Lamppostings

Splash, skate, celebrate; groove, roll and stroll — the Town of Parker is Your Kind of Place to live it up all year long.

This list has plenty of suggestions — 100 to be exact — to keep you, your family and your friends active, involved and entertained here in Parker from the beginning of January through the end of December.

But these ideas are just a start. We encourage you to explore our Town with this list as your guide or on your own and share the experience with us on social media using #TownofParkerCO, #ParkerRec and #ParkerArts. Now get out and enjoy the year ahead!


100. See the Stonegate Mammoth fossils: Find the display in the Town Hall lobby underneath the stairs. 

99. Laugh it up at Comedy & Cocktails: Enjoy a drink and have a laugh in this series held at The Schoolhouse.  

98. Celebrate at a Parker festival: Festivals and special events are scheduled throughout the year by community organizations. Find them on the Town calendar.

97. Let your pup splash in the pool at Barker Days: This exciting Parker Parks and Recreation event welcomes hundreds of dogs with their owners and features a temporary dog park in the O’Brien Park ball field and H2O’Brien Pool, along with dog-related vendors. 

96. Enroll in a citizen academy: Learn more about the Town through the Civic Academy or Citizen’s Police Academy Program courses. 

95. Take skating lessons at the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park: These 30-minute lessons are offered Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 to 10 a.m. in small groups of 8 skaters or less. Learn more on the Ice Trail website. 

94: Become a star at a theater class: Adult and youth theater classes are organized by Parker Arts. 

93: Pick up a copy of the Town Calendar & Annual Report: The Town Calendar & Annual Report includes an eight-page summary of 2018 achievements as well as a complete 2019 calendar listing meetings and Town-sponsored and community events. Additional copies are available at the Town Hall front desk while supplies last. A digital version can also be found on the Town website. 

92: Experience a Parker Chorale performance at the PACE Center: Love Songs: Madrigal to Motown is scheduled for May 4 and 5 at the PACE Center. 

91: Ride to Parker’s Bike to Work Day breakfast station: Ditch your car and grab your bike for Bike to Work Day on June 26! The Town’s station along the Cherry Creek Trail near the E470 overpass features a complimentary breakfast, fun giveaways, free custom Town of Parker Bike to Work Day t-shirts, and bike checks and repairs.

90: Learn about Parker’s past at the Heritage Center: Maintained by the Parker Area Historical Society, find the center on the lower level of The Schoolhouse.

89: Swim a lap at the Parker Recreation Center indoor pool: The pool features a 25 yard, six lane lap pool, with a diving well, warm water therapy pool, activity pool with a zero depth entrance, play feature, lazy river and lap lanes, rock climbing wall over a catch pool and enclosed waterslide. 

88. Participate in a Parker Arts or Parker Parks and Recreation camp: There's plenty of fun to be had and things to learn at any of the Parker Arts camps or Parker Parks and Recreation camps. 

87. Stroll through the Parker Arboretum: The Arboretum project began at McCabe Meadows in April of 2002 with an Arbor Day planting of 34 trees and over 200 trees have been added since then. The project is envisioned as an educational area, where residents can come to enjoy a wide range of trees, including flowering varieties, evergreens, shade trees and dwarf species. 

86. Meet royalty at the Princess Ball: Your little princess will feel like the belle of this sparkling ball scheduled for Jan. 25 with tiaras, dancing, refreshments and fun activities that will keep everyone entertained. 

85. Book a personal training session: The Town of Parker has a team of nationally-certified personal trainers on staff. Each is qualified to maximize your fitness potential while minimizing potential for injury, over-training and burn out. 

84: Sign up for CodeRed emergency alerts: CodeRed is a high-speed telephone emergency notification system that allows public safety personnel to send messages directly to residents — whether they are home or away — during an emergency. 

83: Take a swing at playing Pickleball: Looking for something new? Try pickleball! Pickleball is a racquet sport which combines badminton, tennis and table tennis. The sport is played on a smaller court with a net that's just a bit lower than a tennis net and is played with a hard paddle and a wiffle ball. 

82: Hike a Flat 14er: Flat 14ers is a State of Colorado initiative to encourage children, families and community members to increase their level of physical activity by hiking the equivalent of a 14er on flatter trails. Parker is home to three such Flat 14er paths. 

81: Meet the Mounted Patrol or K9 Unit: These Parker Police Department teams appear at community events over the course of the year. 

80: Run through the Discovery Park Play Fountain: During the summer months, the Discovery Park Play Fountain is a destination for all ages! The approximately 900 square foot water feature includes programmable water jets embedded below the paving surface and color changing LED lights, allowing use during the day or on a warm summer evening. 

79: See the Watercolor Society National Exhibition at the Pace Center: Coming May 3 to June 26 to the PACE Center Gallery.

78: Host a National Night Out event: As part of efforts to strengthen police-community partnerships, Parker Police Department staff members make appearances at registered National Night Out events each year. 

77. Get your steps in at the Senior Stroll: To celebrate National Senior Health & Fitness Day, Parker Parks and Recreation hosts the annual Senior Stroll. This free event consists of a one-mile fun walk on a paved trail, delicious refreshments, socializing with friends, along with great giveaways! This year’s stroll is May 29. 

76. Watch a Parker Arts stage production: Parker Arts and Inspire Theatre Company bring plays and musicals to the PACE Center and Schoolhouse stages throughout the year. 

75. Visit the historic 20-Mile House: The first permanent structure built in what would become the Town of Parker has been preserved and is displayed just west of the Mainstreet and Parker Road intersection. 

74. Try a new recreation activity: Break out of your typical routine and try out a new sport or activity with Parker Parks and Recreation. 

73. Feel the rhythm at a dance class: Adult and youth classes are offered by Parker Arts. 

72. Attend a Family Discovery Series event: Introduce your children to the arts with this special series organized by Parker Arts.

71. Apply to serve on a Town board or commission: Each year there are positions available on citizen commissions run by the Town of Parker including the Board of Appeals, Cultural and Scientific Commission, Investment Advisory Committee, Planning Commission and Special Licensing Authority. 

70. Let the kids play at Parents’ Night Out: Parents, grab some friends and enjoy a night with adults while Parker Parks and Recreation staff watch your kids. Our talented staff will keep your kids active and entertained so you don't have to. 

69. Welcome spring during the Arbor Day Celebration: Join the Town of Parker and the Parks and Recreation Department in celebration of Arbor Day on April 27. Parker Parks and Recreation celebrates by giving away seedling trees! There are also family-friendly activities, Arbor Day goodies and delicious pancakes, while supplies last. 

68. Enter a photo in the annual calendar contest: See your photograph featured in the 2020 Town Calendar and Annual Report by entering the annual calendar photo contest. 

67. Take a public art tour with the Otocast app: Download the Otocast app and select the Parker Public Art tour to hear about the works displayed around Town from the artists themselves.

66. Join the Police Explorers Program: The Parker Police Explorer Post helps youth gain insight into law enforcement programs through experiential learning with lots of fun-filled, hands-on activities. 

65. Learn something new at a lecture series talk: Free and open to the public, the monthly lectures cover a variety of topics. 

64. Visit every public park: The Town currently maintains approximately 250 acres of developed parkland. Find a list of every public park here. 

63. Volunteer at a Town event: There are several ways for individuals or groups to volunteer with the Town of Parker through year-round and special event activities.

62. Become a recreation league champion: Kickball, basketball, inline hockey and more, form a team and compete for a championship with a Parker Parks and Recreation league. 

61. Choose Parker when you shop, dine and play: Did you know that the money you spend shopping, dining and playing in Parker has a direct impact on your local government’s ability to provide the great services on which you, your friends and family rely? Sales tax is the Town of Parker's main source of revenue and it is used to pay for the many services and amenities enjoyed by residents and visitors, including police protection and public safety; road and traffic enhancements and improvements; parks, trails and recreation facilities; cultural programs; community events and more.

60. Schedule a Police Department ride-along: The primary purpose of a police ride-along is to provide an opportunity for the community to see firsthand the day-to-day workings of law enforcement in Parker. To participate, complete an application and return it to the Police Department. 

59. Be amazed by the Wonderbound dance company: Wonderbound and Parker Arts have been partners for several years, bringing avant-garde performances to the Town. 

58. Become a weather spotter: Be trained as a weather spotter by the National Weather Service at one of these educational sessions. 

57. Roll into Saturday Skate Night: Grab some friends and bring your roller skates or blades to the Parker Fieldhouse on select Saturday nights for Skate Night! Participants can skate around the inline rink, listen to great, family-friendly music and play games.

56. Trick or Treat on Mainstreet: Bring all your little gouls, ghosts, goblins, princesses, super heroes and anyone else celebrating Halloween to downtown Parker for an evening of fun sponsored by the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker. 

55. Hold your event at a Town facility: Rent a Parker Arts space for your event or wedding, or reserve a Parker Parks and Recreation space for an event or gathering. 

54. Scale the 25’ climbing wall: The Parker Fieldhouse 25' indoor rock climbing tower with an adjacent bouldering structure incorporates natural features for a realistic rock feel and, along with many hand and foot holds, presents a variety of challenges for novice and experienced climbers. 

53. Attend a meeting: Meetings of the Parker Town Council, Parker Planning Commission, Partnering for Parker’s Progress, and Special Licensing Authority are held at Town Hall each month. Find a calendar and meeting agendas here. 

52. Read one of the Town blogs: Learn more about Town operations, meet our employees and find local business spotlights by reading one of our Town blogs at www.ParkerOnline.org/Blog.

51. Have milk and cookies with Santa: Don't miss this opportunity to spend some time with the jolly man in the bright red suit on Dec. 8. It is a great start to the Ho Ho Holiday season with crafts, light refreshments and more! 

50. Visit a Made in Parker business: The Made in Parker series spotlights local shops and entrepreneurs who make their products or operate right here in the Town of Parker. Meet these businesses on the Made in Parker blog. 

49. Traverse 30 miles of trails: Parker Parks and Recreation maintains more than 30 miles of concrete paved, multi-use trails throughout the Town, as well as 6 miles of natural surface equestrian trail along Cherry Creek and a 1.8-mile natural surface, multi-use loop trail in the Idyllwild area. 

48. Attend an Uncharted Music Series performance: This Parker Arts series dares you to break out of your routine and discover the music of emerging talent, obscure genres, and sounds that are fresh and new to you. 

47. Get in the spirit at the Christmas Carriage Parade: The Parker Christmas Carriage Parade is a valued tradition held annually in downtown Parker in celebration of the holiday season. Come and experience that holiday feeling in the air and enjoy this all-equestrian parade made up of dozens of horse-drawn carriages, wagons, surreys and stagecoaches from across Colorado, all dressed up for the occasion on Dec. 14. 

46. Celebrate Park and Recreation Month in July: Parker Parks and Recreation joins the national recognition of Park and Recreation Month in July with a month of special events and activities. Look for more details this summer.

45. Walk through Art in the Park booths: Art in the Park is a Parker annual tradition each August presented by the Parker Artists Guild. 

44. Follow the Town of Parker on social media: Keep up with the latest Town news by following the Town, Parks and Recreation Department, Parker Police Department, and Parker Arts on social media. 

43. Attend a Parker Symphony Orchestra performance: The Parker Symphony Orchestra is Parker's community orchestra performing orchestral music at the PACE Center. 

42. Swim, bike and run at the Kids’ TRY-athlon: This event is about fun over competition. Boys and girls show their skills in three events: swimming, biking and running. Come on, kids, TRY it out July 20. 

41. Check out the Parker Diorama: Find the detailed glimpse of Parker’s past belonging to the Parker Area Historical Society at the Historical Center in The Schoolhouse. 

40. Gift a flag flown at Town Hall: Anyone can purchase a United States flag that has flown over Parker Town Hall. Flags will be flown on a day of your choosing, if possible, to acknowledge an event such as a birthday, anniversary or recognition of an honor. 

39. Practice your skills at Railbender Skate Park: Railbender Skate and Tennis Park amenities include a 36,000 square foot lighted skate park, which features street, plaza and bowl, transition features, plus two beginner bowls. In addition, the park features six lighted tennis courts. 

38. Meander through art galleries: Find rotating exhibits at the PACE Center and The Schoolhouse galleries. 

37. Usher in the season at Mayor’s Holiday Lighting: Join the Town of Parker Nov. 29 for an enchanted evening in O’Brien Park when the park and downtown holiday lights are switched on for the first time. 

36. Have a birthday or team party with Parker Parks and Recreation: Parker Parks and Recreation offers a variety of exciting party options at either the Parker Recreation Center or the Parker Fieldhouse. 

35. Ask a Town question on the Fact or Fiction page: Have you heard a rumor in the community and want to fact check it? If so, look no further than the Fact or Fiction page! Post your questions and Town staff will provide accurate and up-to-date information and answers. 

34. Walk and learn along the Auburn Hills Community Park educational trail: Auburn Hills Community Park has a unique interpretive and educational area, which incorporates six educational stations — a butterfly garden, weather station, plant life cycle, Colorado wildlife and geology, astronomy and outdoor amphitheater seating area for class lectures.

33. Explore Parker’s Open Budget: The Town of Parker provides this Open Budget experience to help our constituents understand how their tax dollars are collected and spent. 

32. Find every overpass mural: Located throughout the Town, these works showcase art on a larger-than-life scale. 

31. Hit the trail at a Run Series event: Parker Recreation hosts four family-friendly races each year as part of the annual Run Series. Races include Love ‘em or Leave ‘em Valentine’s Day 5K/10K, Cattle Crossing 5K & Family Fun Trek, So Long to Summer 5K/10K and Turkey Day 5K FUN Run/Walk. 

30. Test your knowledge during Parker Quest: Look for more details about this history scavenger hunt presented by the Parker Area Historical Society later in the year.

29. Cast a line at Cops and Bobbers: Cops and Bobbers is an event where Parker Police Officers teach children how to fish and assist them as they cast their first line. (This event has be canceled) 

28. Enjoy a Friday Night Jazz session: Featuring some of Colorado’s finest jazz musicians, the Friday Night Jazz Series delivers the jazz club vibe right into the heart of Parker’s downtown. 

27. Try out the Westcreek Disc Golf Course: The Westcreek Disc Golf Course includes 18 holes designed with assistance from local enthusiasts and experts.

26. Sign up for Town news email notifications: Through the Notify Me system, residents may sign up to receive text or email news and alerts from the Town. Notification lists include citizen involvement, community events, roads and transportation, Town calendar, Parker Authority for Reinvestment, Parker Planning Commission and Town Council meetings and several more. Residents may sign up or unsubscribe from notifications anytime at www.ParkerOnline.org/Email.

25. Recycle material at a Household Chemical Roundup: Tri-County Health Department organizes Household Chemical Roundups for Adams and Douglas Counties in the spring and summer. These community events help dispose of chemical waste properly, prevent pollution and protect the people handling your garbage. The Parker collection event is scheduled for May 18. 

24. Mix up your workout routine at the outdoor fitness station: Located between Parker Town Hall and the PACE Center, the fitness station offers a mix of equipment for an outdoor workout any time of the year.

23. Take an art class: Courses are offered in a variety of media for adults and children. 

22. Volunteer for Teen Court: Teen Court is a community-based intervention/prevention program designed to provide an alternative response to the juvenile justice system for first-time, nonviolent, misdemeanor juvenile offenders, in which community youth determine appropriate sanctions for the offender. The program holds youth offenders accountable and provides educational services to offenders and youth volunteers in an effort to promote long-term behavioral change that leads to enhanced public safety. 

21. Skate the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park: During the winter, the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park is available seven days a week. One of the only ice trails in the country, the skating path meanders through the park reminiscent of a frozen river or canal. 

20. Scale the Recreation Center's indoor pool climbing wall: Try your hand at this indoor climbing feature the stretches above a catch pool. 

19. Attend a sales tax or building information class: The Town of Parker Sales Tax Division hosts a free Sales Tax Taxpayer Seminar several times throughout the year to provide business owners with a chance to learn more about the Town’s sales tax regulations.

Hosted by the Community Development Department's Building Division, free Homeowner Building Classes give residents a chance to ask all kinds of building-related questions. Building Division staff will take you through the permit process, explain fees and discuss required inspections. 

18. Shop at the Parker Farmer’s Market: Among the metro’s largest and most recognized, the Parker Farmer’s Market lines Mainstreet on Sundays from May through October. 

17. Pick up a Parker Proud sticker at Town Hall: Display your Parker pride by picking up a Parker Proud sticker from the Town Hall front desk during regular hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

16. Mark your calendar for Public Works Week in May: Show your appreciation for the work of the Engineering and Public Works Department and stay tuned for special event announcements during Public Works Week in May.

15. Make music in Harmony Park: Harmony Park Musical Classroom is an interactive public art exhibit featuring outdoor wind and percussion instruments installed on the PACE Center’s East Patio. 

14. Take part in a Let’s Talk Parker project: Provide your feedback on Town projects and initiatives by registering for Let’s Talk Parker. The community engagement website is an innovative platform allowing residents to get involved at a time most convenient for them. 

13. Get spooky at Fieldhouse Fright Night: Fieldhouse Fright Night welcomes ghastly ghouls, spooky spirits and wicked witches of all shapes and sizes to the Parker Fieldhouse for an evening of family-friendly fun! 

12. Buzz over to the Honey Festival: Held Aug. 4 by Parker Arts, the festival highlights the benefits of the honey bee in our community ecosystem. 

11. Enjoy breakfast at Coffee with a Cop: Coffee with a Cop is an opportunity for Parker residents to meet the men and women of the Parker Police Department who serve them on a daily basis. 

10. Enroll in a group fitness class: Parker Recreation offers more than 100 group exercise classes per week to help you reach your fitness and wellness goals. 

9. Walk through the downtown holiday lights: See downtown Parker in its holiday best when illuminated by 90,000-plus twinkling lights. The lights, which are switched on at the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting, shine in O’Brien Park and along Mainstreet through early January.

8. Adopt a street, flowerbed, trail or open space: Through the Adopt-an-Open Space/Street/Trail Program, participants help keep the Town of Parker clean by adopting a street, open space, or trail and periodically picking up the trash in that area. 

7. Take a walk in the USMC CPL David M. Sonka Dog Park: The Town of Parker's first dog park is named for Corporal David M. Sonka who graduated from Chaparral High School. In 2013, Corporal Sonka and his military working dog, Flex, were killed in action in Afghanistan. The dog park features nearly five acres of off-leash space with shade structures, drinking fountains, small dog area and an agility course. 

6. Check out the downtown Art Encounters sculptures: Art Encounters is a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibit that showcases a number of sculptures, in various media and styles, displayed in highly visible areas in downtown Parker. Find the 2018-2019 works through May and look for the 2019-2020 set beginning in June. 

5. Become a top chef with a cooking class: Classes for adults and children are offered by Parker Arts in multiple cuisines.

4. Find remains of Parker’s railroad past along the Sulphur Gulch: See remains of Denver & New Orleans Railroad tracks behind the PACE Center along the Sulphur Gulch Trail. The railway came to Parker in 1882 and remained in operation until 1931.

3. Splash and slide at H2O’Brien Pool: H2O'Brien Outdoor Pool features two 182' water slides, a waterworks play structure, a spray garden, sprays and geysers, a circulation and lap pool, a concession area and a shade pavilion. 

2. Groove at a Discovery Park Summer Concert Series show: Held every Thursday evening in Discovery Park May 30 through Aug. 1.

1. Celebrate America at the Parker Stars and Stripes Celebration: Celebrate Independence Day at the Town of Parker's Stars and Stripes Celebration. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and set up for an evening jam packed with family fun and a spectacular fireworks display on July 4 in Salisbury Park.