🪿 Welcome to Winter Solstice

12/15 - Jingle on the Avenue, Awkward Family Photos, & Peaks to Plains Trail

Author

The Golden Goose
December 15, 2025

Good morning, Golden! Good news…things are starting to get brighter after Sunday. And I don’t just mean because Christmas is around the corner. Winter Solstice is on Sunday — when the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, giving us the fewest hours of daylight. Goodbye 4:30pm sunsets. Get outta here Seasonal Affective Disorder. ✌️ This goose needs SUNSHINE. Which we got lots of yesterday so this is me being greedy and wanting more.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

In today’s issue:

  • 🚵 Peaks to Plains Trail

  • 📌 Bulletin Board

  • 📆 Events This Week & Upcoming

🚵 Peaks to Plains Trail

If you haven’t walked, run, biked, or enjoyed it already, the newest segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail opened November 21st and adds another 1.5 miles to the existing trail from Downtown Golden.

The Peaks to Plains Trail is a long-term vision to create a 65-mile paved route connecting Denver’s South Platte Trail all the way to Loveland Pass—linking four counties, seven cities, and climbing more than a mile in elevation along the way.

Next up…the Huntsman's Rancho Segment adds another 1.5-mile segment and opens up in late 2026.

📌 Bulletin Board

Comprehensive Plan Draft Review Feedback (closes Dec 15) - Provide your comments on Golden’s Comprehensive Plan, “a long-range policy guide, created with community input and adopted by City Council, that shapes future land use, development, and infrastructure decisions.”

JeffCo Transporation Safety Survey (closes Dec 19) - “Have you ever felt unsafe on Jefferson County roads—whether walking, biking, driving, or riding the bus? We want to hear from you!” Takes only 5 minutes, and you don’t have to sign in.

Free Fitness Week at Unite Fitness - Unite is offering free classes this week. Simply select “Free Fitness Week $0” when you purchase your class through Mindbody.

Improve Your Pickleball Game at the Golden Rec Center - Starting January 4, the Rec Center will begin offering Pickleball Mixers, Drill and Play classes, and a Pickleball Clinic focused on refining technical skills.

Reminders:

New Teen Pottery Offerings in the New Year - “Golden Community Center is expanding its ceramics offerings to include youth ages 11-19. The brand-new Teen Wheel Throwing Pottery class and Youth Ceramics classes begin in January.”

TRIVIA QUESTION:

When did the first portions of the Peaks to Plains Trail in Clear Creek Canyon Park open?

A. 2016
B. 2017
C. 2021

Answer at the end

📆 Events This Week & Upcoming

Highlighted in green = Kid Friendly

TUESDAY (12/16)

  • 🍺 Golden Beer Talks (12/16 @ 6pm) - “Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joins us for an engaging evening of conversation, offering insights from his career in public service and his current work leading the Colorado Department of Law.” Free to attend at the Buffalo Rose.

WEDNESDAY (12/17)

THURSDAY (12/18)

FRIDAY (12/19)

SATURDAY (12/20)

  • Jingle on the Avenue (12/20 @ 11am) - “This magical holiday character mingle lets families meet classic and new favorite holiday characters while enjoying lively entertainment…”

  • 🧘 Winter Solstice - Yin Yoga & Massage Workshop (12/20 @ 12:15pm) - “As the longest night of the year invites us inward, join us for a deeply restorative yin yoga and massage workshop designed to honor the quiet wisdom of winter.”

SUNDAY (12/21)

  • 🏃 Parent Run Club Holiday Happy Hour (12/21 @ 4pm) - “Join us for a festive kids music class from @noteswithnicolemusic and happy hour at Holidaily on 12/21!! No run scheduled for this month… instead treat yourself to a 🍻 and a fun evening for the kiddos. 🎶 No cost, just show up and enjoy.”

  • 🎵 Spinphony Electric String Quartet at The Rose (12/21 @ 6pm) - “Instrumental crossover string group Spinphony is breaking down barriers between classical, rock, and pop music.”

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • 😵‍💫 The Holidays…

THANKS!

As always, thanks for reading. If you know someone who’s always asking, “What’s going on in Golden?”—go ahead and forward this their way. This goose loves a referral.

A. 2016 (source)