Winter Wonderland in Castle Pines

The Castle Pines community rang in the holiday season during the first two weeks of December with the annual Winter Wonderland festivities, organized by the City and Chamber and hosted at the Ridge.

With the snowy season off to a slow start, Jack Frost brought some much-needed winter weather just in time for the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 5, when residents and families gathered for a night of festive cheer in the freshly fallen snow. With a personal escort from the fire department, Santa Claus made a special appearance, and guests enjoyed an evening of caroling, crafts, lots of hot cocoa, and a spectacular drone show.

The next night, families cozied in with blankets and pajamas for a screening of Elf, and like any good movie night, it was complete with plenty of popcorn and candy canes. The fun continued into the next day with three 90-minute sessions of gingerbread house decorating, where kids harnessed their Christmas creativity to design delicious masterpieces fit for even the most regal of gingerbread families.

The following weekend featured holiday carriage rides on the evenings of the 13th and the 14th, delighting participants with a pleasant horse-drawn stroll through the neighborhood. In the afternoon of the 13th, bingo sessions made for the perfect holiday activity for competitors of all ages, and, of course, there were plenty of prizes to go around.

Finally, on Sunday the 14th, families came together for the Holly Jolly Brunch, with children gathering around for an extra special reading of The Night Before Christmas from St. Nicholas himself. There were three sessions throughout the morning, filled with delicious food, merrymaking, and music to close out the Winter Wonderland magic. The two-week celebrations brought goodwill and festive cheer to Castle Pines, ringing in yet another season of holiday joy.