It’s Farmers Market season. Highlands Ranch and Parker have been going for a few weeks, and Castle Rock joins the fray this Sunday with the Festival Park market. Castle Rock’s original Saturday market at the Fairgrounds starts June 20. Sterling Ranch starts Wednesday, June 24. Larkspur kicks off Wednesday, June 3. Here’s the full rundown across all six markets in the county.

I stopped by Parker’s this past weekend and got these tulips that are starting to bud for my mom because I'm such a good son…revision…I didn’t get her anything for Mother’s Day so I’m actually a horrible son. Oh well, I wasn’t disowned. Shoutout to Sunflower Sky Farm.

To celebrate hitting 300 neighbors attending our Dinner Clubs, we're doing an Instagram giveaway: two $50 gift cards to a locally owned restaurant or bar of your choice. Check it out here.

A short version: Shea Homes handed about 197 acres of ranchland around the Highlands Ranch Mansion to the Metro District on April 30. That expands the existing Highlands Ranch Historic Park (just under 50 acres today) to almost 250 acres. The first public input meeting is Wednesday, June 17, at 5:30pm at the Senior Center. Two more follow in July and August.

The land showcases a windmill on the hill to the south in addition to the barns, the silos, the bunkhouse, and the pastureland. For decades that land has been working ranchland leased to Clough Cattle & Fence Company, and on paper, it was still owned by Shea Homes.

That changed on April 30, 2026. Shea conveyed approximately 197 acres to the Highlands Ranch Metro District. Combined with the existing Historic Park grounds (just under 50 acres around the Mansion itself), the new total is roughly 250 acres.

The land sits between E. Gateway Drive, E. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Summit View Parkway, and S. Ranch Road / Sterling Drive. It includes 13 outbuildings along with the iconic windmill: two silos, four barns, a bunkhouse, two cottages, a shed, a blacksmith shop, a laundry and power plant building, and the stables.

What was promised in 1979 is finally on the table.

This wasn't a surprise. Jeff Kappes, a Mission Viejo and Shea Homes retiree who has watched Highlands Ranch evolve since the beginning, told the Douglas County News Press that the conveyance was "an opportunity to recognize the final and full completion of public land dedications that were required pursuant to the Highlands Ranch planning and development guide for this community." Per the same article, the original development guidelines approved by Douglas County in 1979 set forth that the Mansion and the ranch property would be open for public benefit.

A quick history of the land you're inheriting.

The Mansion property has had a lot of names. The earliest etched on its original stone door is "Rotherwood," from first owner Samuel Allen Long of Pittsburgh, who filed his Douglas County homestead in 1884 and was an early dry-land farming innovator. John Springer bought it next, added on, and renamed it Castle Isabelle after his second wife in 1904. Springer's father-in-law Colonel Hughes took it over in 1913 and called it Sunland Ranch. In 1920 it went to Waite Phillips (whose brothers founded Phillips Petroleum), and Phillips first attached the name Highland Ranch. Frank E. Kistler bought it in 1926, converted it into a breeding ranch with dairy, Angus cattle, sheep, hogs, and chickens, called it Diamond K Ranch, and remodeled the Mansion in Tudor style with six fireplaces and nine bedrooms.

In 1937, Lawrence C. Phipps, Jr. (whose father made the family fortune through Carnegie Steel) bought the entire property from Kistler. The Phipps family was the one who finally settled on Highlands Ranch as the name. When Lawrence Jr. died in 1976, the property sold to oilman Marvin Davis for more than $13 million. Per the HRCA community timeline, Davis sold a one-year option to Mission Viejo Company for $2 million in 1978, and Mission Viejo finalized the $29 million purchase of all 22,000 acres in 1979. Mission Viejo broke ground on the first phase of the new community in 1980, and the first families moved into Highlands Ranch in 1981. Shea Homes acquired Mission Viejo in 1997. In 2010, Shea gave the Mansion (and funds to renovate it) to the Metro District. After an 18-month renovation, the Mansion reopened to the public in June 2012. (Full ownership chain from the Highlands Ranch Metro District history page.)

April 30 of this year completes the picture.

What the park will be (and what it won't).

The Metro District has been clear about the vision: this will be a passive park. Nature, history, education. Not sports fields. Stephanie Stanley, the Metro District's general manager, told the Douglas County News Press: "We see this as a place that will be a passive park, land that will provide opportunity for education, speaking to the agricultural and ranching history. We don't see this as a place for sports fields."

The buildings on the property will be evaluated for structural integrity. From the official Historic Park page: "To the extent structures are safe, have a defined purpose, and it is financially feasible, they will be renovated." Renovated buildings will be open to the public, although hours of operation are still TBD. In the meantime, Clough Cattle & Fence Company will continue to lease and work the land until the Metro District is ready to begin improvements.

The Mansion grounds themselves already include about 1.4 miles of soft-surface trails connecting into the rest of the Metro District's extensive trail system.

The three-phase plan.

The Metro District has earmarked $10 million in its long-range financial plan for initial design and a portion of the improvements. There's no full price tag yet because the design hasn't happened.

The phases:

How to weigh in.

This is the part that matters if you want a say in what 250 acres of public land becomes.

Three community meetings are on the calendar, all at the Highlands Ranch Senior Center, 200 E. Highlands Ranch Parkway:

A community survey will also go out this fall. The Metro District will have Historic Park info and feedback stations at its community events throughout the year as well.

For more or to follow along:

Back in Parker on Wednesday, 5/27. Hope to see you there!

DougCo Social Dinner Club

Our next Couples Dinner (55+) will be in Parker on Wednesday, 5/27 at Wolf Peach. If you’d like to join us, sign up at the link below. Please note this sign-up is on a separate platform from the Dinner Club above.

Couples Dinner (55+)

Local jobs and opportunities across Douglas County.

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

Nick's background is in remodel construction — and it shows.

Custom barn doors, accent walls, flooring, built-ins. But it's not just the big stuff. Plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, irrigation, landscaping — he handles the whole list. One guy who actually knows what he's doing, start to finish.

Spring project season is here. What's on your list?

See the work → njrhandymanservices.com

Music & Concerts

Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Rhett Haney (Patio) - Thu 5/21, 6:00pm–10:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Jason Wulf Band (Inside Stage) - Thu 5/21, 7:30pm–11:30pm
The Parker Hotel - Eve Valentine Live at The Upper Deck (Parker Hotel Rooftop) - Fri 5/22, 6:00pm–8:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Arena Rock All-Stars (Patio) - Fri 5/22, 6:00pm–10:00pm
The Stagecoach Saloon - Hot Boots Band Live at The Stagecoach Saloon - Fri 5/22, 6:30pm–10:30pm - tickets
105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Wirewood Station at 105 West Brewing - Fri 5/22, 6:30pm–9:30pm
Wide Open Saloon - John Weeks Band - Fri 5/22, 7:00pm–10:30pm
Takoda Tavern - Hat Trick - Fri 5/22, 7:30pm–11:30pm
Sinners & Saints - Guy and Norm - Live at the Altar - Fri 5/22, 8:00pm–10:00pm
Studio@Mainstreet - Grey Madderz Live at Studio @ Mainstreet - Fri 5/22, 8:00pm–11:00pm - tickets
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - The Grind 5280 (Inside Stage) - Fri 5/22, 8:30pm–12:30am
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Adam Rey (Patio) - Sat 5/23, 12:00pm–4:00pm
The Emporium - SuperSaxy Live on the Porch at The Emporium - Sat 5/23, 2:00pm–6:00pm
Festival Park - Castle Rock Band Memorial Weekend Concert at Festival Park - Sat 5/23, 2:00pm–3:30pm
Outlets at Castle Rock - Rock the Mountain Kickoff: Ryan Dart at Outlets - Sat 5/23, 3:00pm–6:00pm
Studio@Mainstreet - Tony Airozo Acoustic at Studio @ Mainstreet - Sat 5/23, 5:00pm–7:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Funkiphino (Patio) - Sat 5/23, 6:00pm–10:00pm
The Stagecoach Saloon - Atomic Xperience - Sat 5/23, 6:30pm–10:30pm
Wide Open Saloon - Funk It Up - Sat 5/23, 7:00pm–10:30pm
Takoda Tavern - Jim Hyatt Band Live at Takoda Tavern - Sat 5/23, 7:30pm–11:30pm
Studio@Mainstreet - Quadrasonic Debut at Studio @ Mainstreet - Sat 5/23, 8:00pm–11:00pm - tickets
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - The Grind 5280 (Inside Stage) - Sat 5/23, 8:30pm–12:30am
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Andre LaMotte (Brunch Patio) - Sun 5/24, 9:00am–12:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Steve Thomas Solo (Patio) - Sun 5/24, 12:00pm–4:00pm
Studio@Mainstreet - Hazel Blue Duo at Studio @ Mainstreet - Sun 5/24, 1:00pm–4:00pm - tickets
105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Brett Hendrix at 105 West Brewing - Sun 5/24, 2:30pm–5:30pm
Outlets at Castle Rock - Rock the Mountain: LEE & Co. at Outlets at Castle Rock - Sun 5/24, 3:00pm–6:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Eric Golden Band (Patio) - Sun 5/24, 5:00pm–9:00pm
The Stagecoach Saloon - Blinker Fluid (Memorial Day) - Mon 5/25, 12:00pm–4:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Margarita Brothers (Memorial Day Patio) - Mon 5/25, 2:00pm–6:00pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Wicked Addicted (Memorial Day Patio) - Mon 5/25, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Food & Drink

Lone Tree Arts Center - Southern Street Eats Sampler - Sat 5/23, 5:00pm–9:00pm - $15 - tickets
Provision - Ocho Plate to Glass Event - Tue 5/26, 6:00pm–9:00pm - $80 - tickets

Arts & Culture

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder & Mystery: Live and Let Die! (Currently Sold Out) - Fri 5/22 - $85.95 - tickets
PACE Center - Parker Symphony Orchestra: Celebrating America - Fri 5/22, 7:30pm–9:30pm - $29-$34 - tickets
PACE Center - An Evening with Starstruck 25-26 (Matinee) - Sat 5/23, 2:00pm–4:00pm - $28 - tickets
PACE Center - Kanya School of Arts: Sambhrama — Annual Showcase - Sat 5/23, 3:15pm - $15-$20 - tickets
PACE Center - An Evening with Starstruck 25-26 (Evening) - Sat 5/23, 6:00pm–8:00pm - $28 - tickets
PACE Center - An Evening with Starstruck 25-26 (Sunday Matinee) - Sun 5/24, 1:30pm–3:30pm - $28 - tickets
PACE Center - An Evening with Starstruck 25-26 (Sunday Late) - Sun 5/24, 4:30pm–6:30pm - $28 - tickets

Nightlife & Entertainment

Sinners & Saints - DJ Max — Live at the Altar - Sat 5/23, 9:00pm–11:59pm
Alidade Brewing - Mah Jongg Monday at Alidade Brewing - Mon 5/25, 5:00pm–8:00pm

Fitness & Wellness

105 West Brewing Company - Yoga at 105 West Brewing - Sat 5/23, 9:30am–11:00am - $14-$18 - tickets
Belvedere Park - Yoga in the Park at Belvedere Park (May) - Tue 5/26, 6:30pm–7:30pm

Outdoor & Adventure

Prairie Sky Park - Guided Nature Hike: Foothills in Bloom at Prairie Sky Park - Sat 5/23, 9:00am–10:30am

Community

Lone Tree Arts Center - South Suburban Academy of Dance: Spring Recital — Around the World - Thu 5/21, 5:00pm–7:45pm - $6-$15 - tickets
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Stones & Stories: The Geology Behind the Castle - Sat 5/23, 9:00am–11:30am - $38.50 - tickets
Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument - Highlands Ranch Memorial Day Service at Veterans Monument - Mon 5/25, 11:45am–12:30pm - tickets

On the Horizon

Wide Open Saloon - Dueling Pianos - Fri 5/29, 7:00pm–10:30pm - $13-$34 - tickets
Lone Tree Brewing Company (Parker) - Bad Moms of Parker Spring Market 2026 - Sat 5/30, 11:00am–3:00pm
Civic Green Park - Highlands Ranch Beer Festival - Sat 5/30, 2:00pm–5:00pm - $44.01 - tickets
Alidade Brewing - Retro Video Game Tournament at Alidade Brewing - Sat 5/30, 5:00pm–9:00pm
Happy Crew Coffee House - Midlife Mingle: Dance Floor Anthems - Sat 5/30, 6:00pm–9:00pm - $32 - tickets
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - John Denver "The Tribute" - Sat 5/30, 6:45pm–10:00pm - $89 - tickets
The Schoolhouse - The Dreamboats Evening at The Schoolhouse - Sat 5/30, 7:30pm–9:30pm - $40-$44 - tickets
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - 90's Til Dawn (Inside Stage) - Sat 5/30, 8:30pm–12:30am
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Petrified Wood Hike - Sun 5/31, 8:00am - $39.50 - tickets
The Ridge at Castle Pines North - Yoga & Abeille at The Ridge - Sun 5/31, 8:30am–11:00am - $44.52 - tickets
Douglas County Libraries - Highlands Ranch - DCL Presents: Garrett Peck - The Bright Edges of the World - Sun 5/31, 2:00pm–3:30pm - tickets
Bluffs Regional Park Trail - Guided Nature Hike: Blue Moon at Bluffs Regional Park - Sun 5/31, 8:30pm–10:00pm
Toepfer Park - Toepfer Park 2.0 Celebration - Mon 6/1, 4:30pm–6:30pm - tickets
Discovery Park - Discovery Park Summer Concert: The Elegant Plums - Thu 6/4, 6:30pm–8:00pm
Sterling Ranch CAB (The Overlook) - First Friday — June Edition - Fri 6/5, 5:00pm–6:30pm
Festival Park - First Fridays Family 5K and Concert: Mallrats - Fri 6/5, 5:30pm–9:00pm
Lone Tree Golf Club & Hotel - Music on the Patio: Rick Lewis Band at Lone Tree Golf Club - Fri 6/5, 6:00pm–9:00pm
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Wine Tasting at the Castle: Summer Sippers of the West Coast - Fri 6/5, 6:30pm - $69.95 - tickets
Coyote Ridge Park - Castle Pines Food Truck Frenzy 2026 - Sat 6/6, 4:00pm–8:00pm
Prairie Sky Park - Guided Nature Hike: Birds at Sunset at Prairie Sky Park - Sat 6/6, 6:30pm–8:00pm
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Denver Jazz Orchestra - Sun 6/7, 2:00pm–5:30pm - $83.25 - tickets
Discovery Park - Discovery Park Summer Concert: The Violet Pines - Thu 6/11, 6:30pm–8:00pm
Festival Park - Castle Rock Artisan Expo at Festival Park - Fri 6/12, 10:00am–5:00pm
Lone Tree Golf Club & Hotel - FREE Golf Clinic: Birdie Bound at Lone Tree Golf Club - Sat 6/13, 1:00pm–3:00pm
Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space - Twilight on the Trails 2026 - Sat 6/13, 6:00pm–9:00pm - $75+ - tickets

Need more events? Check out https://dougcosocial.com/events

Highlands Ranch Parkway Gets a $6.6M Reconstruction This Summer, Including a New Traffic Signal at the Senior Center
TLDR: Douglas County awarded Castle Rock Construction Company of Colorado a $6,579,818 contract to reconstruct Highlands Ranch Parkway between Broadway and Burntwood Way. The job includes 11-foot travel lanes, seven-foot bike lanes (kept), eight-foot sidewalks, a new raised concrete median, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and a new traffic signal at Ridgeglen Way to help seniors get in and out of the Highlands Ranch Senior Center safely. The Metro District is funding the new signal. Crews start once schools are out in June and expect to finish in about four months.

Parker's 2026 Road Maintenance Map Is Live, and It's a Long List
TLDR: The Town of Parker published its updated streets-project map at ParkerCO.gov/StreetProjects. Major resurfacing this spring and summer includes Canterberry Parkway (Canterberry Trail to Hilltop Road), Mainstreet (Bradbury Ranch Drive to Chambers Road), Newlin Gulch Boulevard (Mainstreet to Chambers Road), and Pine Drive (Mainstreet to Parker Road). Residential resurfacing has already started in Dove Meadows, Horizon Estates, and Horse Creek. The Lincoln Avenue / Jordan Road widening and the Stroh Road expansion are both still tracking to finish this fall. Note: the map covers only Town of Parker projects, not Douglas County or CDOT work (including Parker Road).

Castle Pines Wants Your Input on Its New Annexation Policy. Survey Open Through June 14.
TLDR: Castle Pines is developing an Annexation Policy framework to guide how the City reviews any future annexation requests. The City says it's not currently considering any annexation applications; this is about building the framework before one shows up. A resident survey is live now through June 14 at research.net/r/CP_Annex. Two open houses follow this summer: June 29 at the Castle Pines Library and July 1 at The Exchange Coffee House. A draft policy goes online for public comment July 6, and City Council is expected to vote on adoption at the July 28 meeting.

Memorial Day Services Across Douglas County: Where to Go Monday, May 25
TLDR: Four Memorial Day ceremonies in and around Douglas County on Monday, May 25: Castle Rock at 10am (Cedar Hill Cemetery, 880 E. Wolfensberger Rd.), Sedalia at 11am (Bear Canon Cemetery at St. Philip in the Field Church), Fort Logan National Cemetery at 11am, and Highlands Ranch at 11:45am at the Veterans Monument (9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd.). All Douglas County offices will be closed Monday and reopen Tuesday.

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