DESCANSO, Calif. —
Planning a party or large family gathering can be pricey, unless you know who to call. In this Zevely Zone, I have the scoop on a deal in Descanso.
The next time you plan an event, you might consider mountain fresh air and friendly faces at the Descanso Town Hall. In 1898, the Descanso Town Hall was built with leftover lumber from the Hotel Del on a piece of land nobody wanted.
"This is the hilliest, rockiest, worst lot in Descanso," said town secretary Susan Lancaster. The land was rocky and so was the financial footing of this historic building. "Over the years it has been boarded up because they have run out of money," said Susan.
But during the pandemic, town leaders shined the hall up with a $150,000 renovation hoping to share a Descanso secret. "We know how to party up here, we know how to party up here," said Gayle and Brian Culbertson.
The Descanso couple got married a long time ago, but volunteer Rebeca Toth says if you're planning a wedding, family reunion, or even a murder mystery night, their hall has it all. "There is nothing comparable to us," said Rebeca.
The hall is 2,200 square feet and comes with 40 banquet tables and 150 chairs. The beautiful historical building also comes with a large flat screen smart TV with Bluetooth speakers, Wi-Fi and more.
- Outdoor Wedding Pergola
- Outdoor patio area with a stage, lighting, and electrical power
- A Fully Certified Commercial Kitchen with an A rating
- Optional rental items available at reasonable rates: Fabric Tablecloths, Dinner plates & Silverware settings
- Additional Parking Area
- They also provide restroom (including handicap) facilities, paper towels, trash bags, and cleaning supplies.
"All for a mere $600 a day, not hourly, we don't rent by the hour, you get the entire place for $600 for the day," said Rebeca. She told us to go ahead and shop around party planners tell her similar venues can't compete. "The bottom line for most places is $10,000," said Rebeca.
The prices are friendly and so are the people who run the Descanso Town Hall Association. The more you dance the night away at San Diego County's best kept secret, the more proceeds the non-profit organization can pour back into scholarships and community events.
The hall is currently booked 26 times in 2022, but after this story we hope they are fully booked. "I'm hoping yes," said Rebeca. "They are not going to get anything better."
After your party, free cleaning supplies are available or if you want you can walk away from the party by paying a $150 cleaning fee. For more information send an email to Rentals@descansotownhsll.org or visit their website here.
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