Playing host to all of life’s events, celebrations

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

July 29, 2024

DE PERE – From showers (baby, bridal) and weddings, to birthday parties and reunions, to meetings and get-togethers – and everything in between – Cedar Creek of De Pere Event Center has event hosting in Northeast Wisconsin covered.

The new event space located at 1018 Cedar St. is housed in the former First Congregational Church, which relocated to a smaller space late last year.

Cedar Creek of De Pere Event Center – which opened earlier this year and held its official ribbon cutting and grand opening this month – has a seating capacity of approximately 130 guests, offering multiple event packages.

Owner Scott Baeten said the mission of the center is to be an affordable space to bring people together.

“Whether it’s with family and friends, strangers or business professionals, Cedar Creek offers a place that can provide the opportunity for more of these events to take place in our community,” he said.

The facility’s name, Baeten said, is an homage to the address on Cedar Street and the creek that runs through the property.

A new vision

With its location close to his other business – Ryan Funeral Home – Baeten said it made sense to purchase and begin his vision for Cedar Creek.

With Ryan Funeral Home having a strong connection to the community, he said he thought it would be great to support the community in other ways as well.

“We believe in the value and importance of gathering people together for all occasions,” he said. “We love seeing family and friends finding opportunities to support each other and make connections.”

Becky Couch, venue manager for Cedar Creek, said once the building became Cedar Creek, some renovations took place to create a versatile space for all sorts of gatherings.

After some interior changes and some aesthetic improvements, Couch said the space was ready to start filling the calendar.

“Our books officially opened February 2024 and began quickly filling,” she said. “In the next year, we will host all sorts of events, including but not limited to – bridal and baby showers, birthday parties, family reunions, corporate meetings, weddings, conferences and music recitals.”

Starting in fall and beginning with the 2024-25 season, Couch said Evergreen Theatre will officially be using Cedar Creek as the home for its productions.

In her time at the venue, Couch said she has been “excitedly watching” the growth and community reception toward the space.

She said the Cedar Creek team has been pleasantly surprised with the growth and different types of events they are seeing.

The event center is currently booking out into 2025, with some openings remaining in 2024.

A welcome change

Couch said she was enlisted as the venue manager at the beginning of 2024.

She said her previous experience in commercial interior sales has helped her grow into the position – especially after giving birth to her first child, Asher.

“It is often that you will find me setting up tables and chairs while babywearing Asher on my back,” she said.

When she had Asher, Couch said she decided to slow things down to spend more time with her growing family.

Cedar Creek, she said, was the perfect opportunity to do that, especially with Baeten’s vision for bringing family and friends together. 

Coming from the commercial interiors world, Couch said she was excited about having a flexible environment that also shifts from one event to another – offering a blank slate for renters to create their unique vision.

In her role as venue manager, Couch said she handles the day-to-day aspects of the space, including:

• Tours
• Booking and communicating with renters
• Keeping the space organized and clean
• Helping ensure the space supports every event held

Couch said her passion for the space and community shows as her role grows.

She said she is open to all sorts of event ideas and is excited to see the space used in new and creative ways.

What to expect at the venue

With a community-driven vision, Baeten said she realized the need for an affordable and welcoming gathering space in the De Pere area.

“To keep prices low, we are a self-set-up, self-clean-up facility,” he said. “Meaning the renters are responsible for setting up tables and chairs themselves and cleaning up after their event. This allows the renters full control over the flow of their event because they can set up the space exactly how they would like.”

Couch said Cedar Creek offers set-up and clean-up services at an additional cost – as well as wedding packages that include these services.

Though tables (a combination of round and rectangular) and chairs are provided, renters bring in their own decor, food and drink – which can be home-prepared or brought in through a catering service.

The banquet hall space is the primary rental space in the building.

It is on the main level and includes a large prep kitchen with a fridge, freezer and microwave.

The space also includes a stage with a projector, screen and simple sound system for music and microphone use.

In the basement, Couch said Cedar Creek offers meeting rooms for small gatherings of 10-20 guests.

She said these spaces are rented by the hour for an affordable meeting space for things, such as small meetings, classes, breakout sessions or even instruction, like yoga or dance.

One of the unique amenities at the center, Couch said, is an upright piano that sits on the stage in the banquet hall.

This, she said, is offered for renters to use for free for events that have live music or for recitals and performances.

“The acoustics in the space are perfect for the arts, and we are excited to see more programs taking place here,” she said.

The front and back yard space at the facility, Couch said, provides various opportunities for a mix of indoor and outdoor events.

The grounds also have a firepit available for bonfires.

“We’ve had a couple of graduation parties and family reunions that used the outdoor space,” she said. “Families love all of the green areas for games, lawn chairs, conversations and more.”

For additional info, follow Cedar Creek of De Pere Event Center’s Facebook page.