Castle Rock offers $500 neighborhood grants for 250, 150 celebrations

Castle Rock neighborhoods can tap town money for block parties, ice cream socials, movie nights, sports tournaments and arts-and-crafts events tied to America 250 and Colorado 150. The town is offering up to 20 Neighborhood Grants of up to $500 each, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through November 2026 or until the money runs out. Requests must be submitted at least 21 days before the event.

The grants are aimed at residents and homeowners associations planning celebrations inside Castle Rock town limits, not closed private gatherings. Town officials say the events must be open to the broader community, giving neighborhood groups a way to build something visible and public, whether that means a street gathering, a family night at a park or another small-scale celebration that fits the milestone year.

The rules are tight enough to keep the money focused on actual events. Awardees must file a post-event report within 21 days after the gathering ends, and that report has to include at least three photos and receipts for purchases made with town funds. Any unspent money must be returned within 30 days, and applicants are expected to respond to follow-up questions or risk losing approval. Town staff also review each request for a clear, realistic budget and evidence that the group can carry out the event.

The neighborhood awards sit inside a larger 250/150 grant program that also includes bigger awards for service contract partners and other community organizations. Castle Rock says that broader effort includes up to four grants of up to $15,000 and up to three grants of up to $10,000, alongside the neighborhood-level grants. The town is also planning banners, patriotic displays and special events around the commemoration.

Mayor Jason Gray has described the sesquiquincentennial as a once-in-a-generation celebration, and the town says it wants to see residents mark it in creative ways. That local push matches the statewide picture. History Colorado says Colorado will be the only state observing both the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado in 2026, and the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission has built 13 signature initiatives to shape the observance.

The timing lands in a fast-growing county. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Douglas County’s population at 399,396 on July 1, 2025, up from 393,995 a year earlier, 357,978 in 2020 and 285,465 in 2010. In a county changing that quickly, Castle Rock is using a modest pot of town money to push the biggest anniversaries of 2026 down to the block level.