The warm stretch holds one more weekend. Per the National Weather Service forecast for Castle Rock issued at 12:46 a.m. Thursday, Friday is "Sunny, with a high near 83" with a south-southwest wind of 6 to 13 mph gusting to 21, Saturday "Sunny, with a high near 80" with gusts to 23, and Sunday "Partly sunny, with a high near 78." Lows around 53 to 55. That is a stargazing forecast, which is lucky, because there is a stargazing party.
Friday
The one to plan around is the Stargazing Party at Sandstone Ranch, the county open space outside Larkspur that is normally closed to the public after dark. It runs 6 to 11:30 p.m. at the special events entrance, 8309 S. Perry Park Road, with the Denver Astronomical Society: set up a telescope while it is still light, hear a talk, then look up. Registration is required for each person, through the society's page linked from the county listing, and the rules are strict because of wildlife: arrive at the gate no later than 8:15 p.m. or you will not get in, stay with the group, and no dogs. Bring layers and snacks. If the sky does not cooperate it moves to Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Parker Recreation leads a free guided walk at McCabe Meadows at 9 a.m. on the beavers that have moved into town, "Beavers: Friend or Foe?", registration required. The Castle Rock Home Show opens at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, for its Friday-through-Sunday run; the county's page lists 10 to 5 Friday and Saturday and 10 to 4 Sunday, and says admission details are on the organizer's site.
Indoors at night: the Parker Symphony Orchestra's "Myths and Legends" at the PACE Center, 7:30, $36 and $32, with the William Tell Overture, Danse Macabre, Les Preludes and Pictures at an Exhibition. And "Always...Patsy Cline" opened Thursday at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 7:30 Friday, with the hits sung live and a run time of about two hours.
Season stuff that is open Friday: Gilly's, the small patch on an 1889 homestead at 1433 Lake Gulch Road, Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. until dark, $5 a person or $20 a family, and its site now lists the season through October 17. Lone Creek Farms in Franktown runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the Harvest Glow light walk included after dark, $27.95 for ages 4 and up.
Our pick, Friday: Sandstone Ranch. Register today, eat early, be at the gate by 8.
Stargazing Party at Sandstone Ranch
Beavers: Friend or Foe?
Castle Rock Home Show
Parker Symphony Orchestra: Myths and Legends
Always...Patsy Cline
Saturday
Two useful mornings. The Parker Task Force Food Drive collects non-perishables at points around Parker from 8 to 4; the food bank says nearly everything on its shelves comes in this way. In Lone Tree, the city's free paint recycling runs 9 to 1 at Eagle Academy, 9350 Teddy Lane: oil-based, acrylic and latex paint, stains, varnishes and the like, no spray cans, thinners or solvents, and you sign up first at circular.eco.
Then the evening splits by age. For kids, Fieldhouse Fright Night at the Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E. Plaza Drive, 5:30 to 8: Trick-or-Treat Street, goblin games, a story walk for the little ones and a haunted house for the bigger ones, a climbing wall, a costume contest. It is $17 for residents and $19 for non-residents, pre-registration closes Friday at 3 p.m., and walk-ups pay $7 more per child; the first 400 pre-registered get a trick-or-treat bag. Children 12 and under need a parent there.
For adults, the Glow Dance Party at the Philip S. Miller Park amphitheater, 7 to 9:30, is the town's annual fundraiser for its Therapeutic Recreation program, which buys adaptive equipment and scholarships for residents with disabilities. It is a string of fitness-dance sessions, Zumba, Mixxed Fit, SocaFit and others, under glow lights, opened by the program's own participants. Register through the town's link; the price is not on the event page.
Patsy Cline plays 1:30 and 7:30. The Home Show and Gilly's are open.
Our pick, Saturday: Fright Night at 5:30 with the kids, or the Glow Dance Party at 7 without them. Both, if you can hand off.
Parker Task Force Food Drive
Free Paint Recycling
Fieldhouse Fright Night
Glow Dance Party - Therapeutic Recreation Fundraiser
Sunday
Market day. The Festival Park Farmers Market in Castle Rock runs 9 to 2 at 300 Second Street, free, and the Highlands Ranch Farmers' Market is on the HRCA calendar for Sunday as well, with the next one Oct. 18. The Home Show closes at 4. Patsy Cline has a 1:30 matinee. Lone Creek is open 10 to 9, and the Denver Botanic Gardens corn maze at Chatfield Farms runs 9 to 5, tickets online only.
Sunday is also the last day of Restaurant Week in downtown Castle Rock, 24 restaurants each with a special item that is not on the regular menu; neither the town nor Downtown Castle Rock publishes the prices, so pick a target and check its feed.
Our pick, Sunday: The Castle Rock market at 9, then a Restaurant Week lunch downtown before it ends.
Festival Park Farmers Market
Highlands Ranch Farmers' Market
Still on
Season roundups: our pumpkin patch and corn maze guide, our fall festivals guide, our fall colors guide and every verified Halloween date in the county. Next weekend is the big one: Spooktacular in Castle Rock on Oct. 17 and the Fall Festival at Festival Park on Oct. 18. Ghostly Stories and Tragic Tales of Castle Rock, the museum's downtown walking tour, repeats Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7.
Election note
Ballots have been in mailboxes since last weekend. If yours has a question about a passenger-rail sales tax on it, Ballot Issue 7A, and you do not live in Sterling Ranch, that is a printing error the state confirmed this week; here is what to do about it. The 23 drop boxes are open around the clock through 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 (locations), and the Voter Service and Polling Centers start opening Oct. 19. Every race and measure on your ballot.
We'll see you out there. If we missed something that belongs in next week's drop, the address is on the About page.
Places mentioned
Philip S. Miller Park
320-are public park with a trail network, adventure playground & picnic area with shelters.
Festival Park
This scenic community area features an amphitheater, picnic pavilion & paved walking trails.