At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, Mayor Harmon will speak and the City Holiday Tree will light up at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Less than 24 hours later, on Havana Street, Santa's real reindeer will be visiting a ranch that Austrian immigrant brothers started in 1874. On Sunday morning, the Lone Tree Library will serve brunch in a Polar Express-themed party.
Separate hosts run each of these: the City, a preservation foundation, Douglas County Libraries, a community orchestra. December 4 through 6 is the weekend Lone Tree's holiday season really starts. Most of it costs nothing, so the only planning is the ticketed part, and some of those tickets have already sold.
The Weekend at a Glance
| When | What | Where | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 4, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Merry Days, tree lighting at 6:30 | Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree Library, MorningStar Senior Living | Free |
| Sat, Dec 5, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | 10th annual Austrian Christmas | Schweiger Ranch, 10822 S. Havana St. | Free, no registration |
| Sat, Dec 5, 5–8:30 p.m. | The North Pole Express, dinner | Lone Tree Library | Sold out |
| Sat, Dec 5, 7:30 p.m. | Lone Tree Symphony, Sugarplums & Snowflakes | Lone Tree Arts Center | Ticketed, limited availability |
| Sun, Dec 6, 8–11 a.m. and noon–3 p.m. | The North Pole Express, brunch and lunch | Lone Tree Library | Ticketed |
| Sun, Dec 6, 2:30 p.m. | Lone Tree Symphony, Sugarplums & Snowflakes | Lone Tree Arts Center | Ticketed |
Friday Fills Three Buildings on One Block
The City of Lone Tree's Merry Days page lists the evening as 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St. Outside the Arts Center there will be a hot cocoa and s'more bar, holiday music from The Denver Dolls, roaming holiday characters, and a holiday market. Santa is scheduled to come with his reindeer.
The event doesn't stay in one building. Across the street, the Lone Tree Library has holiday stories, hands-on crafts and something sweet, with story times at 7, 7:15 and 7:30 p.m. MorningStar Senior Living hosts a Gingerbread Village where kids can write letters to Santa and decorate cookies, plus a photobooth and a Holiday Bazaar. A DougCo Social listing calls the evening a free event.
Because of the layout, families with young children can split the evening. Get to the tree before 6:30, then walk across for a story time on the quarter hour.
Saturday Belongs to an 1874 Ranch
The Schweiger family story starts with John Schweiger. According to the ranch's history page, he emigrated from Austria in 1866 and reached Denver in 1869, and his brothers Joseph and Jacob followed him. In 1874 the three bought their first parcel from William Eli Ashley, and their parents homesteaded alongside them. They grew that original 38-acre holding to nearly 4,000 acres of grain and livestock.
History Colorado lists the surviving structures as the ranch house, granary, chicken coop, stable, barn, tractor shed, silo and cistern, along with historic fencing, corrals and a cattle chute. The City dates the house, barn, stable and loafing shed to around 1890. The ranch's own history places them after 1893.
The buildings survived because of how the land around them was developed. Coventry began preservation planning in 2003 and got Douglas County landmark designation in 2004. In 2007 Coventry formed the Schweiger Ranch Foundation, and RidgeGate Investments donated the original 38 acres to it. The City of Lone Tree calls the ranch the city's only protected historic landmark. Restoration began with the barn in 2008, moved to the house, silo and stable in 2010, and finished in early 2016. State Historical Fund grants paid for it, with matching money from the City of Lone Tree and the Rampart Range Metropolitan District, and the total came to nearly $1 million.
The ranch uses all that restoration work one day a year for the holiday celebration. The 10th annual Austrian Christmas runs Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It celebrates the Christmas traditions of the family that settled the land. Admission is free, and you don't need to register for the event or any of its activities. Each activity is scheduled across the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. window:
- The Austrian Connections Band, with breaks during the day
- Horse-drawn carriage rides, first come, first served, with pauses so the horses can rest
- Santa Claus and his reindeer, with Santa also taking breaks
- Face painting, and kids' crafts with South Suburban Parks & Rec
- The Christkindl Markt
The Markt vendor list is where the Austrian theme gets specific. Kogler's Bakery brings Austrian pastries, breads and quiches. Andy's Kitchen serves pretzels and bratwurst, and Tall Tales Ranch pours coffee and hot cocoa. For gifts there's Kristen's Cottage Bakery with gingerbread, Rose Colored Creation with stained glass, Executive Pen Source with wood and acrylic pens, Knifty Little Thing with knitted and sewn accessories, and Schatzi's Treasure with ornaments. The ranch's own booth sells ornaments, wood smokers and nutcrackers. Earth's Energy Jewelry, Hooligan's Custom Design, Mountain High Laser and Susan Frank Studio are also on the list.
Getting to the Ranch Is Easier Than It Looks
The ranch sits directly across Havana Street from the RTD RidgeGate Station garage, and that garage is where general parking goes. The ranch lays out the route this way:
- Enter the RTD garage from the north entrance. Parking fees are waived for event guests.
- Cross the street at the RTD south entrance driveway, where a Lone Tree Community Safety Officer directs pedestrians.
- Catch the golf cart or shuttle service if you'd rather ride. It runs from the RTD south surface lot, the handicap parking area and the main gate.
- Handicap parking is in the Schweiger Ranch lot, just inside the driveway.
Since general parking is at a light rail station, the train is a reasonable way to get there too. Three rules catch people. Gates open at 11 a.m. sharp with no early entry. Dogs aren't allowed because of the livestock on site, though licensed service animals are welcome. You can't bring outside alcohol, and any drinks bought at the event have to stay in the event area. If the weather forces a delay or cancellation, the notice will go up on the event page.
The Tickets Are the Only Part to Plan
The weekend's two ticketed events sell differently from the free ones, and one has already sold out a seating.
Douglas County Libraries' A Storybook Holiday: The North Pole Express turns the Lone Tree branch into a Polar Express-themed party. It has live music and dance, crafts, make-and-take cocoa gifts, photo spots, Santa, food, a hot cocoa bar and Bob's Roasted Nuts. The Saturday dinner, 5 to 8:30 p.m., is listed as sold out. In early November, the two Sunday seatings were still for sale: brunch from 8 to 11 a.m. and lunch from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday tickets are $35 for ages 12 and up and $30 for ages 3 to 11, and children 2 and under go free. Adults 21 and older can add an optional $15 alcohol ticket.
The Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra plays Sugarplums & Snowflakes at the Arts Center on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Arts Center page shows limited availability for Saturday. The symphony's ticket page lists premium seats at $32, standard at $26, student, senior and military at $22, and children 12 and under at $10. Each price includes the Arts Center's $6 ticketing fee.
These times fit together better than you might expect. Saturday can run from the ranch at 11 a.m. to the symphony at 7:30 p.m., with no overlap. On Sunday, the library brunch ends at 11 a.m., leaving plenty of time before the 2:30 matinee. The noon lunch seating runs until 3 p.m., which overlaps the matinee, so families who want both on Sunday should book brunch.
The Season Keeps Going at the Arts Center
The opening weekend is the busiest stretch, but the Lone Tree Arts Center has holiday shows booked from late November until just before Christmas:
| Date | Show | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 29 | Suzy Bogguss: A Swingin' Little Christmas | 7 p.m. |
| Wed, Dec 2 | Kalani Pe'a's Hawaiian Christmas | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tue, Dec 8 | Sensory Inclusive: The Holidays are for Phamaly | 7 p.m. |
| Thu, Dec 10 | The Swingles: Together at Christmas! | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed, Dec 16–Sun, Dec 20 | Motones vs. Jerseys: Holiday Hi-Fi | Seven performances |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Holiday Family Movie: A Muppet Christmas Carol | Activities 3 p.m., film 4 p.m. |
The Suzy Bogguss and Kalani Pe'a shows each have a free pre-show chat in the Event Hall, with no reservation needed. The Phamaly show is a relaxed holiday cabaret with Colorado Symphony musicians and Phamaly performers. At the Muppet screening, an adult ticket comes with one cocktail, and snacks and nonalcoholic drinks are free.
Over at Park Meadows, Photos with Santa runs daily through December 24 at Lower Level Dillard's Court. Pet Night with Santa takes over the same spot on Mondays and Tuesdays from November 16 to December 15, 4 to 7 p.m. Both book online. Down the road, ColoradoBiz reported that Thirsty Lion plans a December opening at 8335 Park Meadows Center Drive, in a 7,900-square-foot space with room for 278 guests.
The ranch also needs volunteers for Austrian Christmas, with short shifts managing the carriage ride line, helping Santa, setting up and tearing down. Volunteers must be 18, and a parent can volunteer with one or two children ages 15 and up.
From the tree on Commons Street to the reindeer on Havana, this weekend shows Lone Tree at its most welcoming. If you're hosting holiday guests and want ideas for showing them around Lone Tree, Stacie Chadwick is always glad to share the places we love. Let's Connect.
