COS Town Tidings #25-297

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🤣 Today’s Chuckle

📰 Coffins, Costumes & Chaos - What You Need To Know☠️

📰 Amazon's New Springs Station, New Jobs 📦

📰 Fail or Fresh? This Week’s Restaurant Scores Are In! 🍕

Recipe: 🍎 Slow Cooker Apples With Salted Caramel

📆 Local Events + Concerts, Farmers Markets & Fall Fairs/Festivals

⛅ COS Weather - Mostly cloudy, cooler temps with isolated showers possible

Recreation: 🥾 Hike the Hidden Prairie

How do you repair a broken jack-o’-lantern?

👉Use a pumpkin patch 🤣

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☠️ Coffins, Costumes & Chaos - What You Need To Know

Get ready for a day of spooky silliness as Manitou Springs hosts its 31st annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races tomorrow, Oct 25. From a hearse parade and hilarious coffin races to an after-party packed with live music and community fun, this beloved tradition brings thousands of locals and visitors to Manitou Avenue. With major road closures and packed crowds expected, be sure to check shuttle options, rideshare info, and even bike valet services to make your day smooth and stress-free. Costumes are welcome—and so is your sense of humor! Full Story

😍 Best HVAC Local Company
🚫 Don’t Let THIS Happen To Your Furnace!

📦 Amazon's New Springs Station, New Jobs

Amazon has opened a brand-new delivery station near Garden of the Gods Road, designed to make package delivery faster and more efficient across the region. The site features upgraded automation tech that scans and sorts packages using cameras, cutting down on manual handling. It also incorporates Rivian electric vehicles to support cleaner transportation. As part of their expansion, Amazon plans to add more jobs in the area before the holiday shopping rush. Full Story

🎯 The Secret to Financial Confidence You Deserve

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🍕 Fail or Fresh? This Week’s Restaurant Scores Are In!

Health inspections don’t lie—and this week’s results told a story of both slip-ups and standouts. One Fountain restaurant got off to a rocky start with a dozen violations but quickly turned things around under new ownership. Here’s a quick look at the latest food safety updates:

🚫 Shut Down or Flagged for Violations:

• Korean Garden (Fountain)

  • 12 violations, including:

    • Cross-contamination with gloves

    • Improper food temperatures (raw chicken, pork loin)

    • No date labels on some food

Note: Korean Garden has since changed ownership and dramatically improved their score on reinspection! Full story

🥇 Top Scores! Several Colorado Springs favorites shined, including one dear to our hearts: Poor Richard’s.

I had the chance to enjoy a meal at Poor Richard’s recently — and yes, Richard himself made my pizza! As a native New Yorker, I have high standards, and this one nailed it: crispy, tender, and full of fresh, flavorful ingredients. But beyond the great food, what stood out most was the sense of care behind the scenes. This is a place where cleanliness and quality go hand in hand — something that’s clearly reflected in their top health score. It’s no surprise they’ve been a downtown favorite for decades. (Don’t forget, they are offering FREE Meals for all federal employees until the shut down is over. Click for details!)

✅ High Scores:

• Maria’s Taco Shop (E Pikes Peak Ave)

  • Clean kitchen, standout birria tacos, and a team that takes cleanliness seriously

• Poor Richard’s Restaurant (Tejon)

  • Known for fresh ingredients, cozy vibes, and long-standing commitment to healthy, clean food prep

• Rudy’s Bar-B-Q (31st St)

  • Consistent with cleanliness and customer care

Health inspection results across El Paso County are available online for those wanting to check their favorite spots.

*Note: Most local restaurants take food safety incredibly seriously. In fact, many owners respond to violations swiftly and thoroughly, often making fixes the same day while they wait for reinspection. 

🍞 Fresh Baked Sourdough breads, pastries 
📍3312 Austin Bluffs (Inside The Cupcake Doctor): 
M-Sat, 9am-6pm & Sun, 10am-2pm
(Seasonal Items Added)

🍎 Slow Cooker Apples With Salted Caramel

This recipe is lightly sweetened with homemade caramel sauce and can be made the night before.

Access the complete recipe with tailored modifications to suit your dietary requirements, along with convenient print options.

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🎉 Events Calendar! (More events including FREE, click here) 

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📆 Sample Local Events

For more weekend Events, click here

*Weather Permitting

• Oct thru 31: Old Colorado City October Strolls

• Oct 24, 9am-11am: Birdability Big Sit at Fountain Creek Nature Center FREE

• Oct 24, Noon-1pm: Talon Talk @ Wild Birds Unlimited FREE

• Oct 24-26, 1-4 PM: 3-Hour Original Colorado Springs Food Tour @1 Tejon St $69-$87

• Oct 24, 6pm: Steak Night/Halloween Party @ Post 5 American Legion, 15 E Platte $18

• Oct 24 (7pm), 25-26 (2:30pm): First Company Theater Presents, Brigadoon @First United Methodist Church, 420 N Nevada $20

• Oct 25, 8:30-11am: Veterans Bird Walk @ the US Air Force Academy FREE

• Oct 25 & 26, 9am-4pm: Purranormal 2025 Cat Show @ Under the Sun Training, 6540 Vincent Dr $10

• Oct 25, 4-6pm: Birdability: Car Birding Adventure along Squirrel Creek Road and Kane Ranch FREE

• Oct 25, 6:30-8pm: Movies Under the Stars - Trick ‘r Treat (R) @Bristol Brewing FREE  (Last one for the year)

• Oct 25, 7pm-midnight: Salsa Night At Ivywild @ 1604 S Cascade Ave $23.18

• Oct 26, 8-11am: Birdability: Trail Evaluation of Red Rock Canyon Open Space FREE

• Oct 26, 10am-Noon: Beginner Dot Mandala Painting Workshop @Treehouse Cafe, 5965 N Academy $50 (1 Spot Left)

• Oct 26, Noon-3pm: Owl Be There Art Class with Renee Darling @Jaks Brewing, 555 Amelia St $75

• Oct 26, 3-6pm: Birdability Social @ JAKs Brewing Co, 555 Amelia St

• Oct 29, 6pm: Secret of Black Forest Bistro Murder Mystery Dinner @6750 Shoup Rd $80 (Limited Seats Left)

• Oct 29, 7-9pm: Murder Mystery Dinner: Midnight at the Masquerade @ ViewHouse, 7114 Campus Dr $70 (7 tickets Left)

• Nov 1, 7:30pm: The RiP Improv: Artificial Intelligence @The MAT, 1626 S Tejon $17.50

• Nov 2, 1-4pm: Lighted Block Mosaic Class @ The Glass Collective, 828 East Fillmore $80 (Filling Up Fast)

• Nov 8, 8am-noon: Bear Creek Bear Run @Bear Creek Nature Center $20-$65 (Registration open for this fun, family friendly annual event!)

• Nov 8, 7pm: Oxymorons Comedy: Hunger Games Charity Event @Peak Improv Theater, 3440 N Carefree $15 (family friendly)

• Nov 15, 6-9pm: Murder Mystery, The Hollywood Hit @Great Wolf Lodge, 9494 Federal Dr $74.95-$79.95

👩‍🌾 Farmers Markets - Weather permitting

• Oct 26, 9am-2pm: COS Sunday Market @Acacia Park, Downtown (Last one for the season)

🎶 Fall Concerts - Weather permitting

• Oct 24, 4-7pm: Americana: Manitou Strings @Mining Exchange Hotel, 8 S Nevada FREE

• Nov 7 & 8, 7:30pm: COS Philharmonic: Top Gun: Maverick @Pikes Peak Center $58

• Nov 29, 3:30-7pm: Handel's Messiah: A Christmas Concert @ Glen Eyrie Castle $55-$65 (Add $40 dinner optional) Limited Tickets Available

• Dec 21, 3pm: Pikes Peak Philharmonic: Jazz @ENT Center for the Arts, 5225 N Nevada $14-$20

🍂 Fall Festivals, Fairs & Activities - Weather permitting

• Oct thru 31, Director's Cut: Haunted Lantern Tour @Cave of the Winds $45 (Ages: 13+)

• Oct 24-26 & 31 (Fri's 9:30am-2:30pm), (Sat/Sun 9:30-4pm): Pumpkin Fest @Gaither Mountain Blooms, 5210 S Hwy 85 $11.17

• Oct 24-26, 10am-5pm (Every Fri, Sat & Sun): Long Neck Pumpkin Farm @ 7595 California Dr, COS $18

• Oct 24, 26, 31, 4-8:30pm: Boo at the Zoo @ Cheyenne Mtn Zoo $24

• Oct 24, starting at 5pm: Manitou Ghost Tours @Manitou Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Ave $19.89 (Last day)

• Oct 25, 9am-4pm, Miner's Pumpkin Patch @ Western Museum of Mining & Industry, 225 North Gate $13 (Last one for the season)

• Oct 25 (9am-4pm) & 26 (10am-3pm): Coronado Craft Fair & Bazaar @ Coronado High School, 1590 W Fillmore

  • —> 🌿 Zenfullyme: Your Answer To Aches, Stress & Problem Skin

• Oct 25, 9am-2pm: Community Market @ Calvary Worship Center, 501 Castle Rd 

  • Ivy will be here! —> 🎨 To design her future, she had to rediscover her past

• Oct 25, 9:30am-4pm: Pup-Kin Days @Gather Mountain Blooms, 5210 S Hwy 85 $5.72

• Oct 25, 10am-7pm: Emma Crawford Coffin Races @downtown Manitou

• Oct 25, 10am-2pm: GingerSnap Rescue Ranch Trunk or Treat @ 16555 DeGroot Rd $7

• Oct 25, Noon-5pm: Spooktacular Saturday @Everyday Girl Adventures, 2506 W Colorado Ave FREE

• Oct 25, 2-6pm: Family Fall Festival & Trunk or Treat @ 3315 W. Carefree Cir FREE

• Oct 25, 3-6pm: Resonate Fall Open House @ 2906 Beacon St FREE (sensory-friendly)

• Oct 26, Noon - 3pm: Trunk of Treat @ Community Congregational Church of Manitou Springs

• Oct 26, 4-6pm: Southeast YMCA Fall Family Festival @ 2190 Jet Wing Dr FREE

• Nov 1, 10am-2pm: Everything but the Oink @Rock Ledge Ranch $8

• Nov 14 (10am-5pm), 15 (10am-6pm), 16 (10am-5pm): Colorado Springs Christmas Gift Show @Colorado Springs Event Center, 3960 Palmer Park Blvd $12 (Save $2 through Nov 13)

🥾 Hike the Hidden Prairie

For a serene escape just outside city limits, Bluestem Prairie Open Space offers over 600 acres of quiet grasslands and gentle trails. The 4-mile Big Bluestem Trail is perfect for an easy stroll, or you can add the Meadowlark Loop for a longer loop through rolling prairie filled with wildlife. This is a dog-free zone to protect sensitive bird habitats, including burrowing owls. With no water or shade, it’s best to visit early or late in the day—and ideally during cooler months to avoid rattlesnakes, which are common here.

Gay Heath of Colorado Fan Club reminds hikers to stay alert, skip the headphones, and savor the sweeping views that feel far removed from city life.

Location: Trailhead is at 6254 Goldfield Drive (just off of Powers), and parking is free

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