Centennial's Busiest Fall Host Is the City Itself

Most of what's new in Centennial between now and winter traces back to one organizer. The City of Centennial is pouring the Saturday tastings at Centennial Center Park and running its first leaf drop-off at the Public Works yard. It co-sponsors a trick-or-treat night, and it signed a sales-tax deal that helped bring Colorado's first Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant to County Line Road. It is also building the trail underpass that changes how you reach the park. Then on Nov. 3, Centennial voters decide whether to raise the city's own sales tax to pay for the roads that tie all of it together.

That makes this fall unusually easy to plan, because nearly everything has a city calendar page, a fixed address and a set time.

The October calendar, in one place

South Suburban Parks and Recreation runs the Halloween events. You'll find them on its 2026 fall events page. The two items at the top of the table are the ones the city runs itself.

A Saturday afternoon of local pours

Sip in Centennial runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Centennial Center Park. The city's listing promises tastings from local breweries and distilleries, food trucks, and live music all afternoon. Moon Honey plays from 1 to 2:30, and Josh Blackburn follows from 3 to 4:30. Anyone can attend, but you need to be 21 or older for the tastings. That makes it a reasonable family outing, even if half the group only comes for the food trucks.

Getting there takes a little more planning this year. The city is building the Lone Tree Creek Trail underpass beneath East Arapahoe Road between Revere Parkway and Potomac Street. The project began in spring 2026 and is scheduled to finish in spring 2027. Its project page lists turn and through-traffic restrictions at Revere, pedestrian detours, and fall 2026 work in the Arapahoe median. The park is still open. The city's Centennial Center Park page suggests coming in on Peoria, Vaughn or Potomac streets until the work is done.

Once it's finished, the underpass lets trail users pass under Arapahoe Road instead of crossing traffic at Revere Parkway. So this fall's detour is building a walking route under the busiest road between the trail and the park.

The city's first leaf drop-off

The week after Sip, the city and its public works contractor Jacobs are hosting what the city calls its first Fall Leaf Drop-Off Event. The tagline is "Rake 'Em, Bag 'Em, Bring 'Em!" The stated goal is to help residents clear their yards and keep leaves out of streets and storm drains.

The details are short and specific:

1. Bag leaves in brown paper lawn and leaf bags. The city lists Ace Hardware, Lowe's and King Soopers as places to buy them.
2. Bring the bags Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 23, between 2 and 6 p.m.
3. Drop them at the collection container in the south parking area of Centennial Public Works, 7272 S. Eagle St.
4. Call 303-325-8000 with questions.

A1 Organics composts the leaves after they are collected. Because this is the first year, there's no record yet of how busy the 2-to-6 window gets. The five-day run gives anyone with a large lot a few chances to haul everything over.

The winery the city helped land

The biggest arrival of the season is at Centennial's southern edge, across County Line Road from Park Meadows. There, the former Stickley Furniture space at 9511 E. County Line Road in Centennial Promenade is being split between two tenants, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant and L.L.Bean.

The city had a hand in it. On July 21, City Council unanimously approved a sales-tax reimbursement agreement with the center's owner, B33 Centennial Promenade III LLC, as the Centennial Citizen reported. The terms are performance-based. The city returns 50% of the city sales tax the project generates each year, up to $700,000 in total, and expects to reach that cap in about four years. The money goes toward the stores' facade improvements, and nothing is paid up front. City staff estimated the two businesses could bring in about $17 million in combined annual sales. City documents put private spending on the interior and exterior remodel at more than $11 million. The resolution states the city's reasoning plainly:

"In addition to generating significant new sales tax revenue, these tenants will increase customer traffic throughout Centennial Promenade, support neighboring businesses, enhance the quality and appearance of the center, and further establish Centennial Promenade as a destination for premier retail and dining experiences."

City materials describe the Cooper's Hawk as about 12,000 square feet of restaurant and wine-tasting space, the chain's first in Colorado. The agreement also allows an outdoor dining patio. BusinessDen reported on Sept. 30 that the company planned to open on Nov. 23. The chain has more than 75 locations in 15 states, and founder Tim McEnery opened the first one in Illinois in 2005. Cooper's Hawk's own Centennial location page says only that it opens "this winter." It already lists Restaurant & Tasting Room hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 to 10 Friday, 10 to 10 Saturday and 10 to 9 Sunday. The page also promotes the brand's Wine Club and private events. Nov. 23 is the date to watch, not a sure thing. Hiring has started, with the Centennial careers page showing openings for servers, cooks, bartenders and tasting-room attendants.

L.L.Bean is a move, not a new store. City materials describe it as a relocation from Park Meadows Retail Resort into about 15,600 square feet at the Promenade. The sources reviewed for this post give no L.L.Bean opening date, and L.L.Bean's own store page still lists the Park Meadows location. The agreement requires both tenants to open by June 1, 2027, with a 12-month extension possible only for circumstances beyond their control. Their neighbors in the center are World Market, Ross and Michaels.

One thing to know if you drive that way: the County Line Road widening in Douglas County's construction updates is the University-to-Broadway stretch, miles west of Park Meadows. Centennial's roadway projects page lists no active project on the I-25 end of County Line.

The one opening the city had nothing to do with

The exception is a privately opened neighborhood spot. Westword's September openings roundup, published Oct. 1, lists Pho Tumi at 8283 S. Akron St. as a new Centennial opening. The roundup gives no exact opening day. A pho shop open since September is the easiest thing on this list to try on a weeknight, with no calendar or ticket required.

Why the ballot fits the same story

The rebate deal and the ballot measure came up at the same July council meeting. In August, City Council voted to send a sales and use tax question to voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, election. According to the city's ballot measure page, the proposal adds one percentage point, raising the city rate from 2.5% to 3.5%. The city projects about $27 million a year for transportation infrastructure. The city's published ballot language says that if voters approve, the increase takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and the money is dedicated to Public Works transportation needs.

This post takes no position on the measure. It's here because it explains the rest of the season. A city that collects sales tax has reason to court a 12,000-square-foot winery, and a city that spends that tax on transportation is the one building the underpass you'll detour around on your way to Sip. The vote is 24 days from today.

If you're watching how Cooper's Hawk, the L.L.Bean move and the County Line Road retail strip change the southern edge of Centennial, Whitney Cain follows these openings closely and is glad to share what each one means for the homes nearby. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.