Castle Rock firefighters maintain holiday star atop Colorado landmark ahead of Starlighting

It's almost time for a beloved Colorado tradition in Castle Rock; Saturday is the Starlighting, a community festival kicking off the holiday season. That's when the star on top of the Castle Rock is turned on, followed by a fireworks display. But many community members may not know there's a group of firefighters dedicated to taking care of the star year-round.

"Really what it is maintaining and keeping that tradition that we started back in 1936 alive," said Jay Allen, Castle Rock firefighter and lead keeper of the star.

Since the Great Depression, a star has shone bright over Castle Rock during the holidays.

"There wasn't a lot of hope in the town. And so they decided that for the Christmas season, is what they called it, that they wanted to construct a Christmas star," Allen said.

Four Castle Rock firefighters are the Keepers of the Star, and Allen leads the team.

"It's a pretty a big honor to get to do it. It's special, you know, having grown up here in town and in seeing that as a kid, and then and now, getting to be directly a part of that is, is very special to me," Allen said.

The keepers work year-round to maintain the star.

"There's wire that needs to be replaced, there's sockets that need to be replaced. So it's just kind of upkeep on it," Allen said.

But this time of year is their time to shine.

"We were up there about a week and a half ago. All four of us went up there, and we all typically have a chance to climb. All of us enjoy it," Allen said.

They hike to the base, climb the Castle Rock and ascend the star itself to make sure it's ready for its moment in the spotlight.

"All of us wear a harness for safety while we're climbing the structure, the star structure itself," Allen said.

The day of the Starlighting they do a final check.

"Usually the bottom half of the star hasn't been completely finished yet, and so we put the rest of the bulbs in the star and make sure it's ready to go," Allen said.

That evening, when the people of Castle Rock shout "Light the Star," one of the keepers flips the breaker.

"It's the kickoff to the holidays, which I love," Allen said.

The star stays on through the National Western Stock Show in Denver. In some special years, special colored bulbs are added, like orange and blue when the Broncos made the Super Bowl.

"During the holiday season, we essentially take turns going up there. We keep an eye on the star when a bulb goes out, then we try to get on it quickly," Allen said.

The keepers have recently made structural upgrades recommended by an engineer and started changing some of the star's bulbs from incandescent to LED. The hope is that the star will remain a beacon of light for decades to come.

"Coming down the hill into Castle Rock to get to see, the star lit up. That was a symbol that I'm back at home," Allen said.

The star will be lit Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Castle Rock. The Starlighting event runs 2–6 p.m.