Event: All American Reptile & Plant Expo
Adventure Awaits in Castle Rock
Castle Rock get ready for a weekend of Reptiles, Plants, Insects, Amphibians, Face Painting, Tattoos, Food Trucks and Snake Discovery!
Top Events This Week
Thu 10/15 - Highlands Ranch 45th Anniversary Trivia, Max Taps/Highlands Ranch - 6pm–7pm - Free (registration required)
Fri 10/16 - Jewel & The Rough at Takoda Tavern, Takoda Tavern/Parker - 7:30pm–11:30pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Fall Festival at The Green at The Canyons, The Canyons/Castle Pines - 11am–2pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Spooktacular, Miller Park/Castle Rock - 1pm–4pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Pawloween Doggie Costume Contest, Lone Tree Brewing/Parker - 4:30pm–6:30pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Kay Coats at Max Taps, Max Taps/Highlands Ranch - 6pm–9pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Chancer's Hooley at 105 West, 105 West Brewing/Castle Rock - 6:30pm–9:30pm - Free
Sat 10/17 - Zak Mirz: Kid at Heart, PACE Center/Parker - 7:30pm - $39–$49
Music & Concerts
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Walker Williams Band at Tailgate Tavern - Thu 10/15, 7:30pm–11:30pm - Free
Wide Open Saloon (Sedalia) - Brian Brooks' Sundown Rising at Wide Open Saloon - Fri 10/16 - Free
The Groove at Lyric (Lone Tree) - Friday Night Live: René Moffatt at The Groove - Fri 10/16, 5pm–8pm - Free
The Stagecoach Saloon (Franktown) - Sarah P and the Hay Pullers at The Stagecoach Saloon - Fri 10/16, 6:30pm–10:30pm - Free
Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Sedalia) - Sinatra Tribute Show Live at Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Fri 10/16, 6pm–9:30pm - $86.80
Pines Bar and Grill (Castle Pines) - Live Band at Pines Bar and Grill - Fri 10/16, 6pm–9pm - Free
Studio@Mainstreet (Parker) - Ninety Percent 90s at The Studio - Fri 10/16, 7pm–11pm - Free
Sinners & Saints (Castle Rock) - Mike Maurer, Live at the Altar - Fri 10/16, 8pm–10pm - Free
Wide Open Saloon (Sedalia) - Off Ramp at Wide Open Saloon - Sat 10/17 - Free
The Stagecoach Saloon (Franktown) - Mountain Magic Band at The Stagecoach Saloon - Sat 10/17, 6:30pm–10:30pm - Free
Studio@Mainstreet (Parker) - Delta Sonics at The Studio - Sat 10/17, 7:30pm–11:30pm - Free
Takoda Tavern (Parker) - Jim Hyatt Band at Takoda Tavern - Sat 10/17, 7:30pm–11:30pm - Free
The Whiskey Lodge (Castle Rock) - Saturday Live Music at The Whiskey Lodge - Sat 10/17, 7pm - Free
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Goat Yoga Princess at Tailgate Tavern - Sat 10/17, 8:30pm–12:30am - Free
Sinners & Saints (Castle Rock) - Live DJ in the Lounge with 'DJ Max' - Sat 10/17, 9pm–12am - Free
Studio@Mainstreet (Parker) - Wags and the Boys at The Studio - Sun 10/18, 12pm–4pm - Free
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Adam Rey at Tailgate Tavern - Sun 10/18, 12pm–4pm - Free
PACE Center (Parker) - Killer Queen – A Tribute to Queen - Mon 10/19, 7:30pm - $59–$64
Lone Tree Arts Center - Boots, Ballads, and BBQ - Wed 10/21, 11:30am–1pm - $90
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Brett Hendrix at Tailgate Tavern - Wed 10/21, 5:30pm–9:30pm - Free
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Avery Kyle Entertainment at Tailgate Tavern - Wed 10/21, 7pm–11pm - Free
Southridge Recreation Center (Highlands Ranch) - Dueling Pianos at Southridge - Wed 10/21, 7pm–8:30pm - $17.42
Food & Drink
Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Sedalia) - Afternoon Tea at the Castle - Thu 10/15, Fri 10/16 and Sat 10/17, 1pm–3pm - $74.95
Living The Dream Taproom at Sterling Ranch - Flight Night with Lantern - Thu 10/15, 5pm–7pm - $25
Max Taps Co. (Highlands Ranch) - Philly Monday at Max Taps - Mon 10/19, 2pm–8pm - Free
Arts & Culture
Lone Tree Arts Center - SPARK! Hands on Activity: Athena Project - Thu 10/15, 1:30pm–3pm - Free
Lone Tree Arts Center - Always...Patsy Cline - Thu 10/15 through Wed 10/21 (7 days), 7:30pm - $47–$67
Castle Rock Museum - Ghostly Stories and Tragic Tales Walking Tour - Sat 10/17 and Wed 10/21, 1pm–2pm - Free
Max Taps Co. (Highlands Ranch) - Haunted House Wood OR Canvas Painting at Max Taps Highlands Ranch - Sun 10/18, 2pm–5pm - $49.87–$60.54
Sudden Fiction Books (Castle Rock) - Final Draft Book Club at Sudden Fiction Books, Meet Author J. Hoolihan Clayton - Mon 10/19, 6pm–8:30pm - $5 ($7.18 with fees)
Cantril School Building (Castle Rock) - TAP Talk: A Creative Journey Exhibition Opening - Wed 10/21, 6pm–7:30pm - Free
Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Sedalia) - Arts Afield 2026 at Cherokee Ranch - Wed 10/21, 8:30am–12:30pm - $39
Family
Festival Park (Castle Rock) - Castle Rock Fall Festival - Sun 10/18, 10am–3pm - Free
iFLY Indoor Skydiving - Denver (Lone Tree) - STEM Family Sunday at iFLY Denver - Sun 10/18, 4pm–6:30pm - $54.08–$74.06
Outdoors
Backcountry Base Camp (Highlands Ranch) - Nature Journaling - Sat 10/17, 9am–11am - $8 (members), $10 (program guests)
Sandstone Ranch Open Space (Guided Side) (Larkspur) - Sandstone Ranch Geology Tours: Morning Session - Sat 10/17, 9am–12pm - Free
Douglas County Libraries - Highlands Ranch - Year-Round Gardening for Birds & Pollinators - Sat 10/17, 10:30am–11:30am - Free
Sandstone Ranch Open Space (Guided Side) (Larkspur) - Sandstone Ranch Geology Tours: Afternoon Session - Sat 10/17, 1pm–4pm - Free
105 West Brewing Company (Castle Rock) - Trails N' Ales Mountain Bike Ride at 105 West - Wed 10/21, 6pm–7pm - Free
Fitness & Races
Indian Creek Campground (Sedalia) - 13th Annual Indian Creek Trail Runs - Sat 10/17, 6am–8pm - $64.60–$181.20
Outlets at Castle Rock - ACTV Studio IRL: Vuori Castle Rock x SHRED415 - Sat 10/17, 7:30am–10am - Free
Winding Path Park (Parker) - Witches Brew & Move: Free Mat Pilates with BODYBAR - Sat 10/17, 9:30am - Free
Lone Tree Arts Center - Lifting As Performative Movement: Workshop for People with Parkinson's - Mon 10/19, 10:30am–11:30am - Free
Markets
Downtown Parker - Parker Farmers Market - Sun 10/18, 8am–1pm - Free
Highlands Ranch Town Center (Highlands Ranch) - Highlands Ranch Farmers' Market - Sun 10/18, 10am–2pm - Free
Festivals & Fairs
Gilly's Pumpkin Patch (Castle Rock) - Gilly's Pumpkin Patch 2026 - Fri 10/16 and Sat 10/17 (last weekend), 9am to dark - $5 individual / $20 family
Community
Studio@Mainstreet (Parker) - Bike Night at The Studio - Thu 10/15, 6pm–9pm - Free
Wellspring Community (Castle Rock) - Club 21 Halloween Dance Party at Wellspring Community - Fri 10/16, 7pm–9pm - $15
205 Fourth St (Castle Rock) - Business Planning Workshop with Coach Margaret Gade - Fri 10/16, 9am–3pm - Free
Joy Batch Cookies & Coffee (Highlands Ranch) - Joy Batch Cookies & Coffee Ribbon Cutting - Tue 10/20, 4pm–5pm - Free
Magic Manor (Sedalia) - Larkspur Area Chamber Monthly Mixer at Magic Manor - Tue 10/20, 5:30pm–7:30pm - $10 (chamber members Free)
Sinners & Saints (Castle Rock) - Make & Mingle at Sinners & Saints - Tue 10/20, 5pm–7pm - Free
Pikes Peak Event Center (Parker) - A Night with The Coroner - Wed 10/21, 5pm - $20 cash at the door
Douglas County Libraries (Lone Tree) - Lone Tree Library - Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies Gatherings - Wed 10/21, 5pm–7pm - Free
The Corner Nook (Parker) - Stolen in Sin City Release Party at The Corner Nook - Wed 10/21, 6pm–9pm - Free
Ziggi's Coffee (Castle Pines) - Comprehensive Plan Pop-Up - Wed 10/21, 7am–9am - Free
Nightlife
Wide Open Saloon (Sedalia) - Thursday Line Dancing at Wide Open Saloon - Thu 10/15, 6pm–10pm - Free
Sinners & Saints (Castle Rock) - Boots & Broncos – Western Dance Night + Thursday Night Football at Sinners & Saints - Thu 10/15, 7pm–9pm - Free
Alidade Brewing (Castle Rock) - Adult Spelling Bee at Alidade Brewing - Sat 10/17, 6pm–8pm - Free
Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Sedalia) - Murder & Mystery at the Castle: Midnight at the Masquerade - Sat 10/17, 6pm–9:30pm - $84.95
Alidade Brewing (Castle Rock) - Team Puzzle Competition at Alidade Brewing - Mon 10/19, 6pm–8pm - $50
Olive Juice Beauty Bar (Highlands Ranch) - Mahjong 101 Beginner Class with Trista Sutter at Olive Juice Beauty Bar - Wed 10/21, 5pm–8pm - $81.88
Studio@Mainstreet (Parker) - Line Dance Ladies Night at The Studio - Wed 10/21, 6pm–9pm - Free
There's live music somewhere in the county most nights of the week. The standing list lives at dougcosocial.com/live-music.
Trivia, bingo and game nights, sorted by day: dougcosocial.com/trivia.
On the Horizon
PACE Center (Parker) - Oak Leaf Symposium 2026 - Thu 10/22, 10am–3pm - $65
Olive Juice Beauty Bar (Highlands Ranch) - We're All Mad Here! Mad About Mahjong! A Tea & Tiles Halloween Soirée - Thu 10/22, 5pm–8pm - $55.20
Purgatory Cellars Winery (Parker) - Mahjong Guided Play at Purgatory Cellars - Thu 10/22, 5:30pm–7:30pm - $20
The Corner Nook (Parker) - Boujee Halloween Cookie Decorating at The Corner Nook - Thu 10/22, 6pm - $50
Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Sedalia) - An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe at Cherokee Ranch - Thu 10/22, 6:30pm–9pm - $65.95
The Whiskey Lodge (Castle Rock) - Dueling Pianos Road Show at The Whiskey Lodge - Thu 10/22, 7:30pm–9:30pm - $27.50–$160
Tailgate Tavern & Grill (Parker) - Eric Golden Band at Tailgate Tavern - Thu 10/22, 7:30pm–11:30pm - Free
Wide Open Saloon (Sedalia) - ReCline at Wide Open Saloon - Fri 10/23 - Free
Cantril School Building (Castle Rock) - Author Showcase and Book Fair - Fri 10/23, 4:30pm–7:30pm - Free
The Groove at Lyric (Lone Tree) - Friday Night Live: Antonio Lopez at The Groove - Fri 10/23, 5pm–8pm - Free
Village Square Shopping Area (Castle Pines) - Bonfire, BBQ, and Brews - Fri 10/23, 6pm–9pm - $42 adults, $30 under 21
Stockton's Plum Creek Stables (Roxborough) - Haunted Hayrides at Stockton's Plum Creek Stables - Fri 10/23, 6pm–8:30pm - $16 (2 and under Free)
The Stagecoach Saloon (Franktown) - Raven-Wolf Band at The Stagecoach Saloon - Fri 10/23, 6:30pm–10:30pm - Free
Backcountry Wilderness Area Trailhead (Lone Tree) - Haunted Forest - Fri 10/23, 6:30pm–9:30pm - $15–$25
Looking for more? Every Douglas County event we track lives on our events calendar: dougcosocial.com/events
Hometown Headlines
Lockheed Martin Is Adding Up to 450 Jobs in Douglas County
TLDR: Lockheed Martin announced Thursday, Oct 8, alongside Gov. Jared Polis and Douglas County commissioners, that it is expanding its Douglas County operations with up to 450 new jobs over the next four years and 190,000 square feet of additional space. Under the agreement, the County will rebate its portion of the business personal property tax on equipment, while Lockheed Martin keeps paying its standard real property taxes.
Castle Rock Parks and Recreation Earns National Reaccreditation
TLDR: The department announced Thursday, Oct 8 that it earned reaccreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association's Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, the only national accreditation program for parks and rec agencies. It met 154 national standards; the Town was first accredited in 2015 and reaccredited in 2020, and is one of 232 CAPRA-accredited agencies nationwide and 13 in Colorado.
YMSL DougCo Chapter Completes a Habitat for Humanity “Ultimate Gift”
TLDR: 168 YMSL members (high-school-aged young men and their mothers) logged more than 350 volunteer hours on landscaping projects at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver’s Denver ReStore in September, plus a food drive that collected more than 470 pounds for the Help & Hope Center and a bag-decorating project for Project Angel Heart.
Castle Pines Council Approves Two Happy Canyon Interchange Agreements
TLDR: At its October 13 meeting, City Council took up two items on the Happy Canyon Interchange project: approving a professional services agreement with Alfred Benesch & Company for engineering services for Phase 1 construction, and approving a professional services agreement with Stanton Constructability Services, LLC for preliminary independent cost estimating services. Council also approved the Canyonside Preliminary Plan No. 1, 2nd Amendment, and an expedited review process for qualified affordable housing development as part of the City's commitment to Proposition 123.
Douglas County's Free Baby Café Opening Today
TLDR: The County's Health Department is opening its new Baby Café today, Thursday, Oct 15: a free, drop-in space for breastfeeding and lactation support at 11045 E. Lansing Cir., Ste. 361, Englewood, meeting Thursdays beginning Oct 15 from 10am to noon. Drop in anytime, no registration needed.
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