Who Runs October in Monument and Palmer Lake

The race is 546 yards long. That's half a kilometer, a lap at the south end of Palmer Lake, with packet pickup on the northeast side and an after-party near O'Malley's Steak Pub at 104 Highway 105. Kids can enter, and so can dogs. Shipley Do-Nuts is a gold sponsor. The joke is the distance. The money is serious, because every dollar goes to Awake Palmer Lake's work on the town's parks, trails and the lake.

The rest of the Tri-Lakes calendar follows the same pattern this month. A historical society, a nonprofit lake group, two authors, a church, the Chamber and the downtown merchants put on nearly every October event in Monument and Palmer Lake. Most of them raise money for, or tell the history of, a place you'll still be using in February.

Who Is Hosting What

Here is the month in order, with the host listed for each event.

The Colorado Pumpkin Patch at Colorado Kids Ranch, 2205 E. Highway 105, runs alongside all of these and stays open through Oct. 31. It's the one stretch of the month that doesn't hang on a single date.

The Race That Pays for the Lake

Awake Palmer Lake's formal name is the Palmer Lake Restoration Project. It was founded in 1995, and the IRS lists it as a 501(c)(3) charity. Two of its projects are easy to see. The group's website credits it with the public restroom on the west side of the lake, finished in 2023, and the pickleball courts that opened there in 2024. Anyone who has used either one has already seen what the .5K pays for.

This year the race matters a little more. The Monument Independent reported that the Awake the Lake fireworks were canceled this summer because of fire conditions. That leaves this half-K as the group's most visible public event of the year. The sponsor list reads like a directory of the Tri-Lakes area. The platinum tier includes O'Malley's, the Palmer Lake Arts Council, Black Hills Energy, Coors Banquet and the water-law firm Monson, Cummins & Shohet. Sara's Sausage, Ahava Beauty Studio, Force Broadband and Peak Equipment Rentals are among the silver sponsors.

The registration deadlines are tight, so here is the order:

1. Through 11:59 p.m. tonight, Sept. 30: adults pay $38.10, fees included.
2. Oct. 1 through 17: adult entry goes up to $43.40.
3. 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8: last chance to register and still get a T-shirt in your size.
4. Race day, Oct. 18: adults pay $48.70. Day-of registration is available. Kids stay at $22.20 and dogs at $16.90 the whole time.

Registering on race day costs $10.60 more than registering tonight. That's the clearest number on the whole calendar.

Seventy Years of Local History, Then a Walk Among the Graves

History gets the middle of the month. On Thursday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Palmer Lake Historical Society marks its 70th anniversary at Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. The society describes the evening as a chance to promote the Lucretia Vaile Museum and its upcoming programs.

Nine days later, on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Town of Monument's calendar lists the Monument Cemetery Walk, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Monument Cemetery, 800 Beacon Lite Road. Authors Michael Weinfeld and John Howe lead it. Admission is a $5 donation paid in person. Space is limited, so reservations are requested. Afterward comes the "After Life Social" at Lolly's, where walk ticket holders get $2 off any sundae.

Oct. 24 is the busiest Saturday of the month. Harvestfest, a free fall festival from The Church at Woodmoor, takes place that same day at 18125 Furrow Road. If you have kids who want a festival and adults who want a guided history walk, the two can fit into one afternoon.

One familiar name is missing from the October listings. The Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts held its last musical performance at its Palmer Lake venue on Dec. 7, 2024, with David Arkenstone. The building sold on Jan. 17, 2025. The organization said it would carry on as a nonprofit and pursue larger events at other venues. Its online events page is currently showing a maintenance placeholder, so there's no October schedule to point to. With the arts center between venues, much of October's community programming comes from the history society and the cemetery walk.

The Markets Close 22 Days Apart

The outdoor season has two separate end dates, and the gap is easy to miss.

The Hometown Market in Monument, at 66 Jefferson St., runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Its 2026 season started May 23 and ends this Saturday, Oct. 3. The Chamber's general market page lists different hours and an address on North Jefferson. For this season, go by the dates on the market's own site.

The Palmer Lake Farmers Market keeps going three more Sundays. It runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4 CO-105, Unit C, behind Calvert's Mini Market. The town calendar lists Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25. The Oct. 18 market falls on race day, and both happen at the lake, which makes for an easy Sunday: run half a kilometer at 10:30, then walk over and shop.

Highway 105 Ties the Month Together

Lay these addresses on a map and most of them line up along one road. The pumpkin patch is at 2205 E. Highway 105. O'Malley's, where the race ends, is at 104 Highway 105 in Palmer Lake. The Sunday market is at 4 CO-105. The newest sit-down restaurant on the corridor is also on 105.

Here is what has opened or been approved around Monument since midsummer:

• Elephant Thai, 562 W. Highway 105. It opened Wednesday, July 15. Owner Suwanna Meyer added Northern Thai dishes to the menu, and the original Academy Boulevard location is still open.
• Panda Express, 16481 Cinematic View. Its grand opening was July 21. It's the chain's first location inside Monument town limits.
• Dairy Queen, 16577 Cinematic View. Karlye and Russ Brooks own and operate it. The opening date was announced for July 20, then moved to Monday, Aug. 3. Check before you go, because we didn't find a report confirming the opening.
• 7 Brew, 15882 Jackson Creek Parkway. Monument Town Council approved the drive-through coffee shop's final planned development on Sept. 21. The council report didn't include an opening date.
• Bair Brew Coffee, 225 Front Street, Unit 100. The Chamber lists it as coming soon to downtown Monument and describes it as a community-focused coffee shop. No opening date has been posted.

On race day, the fastest lunch is the after-party at O'Malley's. On cemetery walk day, dessert is the sundae discount at Lolly's. Any other October Saturday, Elephant Thai is a few minutes down 105 from the pumpkin patch.

Halloween Opens the Downtown Season

The month ends where November begins, in downtown Monument. Downtown businesses hand out treats at their annual Safe Trick or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Chamber lists parking at the Lewis-Palmer Administration Building, Limbach Park and Saint Peter's Church. Three days before that, the Tri-Lakes Community & Business Expo fills the Tri-Lakes YMCA on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free admission.

The merchants who give out candy on Halloween host the next events too. The Downtown Monument Holiday Open House falls on the first Friday and Saturday of November, which this year are Nov. 6 and 7. Shop Small Business Saturday follows on Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then Small Town Christmas takes the first Saturday in December, which is Dec. 5. The summer season wrapped up in September with Monument Pours in the Park at Limbach Park. Seven weeks later, the holiday season starts a short walk from that same park.

We've helped families in the Tri-Lakes area for more than three decades, and we follow these local calendars along with the market. If a move is part of your plans this fall, or you're just wondering how the new businesses along Highway 105 and Jackson Creek Parkway might affect your corner of Monument, The Daniels Team is happy to talk it through. Schedule a Free Consultation and bring your questions.