This week near Blazek Loop: October 21, 2026.

Welcome to the first edition of our weekly community update, written for anyone watching 2552 Blazek Loop in the Garden Ranch neighborhood of northeast Colorado Springs. Each week we round up verifiable local news for this corner of town: events near the UCCS campus, changes along North Academy and Austin Bluffs, and everyday places worth knowing. Here is what is happening the week of October 21, 2026.

Halloween week fills the calendar.

Thursday night, October 22, the Heller Center at UCCS opens its Fall Salon Series at 6 p.m. with artist Sam Aros-Mitchell on Indigenous practice and heritage. On Friday, October 23, UCCS Radio's annual Battle of the Bands runs 7 to 10 p.m. in Berger Hall, and it doubles as a campus costume contest, so expect a lively crowd. Saturday's family pick is Boo at Briargate, a Toy Story-themed trick-or-treating afternoon at The Shops at Briargate (1885 Briargate Pkwy, 3 to 5 p.m.), a short drive up the Academy corridor. And for art lovers, GOCA at the Ent Center for the Arts opens "Ode To Pages: Shanah Leaf" on October 29, running through December 19 right at University Village.

Heads up on Austin Bluffs Parkway.

Colorado Springs Utilities' Central Bluffs Substation project keeps rolling single-lane closures on Austin Bluffs Parkway between Goldenrod Drive and North Union Boulevard. The project consolidates two substations and a switch station into one facility, and the work is expected to wrap up around January 2027. Give that stretch a few extra minutes during the holidays, and check the project page on csu.org before you head out.

Family news in the neighborhood.

The former Garden Ranch YMCA building is now home to child care run by Revolution Church, a useful addition for families living in or moving to this part of town. Worth knowing if you are shopping for a home here with young kids.

Easy weekend wins.

Two local kitchens on Austin Bluffs Parkway are worth your Saturday: Doug's Breakfast Lunch (3659 Austin Bluffs Pkwy) for a no-fuss breakfast, and Heart of Jerusalem Cafe (4587 Austin Bluffs Pkwy), a longtime favorite for Mediterranean plates. For errands, Union Square at North Academy and Union has Chipotle, Panda Express, Thai Taste Cuisine, a 7Brew, and Crunch Fitness. And with the leaves turning in the foothills, a fall hike at Austin Bluffs Open Space or Pulpit Rock Park is hard to beat.