MORENCI — Kristen Smith bought the building that is now known as the Morenci Event Center in August of 2020, but the roots of the business go much farther back than that. Originally built in 1887, the building first housed a dressmaker shop on the first floor, while the second floor housed a Freemasons Hall. The building changed hands several times, and has served as a general store, a dime store, a banquet hall called Milestones, and a shaving business.

The Morenci Event Center has a 3,700-square-foot space, with décor that includes an exposed brick wall and dark wood flooring. According to Smith, the space has been used for everything from a hay bale maze to housing a legal proceeding to a wake. 

“People book it for all kinds of things,” Smith said. 

“Anything you can imagine, I’m open and available,” she continued. “I also do community events.”

Birthday parties, baby and bridal showers, weddings, dances, craft shows and community holiday events for St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween are some of the occasions for which the Morenci Event Center has been used. A Kiddie Craft Show is scheduled for Sept. 7. 

One very successful event the event center is used for is Small Business Saturday.

“It draws in a ton of people, so we do that the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year,” Smith said, adding that this year, 30 vendor spaces are reserved for the event. 

In addition to providing space for local events, Smith hosts classes that she teaches herself at the Morenci Event Center. She teaches a class on truffle making, using chocolate. The next class she has scheduled is in October. 

 “I try to do as many community things as I can,” she said. 

Those interested in booking the Morenci Event Center can contact Smith about availability, which can vary depending on the day they want to use the space. Bookings can be made, at times, as quickly as one day in advance.

 “They can book out a year or a year and a half in advance,” she said.  “I had a wedding on the books for almost two years, so really it depends on the event and how important the date is to them.” 

“Fall and spring weekends tend to be booked pretty quickly, and then around holidays,” Smith added. “I do recommend that people get those in a little bit earlier if they’re really wanting a specific date.”

Smith is currently looking for grants to help with renovation to the 137-year-old structure. Because the room is not air conditioned, events are usually not booked during the summer, but there are exceptions. One group booked the Morenci Event Center to use for an indoor garage sale.  Smith said that the group knew about the lack of air conditioning, but wanted to have the sale inside in case of rain.

The Morenci Event Center is at 139 W. Main St., Morenci. For more information, call 419-280-4786 or go to facebook.com/morencieventcenterofficial.