‘Tis the season to start planning get-togethers

On Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., Fort Collins Mayor Doug Hutchinson will preside over the holiday lighting of downtown. At the flip of a switch, thousands of strands of lights will bust into a twinkling message that asks: Are you ready?

Caterers and hosts for Thanksgiving feasts all agree that now is the time to book your dates.

“Last year was hard on caterers,´ said Paul Pellegrino, owner of All Occasions Catering in Fort Collins. “Thanksgiving was early enough, but Christmas landed on a Monday, which took away a catering weekend. And the weather was terrible.”

While record blizzards will…