The countdown is on! With the return of the Starlight Spectacular, the Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) and the Garden of the Gods Foundation are preparing to welcome the community to a reimagined evening festival at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site in Garden of the Gods Park on Saturday, September 26, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
After more than two decades as a beloved community event, the Starlight Spectacular returns with a new format that trades its traditional bike ride roots for an evening filled with:
-Guests will stroll illuminated trails under the full Harvest Moon
-Enjoy live music from Roma Ransom
-A catered dinner
-Games
-Local organizations
-Live art
-Yoga
-Plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors after dark
-Explore the Festival Village, where more than a dozen local organizations and outdoor community partners will be on hand to share information, activities, and ways to get involved.
Festival Village partners include U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Mueller State Park, Honoring Our Mother Earth (H.O.M.E.), Garden of the Gods, Garden of the Gods Foundation, Integrity Bank & Trust, Kangaroo Coffee, Brush Crazy, Rock Ledge Ranch, Living History Society, Epic Mountain Gear, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, Peaks n Pines, Pikes Peak Road Runners, El Paso County Search and Rescue, Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, Visit Manitou, Mile High Youth Corps, Orophile Outdoor Adventures, and Absolute Body Balance.
Guests are encouraged to embrace the evening's theme by wearing light-up gear, string lights, glow sticks, or glowing costumes.
For those looking to extend their evening outdoors, limited add-on experiences will include guided, interpretive twilight hikes at dusk and headlamp hikes after dark. These excursions will begin at Rock Ledge Ranch before leading deeper into Garden of the Gods Park, offering guests a different side of the park, seen in the quiet of nightfall.
Tickets Available Now
Tickets are on sale now, with registration open through Saturday, September 26th at 12:00 p.m. MDT. Space is limited, and community members are encouraged to secure their tickets soon.
Proceeds from the event will be split evenly between TOSC and the Garden of the Gods Foundation, supporting continued conservation, stewardship, and community programming throughout the Pikes Peak region.
Community Support Makes Starlight Possible
This year's Starlight Spectacular is made possible with support from a strong group of local sponsors, including Colorado Springs Utilities, Integrity Bank & Trust, SRAM, Epic Mountain Gear, Global Technology Group, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, Pikes Peak Road Runners, Kangaroo Coffee, Absolute Body Balance, Brush Crazy, The Gazette, and El Pomar Foundation.
The event also represents a broad collaboration among organizations working to connect people with the outdoors, protect local places, and strengthen the Pikes Peak region's outdoor community.
Volunteers Needed
An event of this scale takes a community to pull off. TOSC and the Garden of the Gods Foundation are still seeking volunteers to help make the evening a success.
Open volunteer roles include setup and teardown crews, parking attendants, hike leaders and sweeps, gate attendants, and Festival Village monitors.
Community members interested in donating their time can view available shifts and sign up directly through the volunteer registration page.
"For 27 years, the Trails and Open Space Coalition held the largest celebration of our parks system in the region, the Starlight Spectacular. I still see the vintage Starlight shirts around town all the time. People ask us when we are going to bring it back, and it has become a tradition for many families. I'm happy to say, it's back!" said Glenn Carlson, Executive Director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition.
"The places that shape us deserve people who are willing to care for them. The Starlight Spectacular is more than an evening of celebration, it's a reminder of what's possible when neighbors, organizations, and community partners come together with a shared commitment to something greater than themselves. Together with TOSC, Rock Ledge Ranch, and Garden of the Gods Park, we're creating an opportunity to celebrate the beauty, history, and wonder of these remarkable places while investing in their future. Every person who joins us becomes part of a lasting legacy, helping ensure these treasured landscapes continue to inspire curiosity, connection, and joy for generations to come," said Christina Haywood, Executive Director of the Garden of the Gods Foundation.
Volunteer information:
Starlight volunteer sign up
Tickets and additional event details:
Starlight Spectacular tickets
Starlight Spectacular Facebook Event Page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1EHRtKUwaB/
