The Promenade Shops at Briargate has a busy nine days coming up. From Thursday, October 22, through Saturday, October 31, the center at 1885 Briargate Parkway holds the last free outdoor movie of its season, its Halloween trick-or-treat afternoon, the first Colorado Springs opening for a California sandwich chain, and a two-day grand opening for L.L.Bean in the space The Container Store left in April. Most of the year's changes at the Shops land inside that one window. If you live in Briargate, Pine Creek or anywhere near the Interquest end of town, the calendar below is worth planning around.
The whole stretch, in order
- Thursday, Oct. 22. Hocus Pocus closes out Movies Under the Mountains.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 3 to 5 p.m. Boo at Briargate, with a Toy Story theme this year.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27. Mendocino Farms opens at Suite 807.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 8:45 a.m. L.L.Bean ribbon cutting, with the tote giveaway following at 9 a.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. L.L.Bean's second-day gift with purchase.
Five dates over ten calendar days, with two weekends at the center's busiest. Each one is covered below.
Hocus Pocus closes the movie season on the 22nd
This year's Movies Under the Mountains ran three Thursdays in September: Hoppers on Sept. 10, Zootopia 2 on Sept. 17 and the Minecraft Movie on Sept. 24. After a four-week break, the series comes back once more for a Halloween special. Hocus Pocus screens Thursday, October 22.
The freebies for this last screening suit late October. The first 50 kids get free hot chocolate, the first 50 also get free hot apple cider, and the first 100 kids get free apple cider donuts. Pre-movie activities start two hours before sunset, and the movie starts at sunset. Bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Every screening is free. The center has also been collecting kids' winter clothing for 4Colorado Kids at each movie, so there's a donation bin there. Coats and jackets top the most-needed list, followed by hats, gloves and mittens, scarves, warm socks and sweaters, all for children ages 2 to 12. That drive keeps going after the movies end, so it comes up again below.
Boo at Briargate fills the center on the 24th
Two days after the movie, Boo at Briargate turns the whole center into trick-or-treat stops from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. This year's theme is Toy Story. Woody, Buzz and Jessie costumes are encouraged, but any costume is welcome.
Start at Pikes Peak Patio, next to Ted's Montana Grill, then work your way around to the participating shops and restaurants. The timing matters for the rest of the week. That afternoon is the last big crowd at the center before two new tenants open, and some of the storefronts you pass while trick-or-treating will look different within a week.
Mendocino Farms, with a date that has already moved once
Mendocino Farms opens Tuesday, October 27, at 1765 Briargate Parkway, Suite 807. It's the chain's first Colorado Springs location and its fourth in Colorado. The brand opened its first Colorado restaurant in Cherry Creek in May 2025, followed by Highlands in March and Denver's 16th Street in May.
The date has changed before. The Gazette added an editor's note after its first version gave an earlier opening date. The Mendocino Farms locations list had shown an opening on a Sunday, and a company spokesperson then said the restaurant would open in October. As of early October, the company's own Coming Soon page lists Oct. 27 for the Briargate location. Check that page the week of the opening before you plan lunch around it.
The menu is sandwiches, wraps, salads and seasonal soups. The Gazette named the "Not So Fried" chicken and Peruvian steak sandwiches among the most popular items, with sides like spicy curry couscous and Southern potato salad. There's a kids' menu plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, which helps when you're feeding a group with different needs.
The April vacancy becomes L.L.Bean on the 30th
The east edge of the center has looked unfinished since spring. The Container Store announced in March that its Briargate store would close in April. FOX21 reported a planned last day of April 18. Store staff told The Gazette they expected April 25, and the company didn't respond to The Gazette's request for comment on the local closure.
By August, the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department was showing a $2 million remodel of that space for L.L.Bean. The new store is more than 13,000 square feet, and it's L.L.Bean's second store in Colorado. That puts the gap between the last day of The Container Store and the first day of its replacement at about six months.
Here's the grand opening schedule at 1925 Briargate Parkway, #611, as L.L.Bean's store page lists it:
| When | What | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 30, 8:45 a.m. | Ribbon cutting ceremony | Open to anyone there |
| Fri., Oct. 30, 9 a.m. | Colorado Springs Grand Opening Boat and Tote | First 100 people in line |
| Sat., Oct. 31, starting 9 a.m. | Free Puffer Blanket, listed as an $89.95 value | First 100 customers to make an in-store purchase |
The two giveaways work differently. On Friday you only need to be in line early. On Saturday you need to buy something, and the clock starts at 9 a.m. on Halloween morning, before the trick-or-treating that night. The store was hiring about 40 full- and part-time positions as of mid-September, so expect a full staff on the floor that weekend.
District manager Kenon Mitchell connected the choice of location to the area's outdoors, from Garden of the Gods to the land around Pikes Peak, according to KOAA. For north-side households, the practical change is a full outdoor apparel and gear store a short drive from home, in a space that has sat empty since spring.
What's coming next has no dates yet
Apple's expanded store is already open, and more changes are planned after the October openings. Asana Partners, which owns the Shops, has announced more tenants through the end of the year.
- Apple already reopened in its expanded space next to Ulta.
- American Eagle is expected to open before the end of the year.
- Kendra Scott is slated to open this year.
- Lululemon plans to expand its store in the fourth quarter.
None of the last three had a published date as of early October. The center's events page doesn't list any 2026 holiday programming yet either. No tree lighting, Santa arrival or holiday hours had been posted when this was written. The November calendar is still open, unlike the late-October one.
The coat drive runs past the openings
The Kids Winter Coat Drive with 4Colorado Kids runs through November 13, 2026, about two weeks after L.L.Bean opens. The center also lists an ongoing Care & Share drop-off on its events page. If you're already heading to a grand opening or out trick-or-treating, it's an easy time to drop off a coat your kids have outgrown. Drop-off is open through Nov. 13.
At Colorado Springs Collective, we watch the north side the same way we watch every corner of the Springs: store by store, opening date by opening date. If a busier Briargate Parkway has you wondering how your home nearby compares this fall, Robin will put the numbers together for you. Request Your Home Valuation, and we'll walk through it on your schedule.
