Community Corner
🌱 What’s new at this year’s Garden of Lights in Fort Collins?
Be sure to catch Swashbuckling Doctors on the Fort Collins Patch calendar
Good morning Fort Collins! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- What’s new at this year’s Garden of Lights in Fort Collins?
- Why Fort Collins just became Colorado’s model city for birds
- What’s next for Locust Cider’s soon-to-close Walnut Avenue taproom?
Also on today's calendar: Foothills - Winter Farmers Market and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in Fort Collinsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Today's riddle: What did one tuna say to the other after getting caught stealing files from work? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Fort Collinsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Thursday: Breezy in the morning, with a high of 64 and low of 30 degrees.
- Friday: Cooler with some sun, temps: high: 51, low: 30.
- Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 50 and low of 23 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Garden of Lights Returns to Brighten Northern Colorado (northfortynews.com) — Fort Collins families can stroll through more than 250,000 holiday lights when Garden of Lights returns to The Gardens on Spring Creek December 12–28, with nightly timed entry from 5–8 p.m. New features include an immersive Ice Forest, a color-changing Gumdrop Garden, and visits from Santa alongside local performers, with ticket prices scaled for adults and children. 
2. Fort Collins Achieves High Flyer Status as a Colorado Bird City (wearemontrose.com) — Fort Collins has earned High Flyer status in the Bird City Colorado program, making it the first community in the state to reach this advanced conservation tier. Local groups and city departments are improving habitats, cutting plastics, and celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, positioning Fort Collins as a model for bird-friendly cities worldwide.
3. Locust Cider to close Fort Collins location (greeleytribune.com) — Locust Cider’s taproom at 200 Walnut Ave. in Fort Collins is expected to close around the end of the year, with hopes of reopening as a fully gluten-free, celiac-safe restaurant under a new managing partner. Rising operating costs pushed the cidery to shutter many taprooms nationwide, but its head chef is working to keep a refreshed concept alive locally.
4. Man dies in pedestrian-car crash on Mulberry Street in Fort Collins (coloradoan.com) — A 37-year-old man was struck and killed while crossing East Mulberry Street near Air Park Drive on the night of Dec. 1, highlighting ongoing pedestrian safety concerns on that busy Fort Collins corridor. Family members remember Charles “Chad” Winters, who grew up in Fort Collins and attended local schools and CSU, as a creative, book-loving resident who chose to remain in the city despite recent homelessness and mental health struggles.
5. Longmont, Loveland Seat New Mayors on Platte River Board (northfortynews.com) — Fort Collins’ power supply is indirectly affected as Longmont and Loveland seat new mayors on the Platte River Power Authority board, which also serves Fort Collins and Estes Park. The board will soon vote on the 2026 strategic budget, guiding investments in decarbonization and reliability under a 2030 noncarbon energy goal that shapes future electricity costs and stability for local ratepayers.
📸 Around Fort Collins
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Fort Collins
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Swashbuckling Doctors
Aggie Theatre, 204 S College Ave, Fort Collins
7:00 pm
Thursday December 11
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- All Orchestras Concert
Preston Middle School Fort Collins, CO 80528
7:00 pm - Love You Snow Much
Pinot's Palette , 159 W Mountain Ave , Fort Collins
7:00 pm - Girls Basketball Varsity @ Fruita; start TBD
Rocky Mountain High School Fort Collins, CO 80526
8:30 am - Boys Basketball Tip off Classic @ Chaparral; start TBD
Rocky Mountain High School Fort Collins, CO 80526
4:00 pm - Foothills - Winter Farmers Market
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
10:00 am - Foothills - Free Carriage Rides
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
5:00 pm - Foothills - Chanukah Wonderland
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
11:00 am - Foothills - FoCo Vintage Market
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
11:00 am - Foothills - Santa Pawz Pet Photos
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
4:00 pm - Foothills - Winter Farmers Market
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
10:00 am - Foothills - Free Carriage Rides
Foothills Activity Center , 241 E Foothills Pkwy , Fort Collins
5:00 pm
Thursday December 11
Friday December 12
Saturday December 13
Sunday December 14
Monday December 15
Saturday December 20
📣 Fort Collins Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Hey garden friends!
just a reminder to plant these now, yes, in December! especially if we want to build beautiful and productive edible gardens. These are slow growers,… (Nextdoor Old Prospect) - My puppy is missing.
Let me know if you see him. I’m on Hillcrest (Nextdoor P.O.E.T Neighborhood Group)
- Target Corporation posted a job opening for Seasonal: 4am Inbound (Stocking) (T2403) in Fort Collins. Apply here.
- Tractor Supply Company posted a job opening for Team Member in Fort Collins. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fort Collins here.
Ok Fort Collins! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I could get canned for this!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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