When you’re looking for something fun to experience with your family, local events and festivals are a great place to start. They offer a chance to engage in your community, enjoy good food, meet new people, and experience the local culture. Many such events celebrate particular holidays, which can be a great way to add traditions to your family practices. Lone Tree, Colorado, and its surrounding areas have lots of great options for annual family-friendly happenings.

Colorado Music and Arts Festival

Image via Flickr by veldmusicfestival

Every year, at the end of May, Colorado hosts its annual Music and Arts Festival at Centennial Central Park. This two-day festival has something for everyone. Local and nationally known musicians come to play on the main stage throughout both days, burgers and more are available at the Taste of Denver Food Garden, and local artists display and sell their creations at booths around the park. Motor enthusiasts will love the antique car and custom motorcycle shows. The kids can check out the 4-H Clubs livestock display and youth artist showcase.

Animals are a big part of the weekend, as well, with a parakeet showcase, a pet adoption booth put on by the Humane Society, and Frisbee shows with talented border collies. If you’re feeling tough, you can take on a few U.S. Marines in a pull-up contest. Other attractions of the Colorado Music and Arts Festival include live comedians, magicians, a vintage antique market, a kids fishing tournament, and laser tag. The next festival is scheduled for May 29 and 30, 2021, and admission is usually $12 per person, so keep an eye out for more details.

Independence Day Celebration

Celebrate Independence Day with your community at the annual Lone Tree celebration at Sweetwater Park. Each year, the event features an exciting fireworks display, great food, and live entertainment. Families come to hang out on the huge lawn area at the park and enjoy the warm weather. Kids will love activities like face painting, temporary glitter tattoos, a bounce house, and obstacle courses. Local bands play music on the main stage from 4 p.m. until the final fireworks display.

The event takes place on July Fourth from 4–10 p.m., and there’s no cost to attend for Lone Tree residents. Non-resident admission is $5 per person. Local restaurants send food trucks each year, so you’re sure to find something great for dinner.

Schweiger Ranch Fall Festival

The Schweiger Ranch Fall Festival celebrates the harvest season on the ranch’s historic land. The ranch dates back to 1874 and has grown into a large and thriving farm over the years. The ranch invites visitors to come and immerse themselves in ranch life. Events happen throughout the year, including a holiday light display, but the annual Fall Festival is a local favorite. The Fall Festival is a great event for the whole family. Come and pick out some pumpkins to take home, enjoy a wagon ride, and take in some live music.

Little ones love the storytime and pumpkin painting activities. Parents can enjoy the food trucks and music by local bluegrass bands. Tours of the grounds are also available if you’re interested in the history of the ranch and its well-preserved buildings. Typically, the festival takes place on the first Saturday of October from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free, not including costs for certain activities and food. Schweiger Ranch is just outside of Lone Tree’s city center on the east side of Interstate 25.

Merry Days

Get in the holiday spirit during Lone Tree’s Merry Days event. This event includes a few different local activities that all celebrate the season. Starting with the tree lighting ceremony on the first Friday evening in December, Merry Days invites visitors to come down to the Lone Tree Arts Center for holiday music, tons of Christmas lights, and a Santa sighting. Head over to the library for storytime and crafts, and then visit the MorningStar Senior Living Center for cookies, carols, and ornament making.

Head over to Schweiger Ranch the following day for their Austrian Christmas and Christkindl Market from 1–5 p.m. Get more time visiting with Santa, make more holiday crafts, enjoy wagon rides, and even meet some real reindeer. Gift giveaways happen throughout the afternoon, so be sure to enter. Everyone will also get a free cup of cocoa or hot cider. Other activities include wreath making, live music from an Austrian band, and a tree lighting on the ranch once it gets dark.

Colorado Renaissance Festival

Take a trip back in time each summer at the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Kids and adults alike enjoy this festival each year with loads of exciting things to see and do. Try some unique and yummy foods at the International Food Market, Friar Tuck’s Bakery, or Canterbury Kitchens. Throughout the festival, you’ll have the chance to see and purchase arts and crafts by local artisans. Young attendees can enjoy face painting, dressing up in chain mail or fairy wings, and even watching a jousting match. Other attractions include elephant rides, a petting zoo, various rides, and a climbing wall.

There’s so much to enjoy at the Colorado Renaissance Festival that you’ll probably want to visit a couple of times each year. The 2021 season is set to begin on June 12 and run through August 1 at Perry Park Avenue in Larkspur, just about 30 minutes south of Lone Tree. The festival is open from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, making it a great family weekend activity. Admission rates will be announced closer to the start of the season, so check the website for details.

There you have it, Crème de la Crème of Lone Tree’s list of exciting and fun happenings that take place around Lone Tree throughout the year. Make plans to experience a few or all of these events and see what the family thinks. Did we miss any yearly festivals that you love? Drop us a line and let us know which local experiences you think should make the list.