Castle Rock Starlighting 2026: Nov. 21 and the Season of the Star

The switch flips at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. The star then stays on above town until the National Western Stock Show ends in January. The fireworks are over in a few minutes. The light lasts about eight weeks.

The Town of Castle Rock treats the whole stretch as one season, the Season of the Star. It runs from the Saturday before Thanksgiving until the star is switched off at the end of the Stock Show. So Starlighting is the start of the season. The quieter nights after it are when you can actually take time to look up at the star.

The star came first and the party came later

The star is 26 years older than the event. It was first lit in 1936, during the Great Depression. The Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce created the Starlighting celebration in 1962. The 40-foot star carries 100 bulbs. It was built by Castle Rock Hose Co. No. 1, and the fire department still looks after it.

That line of care is still easy to follow. Castle Rock Fire and Rescue told 9NEWS that a dedicated "Keepers of the Star" crew works year-round to maintain it. CBS Colorado reported that the crew is four firefighters. They handle repairs like replacing wire and sockets. They had also begun swapping incandescent bulbs for LEDs after engineer-recommended structural upgrades.

This year the star had an extra moment. It shone red, white and blue for America's 250th anniversary, through Colorado's 150th on Saturday, Aug. 1. A new bronze sign telling the history of the star and of Starlighting was also installed this year. If you haven't read it yet, the weeks after the lighting are a good time to stop by.

The star has been lit outside the holidays before, too. According to the 9NEWS piece, it formed a "V" for victory at the end of World War II. It was relit after Sept. 11, 2001, again in March 2020, and after the Broncos' Super Bowl wins. The Town's own page on The Star has more of the history.

Saturday, Nov. 21: how the afternoon unfolds

The Town calendar listing confirms the event runs 2 to 6 p.m. downtown. The Chamber puts it in Historic Wilcox Square and Festival Park, and admission is free.

The fireworks depend on weather and fire danger. The Chamber says its full entertainment schedule and event map are still "coming soon." Check back on its page closer to the date. The page does name Biff Gore for live music on the main stage at 4th and Wilcox. It also lists strolling carolers, dance groups, a petting zoo, face painting and four Chamber beverage tents.

Chamber events don't take cash, only credit and debit cards. Also, the ceremony crowd builds early. DougCo Social's Starlighting guide suggests getting downtown by 4:30 to 4:45 p.m. for a clear view of the countdown, and dressing warmly.

The chili supper is part of the firefighters' tradition

The firefighters do more than climb up to check the bulbs. The Castle Rock Professional Firefighters are hosting their 90th Annual Chili Supper at Fire Station 151 this year. The menu is beef chili, nachos, hot dogs, drinks and desserts. So the department that built the star and still keeps it running also feeds the crowd on the night it comes on.

Someone gets to flip the switch, and the bidding is still open

The Chamber auctions off the chance to light the star. Online bidding for Flip the Switch runs through Friday, Nov. 6. Bids start at $2,000 and go up in $250 steps. The winner flips the switch on the main stage, gets named from the stage and receives photos of the moment. The money supports Chamber programs, including the Veterans Alliance and Tours for Teachers. If you're reading this when it publishes, you still have about a week to bid.

The ornament

Each year the Chamber releases a gold-plated commemorative Starlighting ornament with a different historic Castle Rock building on it. They're sold at the celebration, at the Chamber office and through the Chamber's Starlighting ornament page. DougCo Social notes that past-year designs are often still available if your collection has a gap.

Getting downtown without circling the block

The Chamber's Starlighting page lists free shuttles from 1:30 to 8 p.m. Pickup points are the AdventHealth Castle Rock lot at 2350 Meadows Blvd., the south building of Douglas County High School at 2842 Front St., and Lot 5 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The page also lists downtown street closures from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on parts of Perry, Wilcox, 4th, 3rd and 2nd streets. That section isn't dated for this year, so check it again the week of the event before you plan around a specific shuttle stop. The Town's downtown parking map shows the Encore garage at Wilcox and Perry and the garage at 3rd and Jerry.

After the fireworks: the rest of the season

This is where the season really opens up. Once Nov. 21 is over, downtown has something going on most weeks until the new year, and most of it is small and easygoing.

• Holiday carriage rides, Nov. 22 through Jan. 3. These start the day after Starlighting and run Wednesday through Sunday at Festival Park. Hours differ on weekdays and weekends, and some holidays are skipped. Times are on the Downtown Castle Rock Alliance carriage ride page.
• Free winter trolley rides, Mondays and Tuesdays, Nov. 23 through Dec. 29. They run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., per the Downtown Castle Rock Alliance. A Monday or Tuesday trolley ride is free and the star is already lit, which makes it an easy outing on a school night.
• Festival Park Starlight Market, Dec. 4 and 5. It's open 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Festival Park, 300 Second St. The Town listings describe more than 40 vendors, food, music and a decorated tree.
• Reindeer Games, Dec. 5. It runs 1 to 4 p.m. at the Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park, with Santa, hot chocolate, rides, games and an obstacle course, per the Town calendar. It's on the same Saturday as the market, so one Saturday can cover both.
• Storytellers and S'mores, Dec. 12. It runs 5 to 7 p.m. at Festival Park, with stories from Santa, s'mores and hot chocolate, per the Town calendar.

Look at how the dates fall. The carriage rides start the day after the fireworks, and the trolleys start two days later. Some kind of downtown holiday activity runs every week from Nov. 21 until Jan. 3. Starlighting kicks off that whole stretch.

When the star goes dark

The star turns off at the end of the National Western Stock Show in January. That's long after the last carriage ride on Jan. 3. The star stays up for a few more weeks after the decorations come down. DougCo Social says that for many locals, the countdown to the star coming on is when the holidays really begin. The Stock Show's final day is when the season ends.

Nov. 21 is the afternoon to bring your family to Wilcox and Perry, eat a bowl of firefighter chili and watch the countdown. The other eight weeks, the star is still up there, and it's often easier to enjoy without the crowd.

Whether you go every year or this will be your first Starlighting, I'd love to hear where you like to watch the star come on and which ornament years you're still missing. If you're thinking about a move around the holidays, I'm happy to talk timing over hot chocolate downtown. Reach out to Vicki Zeeb and let's connect.