Austrian Christmas at Schweiger Ranch

No registration needed. Carriage rides are first come, first served. General parking in the RTD RidgeGate Station garage across the street (fees waived during the event); handicap parking in the ranch lot. No dogs.

About this adventure

Historic Schweiger Ranch in Lone Tree, homesteaded by Austrian settlers in 1874, holds its 10th annual Austrian Christmas, a free daytime holiday festival built around the family's heritage. From 11 am to 3 pm children can visit Santa Claus and his real reindeer, ride a horse-drawn carriage (first come, first served, with breaks for the horses), get their faces painted and make crafts at a South Suburban Parks and Recreation table. The Austrian Connections Band plays through the day, food vendors serve Austrian pastries, pretzels and bratwurst, and the Christkindl Markt sells handcrafted ornaments, nutcrackers and gifts. No registration is needed for the event or its activities. The ranch keeps livestock, so dogs are not allowed (licensed service animals are). It is part of the City of Lone Tree's Merry Days weekend, a good daytime companion to the city tree lighting the evening before.