Wishing you peace, health and happiness in the New Year. May all your journeys be filled with love and joy.
Benedicto: May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets’ towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you — beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.
The Christmas light display on the Logan County Courthouse in downtown Sterling has awed holiday revelers from near and far for decades. C & B Electric staff were the original designers and installers of the annual display and reportedly were inspired by Denver’s Civic Center holiday décor. Read about the history of Christmas lights here.
Crews remember working on the display for the first time in 1951 when they were able to look down on the evergreen trees that are now taller than the courthouse from the top of a 10 ft. ladder.
The bright display on the historical building in the center of Sterling’s town square was – and still is - a beacon for the holiday season. Visitors and travelers coming into Sterling from the east are welcomed by the glowing sight from atop the Chestnut Street overpass.
During an almost $5 million historical renovation project in the early 2000s, the old lighting brackets and fixtures had to be removed and the grand building was instead adorned with more efficient and effective LED lighting. You can learn more about the history of Logan County and the Logan County Courthouse here.
The new holiday light display in the center of town now includes the majestic and brightly decorated evergreens on the front corners of the courthouse, plus the many strings of white lights fancifully wrapping the trees on the square. The traditional lighting of the Courthouse every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving is a special time for the community.
With a dusting of snow reflecting the sparkling lights, it truly is a winter wonderland in downtown Sterling.
And as Christmas music plays from the stores across the street, you just might imagine this quaint space as a scene from a Hallmark movie. Go ahead, we don’t mind.
WHERE TO EAT Logan County's culinary culture includes down-home diner favorites, unique cuisine, and signature specialties at our restaurants. Support the local establishments with their outside dining, curbside pickup and carryout.
WHERE TO STAY Accommodations in Sterling range from a quaint boutique motel to modern hotels in beautiful settings. Travelers who prefer recreational vehicles or tent camping will feel right at “home” at our campsite facilities.
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Small business is the heart of Colorado’s economy. There are more than 611,000 small businesses in Colorado, representing more than 99% of Colorado businesses. Supporting small businesses means supporting your community.
Jobs
Small businesses in Colorado employ more than 1.1 million Coloradans or nearly 50% of the Colorado workforce. Firms with fewer than 100 employees have the largest share of small business employment. Supporting small businesses ensures these jobs remain viable.
Safety
Small business means fewer patrons and smaller crowds. As we work to keep our community safe from the impacts of COVID-19, shopping at small businesses helps to slow the spread and keep you and your community safe. It also helps ensure these small businesses make it through this economic downturn.
Neighbors
According to the Small Business Administration, when you shop locally, 70% of your spending stays in the local economy, whereas only 30% remains when shopping non-locally. This means if you spend $100, your community keeps $70. This increases local tax revenues, used to support schools, police, fire stations, roads and more. Local businesses also utilize other local businesses such as marketing, accounting and printing, further impacting the local economy.
Our history was built on the backs of the pioneering men and women who were brave enough to stop their wagons on this once barren part of eastern Colorado and set up a place to call home. The spirit of the old west still thrives on the high plains of Colorado and lives on in the rural towns sprinkled across 1,839 square miles that make up Logan County. It’s all here for you to explore as a free-range traveler on your next Colorado road trip!
1. Visit the Overland Trail Museum which has interpreted and preserved the history of the people of Logan County and those who traveled the Overland Trail, said to be the heaviest traveled “road” in America between 1862 to 1868.
2. Read about the history of Sterling and Logan County here, and then set out on a road trip to visit some of the ten small communities around the county that may be ghost towns, or may serve up some good food and cold beverages.
3. Park your car, take a walk downtown and imagine Sterling’s early majesty as Queen City on the Plains. Main Street is now a mix of grand historical buildings and vibrant shops for myriad tastes.
Are you looking to plan a visit to Sterling? Find a variety of ideas to fill your itinerary. Maybe you love museums or hiking and biking? Perhaps you enjoy golf or disc golf or fishing and boating? Here you’ll discover a plethora of activities for every level of adventure. And to top it all off, you’ll rarely be caught in a traffic jam or stand in line! Ready for some free-range tourism? We’ve got the space to find your place.
2. Ditch the Long Lines
Our culinary culture includes down-home favorites at the local diners and exquisite cuisine in upscale restaurants. A gigantic scoop of hard ice cream is a favorite at the charming Simkins Parlour and the Hot Spot Smokehouse has some of the best barbecue around. Stop at the Parts & Labor Brewing Company for a selection from their diverse menu and a brew made with locally grown wheat.
3. Roam Freely and Relax
Accommodations in Sterling and Logan County range from a quaint boutique motel to modern hotels in beautiful settings. Travelers who prefer recreational vehicles or tent camping will feel right at home at our campsite facilities.
Ghouls or no ghouls, the choice is yours at the Baseggio Family Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, located at 16695 CR 20.5, outside Atwood, Colo. Through the end of October, the corn maze, attractions, and pumpkin patch are open Saturdays, from 10am-9pm, and Sundays, from 11am-6pm.
3. Comfy
Have no fear, we have plenty of options for a good night’s rest after stirring up the spooks. Make sure you look under the bed, and keep one eye open at night. Just kidding! Boo!
Tarry around downtown Sterling to see the 
