Taste of Douglas County 2026: The 24th Annual Is Aug 20

One of Douglas County's longest-running food events is back for its 24th year. According to the official Taste of Douglas County website, the 2026 Taste returns on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 5 to 8pm at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock.

The details

• What: The 24th Annual Taste of Douglas County
• When: Thursday, August 20, 2026, 5–8pm
• Where: Douglas County Events Center — an indoor, air-conditioned venue on the grounds of the Douglas County Fair in Castle Rock
• Tickets: $10 in advance, $20 at the door

The organizers note the events center is "the perfect venue for an event of this type" — indoor and air-conditioned, which in late August is no small thing.

What's included

Per the official site, one ticket covers the whole spread:

• Food samples from dozens of area restaurants and food-service establishments
• Beverages from Pepsi and others
• Live entertainment
• A live appearance from KNUS radio talk-show hosts

It's a graze-your-way-through-the-county format — a lot of local kitchens under one roof for a single evening. This year's sponsors include KNUS and South State Bank, with Pepsi providing beverages.

Tickets

Buying ahead saves you half: tickets are $10 in advance versus $20 at the door. Full details and advance tickets are on the official Taste of Douglas County website. You'll also find it on our events calendar.

Two big food tastings in one late summer

The Taste of Douglas County is one of two marquee food-festival tastings landing in the county within weeks of each other this year. The other is Yelp's inaugural Taste of Parker Food Festival on Tuesday, September 15 at Parker Station — a 21+ tasting of 30+ local vendors that doubles as a food drive. Together they bookend late summer with a lot of good eating. See both on our full guide to food and drink events across Douglas County.

And in between, Parker's cultural calendar delivers Fiesta Parker on Saturday, August 22 — an all-ages celebration of Latin food, music, and culture, with 10 to 15 food vendors, at Parker Station.

More to do around Castle Rock

The Events Center sits on the Douglas County Fair grounds, so it's easy to fold the Taste into a bigger local outing:

• The venue is the same grounds behind the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo
• Chasing local flavor year-round? See where to buy fresh, local meat in Douglas County and the county's farmers markets
• For everything else on this season, browse the county-wide Summer of Fun guide
• And for the whole food-and-drink calendar in one place, see our guide to food and drink events across Douglas County

Love a great food night out? So do we.

A room full of local kitchens is our idea of a good evening — and we host our own dinners, too. If good food with good company is your thing, pull up a chair:

• Dinner Club — rotating small-group dinners at standout local restaurants in Castle Rock, Parker, and Lone Tree
• Couples Dinner — a night out for couples looking to meet other couples
• KB Sunset Supper Club — our farm-to-table dinner series on the ranch in Castle Rock

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Taste of Douglas County 2026 (24th Annual)
Douglas County Events Center · Douglas County Fair grounds, Castle Rock, CO
Thursday, August 20, 2026 · 5–8pm · $10 advance / $20 at the door
tasteofdouglascounty.com

Reported by DougCo Social on August 3, 2026, from the official Taste of Douglas County website. Details and ticket prices may change — confirm on the official site before you go.