In Allenspark, the Winter Week Starts on Wednesday

Starting this month, the counter at 10758 Highway 7, just down the road from St. Catherine's Chapel, is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tahosa Coffee House runs winter hours from November through April. It's closed Monday and Tuesday, open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. On summer Sundays it stayed open until 4.

That short schedule shapes the rest of the season. With the coffee counter closed two days a week and every afternoon ending at 3, Allenspark's winter social calendar runs Wednesday through Sunday and moves later in the day. Up the highway at 14863 Colorado Hwy 7, The Old Gallery's winter events calendar picks up close to the hour Tahosa locks up.

Here's the regular weekly pattern from now through the holidays. Dated events are listed further down.

Mondays and Tuesdays Point Toward Wild Basin

The two days with no coffee counter are a good fit for the one big thing outside town that gets easier in winter. According to the National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park's standard timed-entry reservations for 2026 ran from May 22 through October 12, and the Bear Lake Road option ran through October 18. Both of those windows have closed.

The trade-off is a longer walk. When Wild Basin Road closes for winter, the gate sits about a mile before the main Wild Basin Trailhead, and the Colorado Mountain Club notes that this adds about a mile to any route starting there. The park's Wild Basin winter trail guide lists one-way distances from the winter trailhead of 1.1 miles to Copeland Falls and 2.6 miles to Calypso Cascades. Copeland Falls works as a short outing on foot. Calypso Cascades makes it a half-day.

Once there's enough snow, the park's winter recreation page lists snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as options. It also says the park has no groomed ski trails, so you'll be breaking or following trail. The park doesn't post live road status on its website, so check current park notices before you drive down.

One Tuesday a month is the exception. The Old Gallery's Community Potluck happens on the first Tuesday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. Supper starts at 6, and longtime host Tony Ploughe asks people to arrive a little early to set up. The November potluck was this past Tuesday. The next one is December 1.

Wednesday Opens the Week at 3 O'Clock

Wednesday is the first day of the winter week, and it's also the clearest example of how the season moves later in the day. The Hilltop Guild is a community group of artists, crafters, weavers and quilters, and its own site says it meets on Wednesdays from May through October at Kelley House. That run of meetings has just ended. On Wednesday, November 11, the Guild co-sponsors Cocktails & Crochet at The Old Gallery from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is free, BYOB, and needs no RSVP. The gallery invites people to bring "whatever project has been hibernating in your craft bag."

The 3 p.m. start falls right when Tahosa closes for the day. The Guild's work also reaches past the craft table. Its fundraisers mainly pay for scholarships for students in Estes Park and Lyons, and they also support local organizations, including the Allenspark Fire Protection District.

Thursday Nights Upstairs

Thursday has the only free weekly evening event on the calendar. Movie Night runs every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. upstairs at The Old Gallery. Jen and Micheal host, and the gallery takes requests sent ahead to [email protected]. If you're reading this on Thursday, November 5, tonight is one of those nights.

Saturdays Run Into the Evening

Most of the season's Saturday events start at 5 or 5:30 p.m. The gallery pitches its Cocktail Hour as "the perfect excuse to get out of the house and catch up with neighbors" as the days get shorter. It falls on Saturday, November 14, and Saturday, December 12, both at 5 p.m. The December date doubles as the Holiday Cookie Exchange. According to the gallery, Jen Kawata's cocktails are "legendary," so come early if you have a favorite.

Two rodeo nights round out the Saturdays, and both have small headcounts:

• Saturday, November 7, 5:30 p.m. The PBR Team Bull Riding Championships on the big screen. A $20 ticket includes a grilled burger with the fixings, and there's room for 20.
• Saturday, December 5. A National Finals Rodeo Surf & Turf supper. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for appetizers and drinks, and tickets are $50 with dessert included. Seating is again capped at 20, and tickets went on sale November 1.

With 20 seats each, these nights can sell out early. That's the reason to put the December 5 supper on the calendar now and not the week of.

Weekends Hold the Daylight Hours, Too

Weekends are the one stretch where daytime hours run longer than the coffee counter's. The Holiday Shoppe is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December 20, with handcrafted gifts from local artisans, including holiday pieces brought in by Old Gallery artists. It stays open an hour past Tahosa's weekend close, so a coffee stop followed by a gift-shopping stop fits into one afternoon. Over Black Friday weekend, the Shoppe adds a hot chocolate bar.

Sunday afternoons go to football. The Old Gallery shows every Broncos game this season on a big screen and asks fans to bring snacks to share. On Sunday, December 13, the Bluegrass Jam takes over from 2 to 4 p.m. It's free with no RSVP, hosted by Cat Osban, and open to players of all levels. If you'd rather listen, there's a cash bar.

The gallery spells out why it brings this programming up the hill:

"It is our goal to offer area residents and visitors this high-quality entertainment without the long drive to the front range."

That comes from The Old Gallery's events page. It also explains that, because the gallery is a nonprofit, its musicians often play for reduced or no fees and may ask for tips. Tipping is optional, and the gallery encourages it.

The Dated Calendar, Through Christmas

These are the dates to know, in order, starting with this weekend:

1. Sat., Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m. PBR Team Bull Riding night, $20, 20 spots
2. Sun., Nov. 8, 11 a.m. Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers
3. Wed., Nov. 11, 3 to 5 p.m. Cocktails & Crochet with the Hilltop Guild
4. Sat., Nov. 14, 5 p.m. Cocktail Hour
5. Sun., Nov. 22, 2:25 p.m. Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders
6. Fri., Nov. 27, 1 p.m. Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, during the Holiday Shoppe's hot chocolate weekend
7. Tue., Dec. 1, 6 p.m. Community Potluck
8. Sat., Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m. NFR Surf & Turf supper, $50, 20 seats
9. Sun., Dec. 6, 2:05 p.m. Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins
10. Sat., Dec. 12, 5 p.m. Cocktail Hour and Holiday Cookie Exchange
11. Sun., Dec. 13, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Broncos vs. New York Jets, then the Bluegrass Jam
12. Sun., Dec. 20 Last Holiday Shoppe day and Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders at 2:25 p.m.
13. Fri., Dec. 25 Christmas Day community supper, then Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills at 2:30 p.m.

The Christmas Day supper is a bring-a-dish meal, and the gallery's invitation covers everyone, "whether you're celebrating with family, flying solo, or just don't feel like doing dishes."

One more event is coming without a date yet. Cabin Fever Cooking Classes is a new winter series held in the gallery's small kitchen. It opens with Kathy Sandmeier teaching beginner candy-making, including peanut brittle and truffles, and how to adjust family holiday recipes for altitude. The first class has six spots, and you sign up by email through the gallery.

Most of what I do at New Roots Real Estate is helping people figure out how a mountain town actually runs from week to week, including when the coffee stops and what fills the evenings once it does. If you're thinking about a winter in Allenspark, or want to compare notes on what a cold-season week looks like up here, schedule a consultation and we'll go through it together.