2. Who are you?

We've been wondering that our whole lives! 😁 Here's a few basic facts:  Both longtime residents of Seattle, semi-retired from our careers of landscape designer/environmental educator (Emily) and record producer-engineer/record label owner (Uno), who love cats, baseball, and birds, and moved to Arivaca in 2016.

3. Why are you doing this?

Emily has been in love with the dancehall building since our first visit to Arivaca in 1993, during her prior career as a remodeling/restoration project manager.  When architect Nell Smets approached us to say she was selling the property, she had already finished 3 years of major restoration projects, and we felt like fate was stepping in to offer us the opportunity to finish bringing it back to glory.  The 2+ years of work we did reflects our love of music and all the arts, and of our "adopted hometown" of Arivaca.

Of course, there will always be a few building and landscape projects to tinker with...  but it feels great to be done with the hardest work, and able to focus our energy on hosting events!

5.  What is the dancehall being used for?

The phrase "multi-purpose community arts and event center" seems to describe it pretty well!  Since fall of 2022, the dancehall has hosted live music performances of all kinds, dance classes, art exhibitions, banquets, historical displays, poetry and storytelling events, films, garden and nature education events, and our calendar is chock-full of more!

The adjacent building (originally built as a livery stable) has a multi-purpose room we call the "Presidential Suite", that has been a real handy as an office, meeting room, and comfy hangout for visiting musicians and bridal parties, etc.  

The Pollinator Pathway Garden is well-established, and has been the site of multiple art-making events, hands-on gardening classes, Earth Day celebrations, a "Halloween Haunted Garden", campfire singalongs, and more.  There's also two awesome pollinator murals there: one on three sides of the restroom building and another on the back fence, along with the beginning of a sculpture garden!  

Visit the Your Input! page for a compiled list of all the ideas that we received from Arivaca residents at our 2021 and 2022 open houses, which became the framework for all our event plans. We also welcome you to send your ideas to us at ArivacaDancehall@gmail.com.