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Food, Games, and a Whole Lot of FUN!
Food, Games, and a Whole Lot of FUN!
Join us for Fun Night 2026, our annual evening of games, food, competitions, and community fun, designed for our K–8 crews, supported by our 9-12 crews! This is our biggest family event of the year, and everyone is welcome.
📅 Date: October 23rd
⏰ Time: 5:30–8:00 PM
📍 Location: Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
Event Overview
Event Overview
Tickets
Tickets
Fun Night is a pay-what-you-can event, with a suggested donation of $10 per kid. Donations help cover the cost of Fun Night and raise funds to support Polaris students, programs, and activities. If you’re able to give a little more, your extra generosity helps keep events like this accessible to our whole school community.
Cost should never keep a Polaris family from joining us. If the suggested donation isn’t in your budget, please give what works for your family, or simply come and enjoy the night. Everyone is welcome!
Food & Drinks
Food & Drinks
Each kid will receive a ticket for a slice of pizza, and water and lemonade are free for everyone. Additional pizza slices for kids or adults can be purchased for $2 each at the event. All attendees are welcome to taste entries from the Student Bake-Off and Chili Cook-Off!
Games & Activities
Games & Activities
Kids can enjoy a wide variety of activities, from karaoke and carnival games to crafts, face painting, dance parties, and more. There’s something for everyone to try, with plenty of chances to have fun together!
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers Needed
This event wouldn't be possible without our amazing community. Please consider helping at the event and sign up to be a volunteer.
Student Bake-Off
Student Bake-Off
Who Can Join
Who Can Join
The Bake-Off is open to all Polaris students in grades K–8. Let your kid show off their baking skills and share some sweet treats with our Polaris crew!
What to Bring
What to Bring
Bake your best recipe and bring about 24 bite-sized samples, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces (i.e., cut your cookies, cupcakes, or other treat in half) so we don't get too full too fast! Entries should be dropped off at the Bake-Off table in the gym between 3:20 and 5:30 PM.
Judging & Prizes
Judging & Prizes
Everyone at Fun Night gets to taste the desserts! A panel of judges will decide the winners, and winners from each age group will be announced at 7:30 PM, with prizes for the top baker in each age group.
Age Groups are: K–2nd, 3rd–5th, and 6th–8th.
Chili Cook-Off
Chili Cook-Off
Who Can Join
Who Can Join
The Chili Cook-Off is open to all Polaris families and community members. Bring your best recipe—spicy, mild, meaty, or vegetarian!
What to Bring
What to Bring
Prepare a pot of chili big enough to share, along with any toppings or condiments you’d like. Drop off your entry between 3:20 and 5:30 PM at the Chili Cook-Off table in the gym. Please bring your chili in something that will keep it warm (like a crockpot), as there will not be a way to heat chili on-site. Power strips will be provided for plugging in warmers. Bowls and spoons for tasting will also be supplied.
Judging & Prizes
Judging & Prizes
Everyone at Fun Night gets to sample the chili and cast their votes! Winners in each category will be announced at 7:30 PM, with prizes awarded to the top chili chefs.
Categories are: Meaty and Vegetarian
Silent Auction
Silent Auction
What’s Happening
What’s Happening
The Silent Auction is one of the highlights of Fun Night! Each crew creates themed baskets, and local businesses and families donate amazing items. There’s something for everyone, from family fun packages to unique treasures.
How to Participate
How to Participate
Bidding is open from 5:30 to 7:45 PM, and all Fun Night attendees are welcome to join. Keep an eye on the tables, there are plenty of opportunities to grab something special while supporting Polaris!
Winners & Pick-Up
Winners & Pick-Up
Check back at the silent auction tables after 7:45 PM to see if you won any items. You can then check out and pick up your items by the school's front doors. If a winner does not claim their item that evening, the CTC will contact them to coordinate.
Fun Night FAQs
Fun Night FAQs
Do you need volunteers?
YES! Fun Night runs on the energy and support of our community. Student and adult volunteers help with games, activity rooms, food tables, and more.
Sign up for CTC emails and we will let you know once our volunteer sign-up is available.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
Nope! Fun Night doesn’t require tickets. Instead, we are approching the event as a 'pay what you can' event with a suggest donation of $10 per child, which can be given the through the link above or at the door.
Is the suggested donation required?
No, it’s not required. We want every family to feel welcome, regardless of contribution.
If you’re able to donate $1 or $20, anything helps cover event costs and supports Polaris!
Is this event only for Polaris students?
Fun Night is designed for Polaris K–8 families, but siblings and other family or community members are welcome to join in the fun.
Can I drop off my child, or do parents/guardians need to stay?
This is a family event, not a drop-off. Parents or guardians should plan to stay and enjoy the evening with their kids.
What if my child has dietary restrictions?
We know this is important for many families. For both the Chili Cook-Off and Student Bake-Off, we ask participants to list common allergens (such as nuts, dairy, gluten, etc.) on their entry forms, and we’ll have those clearly marked at the event.
That said, we can’t guarantee against cross-contact or trace ingredients, so please use your best judgment and feel free to bring along food that’s safe for your child.
Can adults buy food too, or is it just for kids?
Yes! Adults can purchase additional pizza slices for $2 each, and everyone is welcome to sample chili and bake-off treats.
Thank you to the following businesses for supporting our silent auction
Thank you to the following businesses for supporting our silent auction
477 Distilling, Aggie Theatre, Akinz, All Star Cleaning, Ascent Climbing Studio, Audacious Truffles, Be Here Now Massage Yoga Bodywork, Birdies, Burgers & Brews, Blue Agave Grill, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, Chipper's Lanes, City of Fort Collins Recreation, Clothes Pony & Dandelion Toys, Colorado Rapids, DC Oakes, Denver Film, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Zoo, Discovery Museum, Echo Mountain, Edison's Ice Cream, Fit5 Studio, Flingin Pots, Fort Collins Circus Center, Fort Collins Trolley, Fossil Creek Nursery, Front Range Classical Ballet Academy, Glowgolf, High Point Bar, High Point Creamery, Houska Automotive, HuHot Mongolian Grill, Infinity Slopes, Joseph Miranda Pottery, Josh & John's, Krazy Karls Pizza, Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, Lava Island, Live Beyond Limit, Loveland Choral Society, Loveland Ski Area, Maida Trattoria, miles.Beyond, Mishawaka, Morning Fresh Dairy, MouCo, Mugs CSU, Museum of Art Fort Collins, Mythmaker Brewing, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Nuance Chocolate, Old Firehouse Books, Oriental Trading Company, Painting with a Twist, Penrose Taphouse, Pure Barre, Rally5, Raising Cane's, Reps and Restore, Ripple Effect Martial Arts, Rodelle, Rollerland Skate Center, Runner's Roost, Salus, Scheels, School of Rock, Sky Corral Ranch, Snack Attack, Source Point Community Acupuncture, Summit Flight Training, Sweet Heart Winery, Sweetheart Ten Pin Bowling, Tandem Squared Rolled Ice Cream & Coffee Café, Tellus, The Colorado Symphony, The Cupboard, The Gardens on Spring Creek, The Human Bean, The Little Gym, The Melting Pot, The Whisk(e)y, Time Emporium Escape Rooms, Ultimate Ninjas Academy, Uni Goat Soap Shop, Wing Shack, Wolverine Farm Publick House, YMCA of the Rockies Resort, Yoga Pod Fort Collins, and Zwei Brewery
If you would like to donate something to the silent auction, please email us at ptc4polaris@gmail.com.
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