A beloved, historic town just north of Fort Collins, Wellington has more than doubled in size since 2000 while maintaining its small-town, rural roots. As of 2017, the population had nearly reached 10,000, and this growth has created more local businesses (including a restaurant and brewery on this guide!), stable housing market appreciation, and revitalized community areas.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best businesses, facilities and events in Wellington so you can make the most of your time in this charming Front Range community.
For more details on health care facilities, employment opportunities and education in Wellington, click here. And to find homes and properties available right now, click here.
Jump Ahead:
Essential Restaurants | Things to Do | Outdoor Recreation | Annual Events
Essential Restaurants
Wellington Grill
Photo courtesy of Wellington Grill
Locally-owned and -operated by Jon and Donita Comes, Wellington Grill is a family-oriented restaurant with a full bar and a huge menu of American cuisine. With an outstanding patio as well, they also host live music events throughout the summer!
Papa’s Table
Owned and operated by Tom and Rose Casabona and their family, Papa’s Table opened in Wellington in 2017, but these two have been in the restaurant business for decades. In fact, they moved to Wellington to retire but opened Papa’s Table inside the 100-year-old First National Bank Building because they just couldn’t resist. Now, you can get Sunday breakfast, Asian-inspired lunch, Italian dinners, and more.
Pizza Palace
Though a local favorite and staple since the early ‘80s, this Pizza Palace has been locally owned and operated since September 1998. Now, their team tosses their own New York-style pies and bakes them inside stone ovens shipped all the way from New York. We also recommend ordering a sundae, malt, shake or soft-serve ice cream for dessert!
Sol de Jalisco
This locally-owned and family-operated restaurant has been serving authentic Mexican cuisine for a decade in Northern Colorado. They have a location right here in Wellington and another in Windsor, both of which offer huge menus of house specialties, fajitas and enchiladas, seafood, burritos and more. To see the menus, click here.
Things to Do
The Cakery
A beloved business in Wellington, The Cakery is the place to go for custom orders and daily treats. The family-owned bakery produces daily rotating flavors that have included innovative creations like German Chocolate, Turtle Cheesecake and Blueberry French Toast! To see more flavors, click here.
Old Colorado Brewing Co.
When Old Colorado began brewing in 1989, they were one of Colorado’s first micro-breweries, and the family itself has been homebrewing as far back as the early 1900s! Today, from their Wellington brewery, the team is using grandfather’s recipes along with family traditions to brew true craft, award-winning beers.
Owl Canyon Coffee
Located ideally on Wellington’s Main Street, Owl Canyon Coffee is a true neighborhood coffee shop and was born out of the North Forty News office. As the town’s only local coffee house, Owl Canyon gives off classic, cozy vibes alongside handcrafted espresso drinks, coffee, tea, chai, smoothies, burritos, bagels, pastries and other treats.
Sparge Brewing
This hometown craft brewery just opened in June 2019 and is run by a U.S. Army Veteran with a passion for brewing and drinking great craft beer. To keep up with new releases and fun events happening in the taproom, follow the team on Facebook here.
Soul Squared Brewing
Photo courtesy of Kelsey, One Oak Photography via Soul Squared Brewing
Soul Squared is Colorado’s original farm-based brewery. Their team of farmers and brewers use ingredients from their own working farm—as well as other locally sourced items—to create fresh, unique brews in a sustainable fashion. Alongside traditional beers, they also have several gluten-reduced beers, too! To learn about their CSA Beer Club, click here.
Thistle
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Conger via Thistle
Nestled in Downtown Wellington, Thistle is a local, small-town boutique with unique lifestyle and gift items in their ever-changing inventory. Owner Kelly DeVries and her team took over and transformed their little brick and mortar in 2017 with fresh paint, revitalized original wood floors, and a warm community atmosphere.
Wellington Public Library
The Wellington Public Library has a collection including more than 20,000 books, more than 1,500 DVDs, and more than 700 audio materials available to the public and suitable for all ages. But even more than these classic library resources, the library hosts StoryTime for children, Book Club and several other community events. To learn more about their services and events, check out the website here.
Outdoor Recreation
Batting Cages
Operated by the Town of Wellington Recreation Department, these fair-weather batting cages are available seasonally for anyone 6-years-old and above. Featuring fastpitch and slowpitch stations, you can pay $1 for 15 pitches or just $5 for 90! For more information and details, click here.
Centennial Park
The heart of our community, Centennial Park is Wellington’s oldest park and offers 1.75 acres of space for fun. Facilities include two sets of playground equipment for different age groups, a large, irrigated turf area, a fenced basketball court, a fenced skate park and more.
Disc Golf Course
Maintained by the Town of Wellington, this course is set up for fantastic disc golf games! The open expanse includes the East Side 9-Hole Course and the West Side 9-Hole Course and you can print out scorecards online here.
Wellington Community Park
The setting for many of our favorite annual events, Wellington Community Park is the town’s newest. The 30-acre site is home to multi-use trails, two age-appropriate playgrounds, a seasonal splash pad, tennis courts, a multi-purpose field, an off-leash dog park and more.
Annual Events
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
April
This small-town Easter celebration includes a festive egg hunt, face painting, games, snacks, a special appearance by the Easter Bunny and a community food drive for local organizations. To stay up to date on this event, follow the team on Facebook here.
Wellington Brewfest
June
Photo courtesy of Brian Graves via Wellington Brewfest
The inaugural Wellington Brewfest was held in the summer of 2018 and has been returning each summer with more beer, music and family-friendly attractions. The ticketed event includes tons of local beer tastings, kombucha, local food trucks, local bands and more. For ticket giveaways and additional information, follow the team on Facebook here.
Movies in the Park
June – August
A beloved tradition, Movies in the Park is hosted by the Town of Wellington in Centennial Park. Families can come to the park for outdoor screenings of family-friendly movies scheduled throughout the summer months. To stay up to date on this event, follow the team on Facebook here.
4th of July Town Celebration & Fireworks
July
Wellington’s annual Fourth of July Celebration kicks off bright and early with a pancake breakfast and continues throughout the day with the signature car, motorcycle and truck show, a parade on Cleveland Avenue, The Family Fun Fest in Centennial Park, and a fireworks display beginning at dusk. To stay up to date on this event, follow the team on Facebook here.
Well-O-Rama Music Festival
August
Photo courtesy of Brian Graves via Wellington Colorado Main Street
Well-O-Rama is a free annual festival that takes place every summer in Centennial Park. The event includes a free music festival, a pancake breakfast, local food truck and craft brewery vendors, games for all ages, kid-friendly activities, and even a happy hour!
Trick-or-Treat Down Main Street & Beyond
October
Wellington’s Halloween celebration gets the whole community together for family-friendly fun and local business. The event often kicks off with trick-or-treating through downtown and also includes costume contests for different ages and categories! For event information, follow the team on Facebook here.
Want to stay up to date?
For daily updates, fun things to do, upcoming events and important notices, follow Wellington Colorado Main Street on Facebook here and follow the Town of Wellington, Colorado here.
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