This year, a lot of Highlands Ranch's late fall happens on the few blocks between Ridgeline Boulevard and Dorchester Street. Civic Green Park, the Douglas County Libraries Highlands Ranch branch and the Town Center storefronts off S. Broadway are hosting most of the season's dates. The playground at the center of those blocks has been behind a construction fence since September.
The holiday plan for the Town Center blocks starts at the library on Veterans Day, runs past a playground rebuild the district expects to last through late November, and ends with a tree lighting at the same address as the newest cookie shop in town. Most of the other big holiday events need a drive, a ticket or a plan for parking.
The Fence Comes First
The 19-year-old playground at Civic Green Park, 9370 Ridgeline Blvd., closed for replacement on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The Highlands Ranch Metro District expects construction to last through late November. The district's Playground Replacement project page still says the same and hasn't set a reopening day. If you're planning around the new equipment, check that page before promising anyone a first slide.
The rest of the park is open. The fenced areas are the playground and the shelter next to it, and the district turned off the wading stream and upper fountains early this season to make room for the work. Those water features aren't part of the renovation and will stay as they are. The book sculptures are staying too.
According to the district, community feedback shaped the design. The new playground will have:
- A bigger footprint than the old one, with continuous rubber surfacing in place of wood chips
- A tall main structure with slides, tunnels and climbing elements for ages 5 to 12
- Separate play and slide structures for ages 2 to 5 and for toddlers 6 to 23 months
- Four swings under a shade awning
- A spinning rope tower
- A merry-go-round with at-grade entry, meant to make play more inclusive
Until the fence comes down, the district suggests Northridge Park, Foothills Park and Kistler Park as other playgrounds to try. This rebuild is part of a regular cycle. The Metro District aims to replace one or two playgrounds a year, depending on budget approval and available funds. This year Civic Green is the one on the list, and it sits right where the holiday season will be.
Two New Storefronts Opened During the Construction
While the playground was being torn out and rebuilt, two businesses opened a short walk away.
Joy Batch Cookies & Coffee opened Friday, Oct. 9, at 9315 Dorchester St., Unit 109, near S. Broadway. DougCo Social reports that owner Sarah Carlson used to run Quinnie's Cookies and rebranded when she moved into this storefront. The shop sells cookies, coffee and curated gifts. The Discover DougCo openings tracker reported that the shop sold out on its opening weekend.
In her own announcement, quoted by DougCo Social, Carlson thanked the community:
"We truly couldn't have opened our doors without the overwhelming encouragement, excitement and support from all of you."
The hours affect how you plan a visit. As of mid-October, DougCo Social listed Joy Batch as open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coffee hour starts at 9 with a limited selection of dozen packs and dipper cookies, and the full cookie case comes out at 10. The outlet called those hours current, so check them before you go, especially if a weekend has already sold the case out once.
BODYBAR Pilates opened at 9265 S. Broadway, Suite 100. It held a grand-opening party on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and a community opening celebration Oct. 9 and 10, per its DougCo Social listing. Classes started Oct. 12, according to the event listing.
That means a cookie counter on Dorchester and a Pilates studio on Broadway both opened within days of each other in early October, a short walk from a park that's partly fenced off. When the playground reopens, the Town Center block will have more to do than it did before the closure.
The Library Fills November
Civic Green's official event table has nothing scheduled for November or December. The library branch on Ridgeline picks up the slack. These are its dates through early December:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Metro District's Veterans Day Celebration at Douglas County Libraries Highlands Ranch, with speaker Debra Hunt, patriotic music, a color guard and a dessert reception.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. An author program with Eric Balliet.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 to 3:45 p.m. A Local Author Showcase.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m. An evening with author Bruce Borgos.
- Friday, Dec. 4, 4 to 5:30 p.m. "Booked for the Holidays – Celebrating Christmas with the Browns."
- Tuesday, Dec. 8. "Booked for the Holidays – A Visit with Santa," with sessions at 10 to 11 a.m., 2 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. Registration is required.
Details and registration are on the Douglas County Libraries events calendar and the Highlands Ranch branch page. The Local Author Showcase and the Santa sessions both require registration, so those are the ones to sign up for early.
Put those dates next to the construction schedule. The Veterans Day event, both author nights and the Local Author Showcase all fall before the late-November target for finishing the playground. If you walk over to the branch for a November evening, expect the fence to still be up at Civic Green. The December library events may be the first chance to see whether it has come down.
December 12 Lands at the Cookie Shop's Address
The season on these blocks ends with the HRCA's Hometown Holiday, an afternoon tree lighting on Saturday, Dec. 12. The HRCA lists the location as Highlands Ranch Town Center, 9315 Dorchester St. That's the same street address Joy Batch opened at in October.
The posted hours don't match. The top of the HRCA page says noon to 5 p.m., while the embedded schedule further down says 1 to 6 p.m. Check the page again that week before you set a time to meet friends. One more detail could matter for families. If Joy Batch is still keeping its October hours of 9 to 3, the shop would close partway through the event either way.
Most of the Rest of the Season Means Driving
The Town Center dates are close enough that one parking spot could cover the library, the cookie shop and the tree lighting. Most of the season's other big events are spread across Highlands Ranch, and each comes with its own logistics.
| Event | Where | When | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutcracker Highlights | Southridge Rec Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Rd. | Nov. 20–22, four performances | Pick a performance time |
| Swingin' the Holidays jazz concert | Southridge Recreation Center | Dec. 2, 6:30–8 p.m. | Weeknight evening |
| Holiday Celebration at the Mansion | Highlands Ranch Mansion, 9950 E. Gateway Dr. | Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Free, but no Mansion parking except for accessible vehicles |
| Colorado Symphony holiday concert | Highlands Ranch Mansion | Dec. 15, 6:30–8 p.m. | Check the HRCA holiday page |
| Winter Solstice Celebration | Backcountry Base Camp, 6005 Ron King Trail | Dec. 19, 3:30–5:30 p.m. | $30 per car |
| Sounds of the Season | Southridge Rec Center | Dec. 21 and 22, 6:30–8 p.m. | Tickets went on sale Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. |
The Mansion event on Dec. 5 has hayrides, Santa, tours and food trucks. Because Mansion parking is limited to accessible vehicles, you'll need to sort out parking before you go. Tickets for Sounds of the Season went on sale Oct. 26, so if you want a December seat at Southridge, the HRCA holidays page is the place to check now.
Compared with all that, Town Center is easy. The library events are a short walk from Joy Batch and the Dec. 12 tree lighting. The district hasn't set a reopening date for the new rubber-surfaced playground at Civic Green, so check the Playground Replacement page before you plan a December visit around it.
If you're tracking how Town Center's mix of shops, park upgrades and events is changing near your own home, the Billy Van Heusen Team follows these blocks closely and can walk you through what it means for your property's value. Get Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll include the local context along with the numbers.
