Downtown Event Center fills a need

Mike and Ashley Kaisk and their children Max, 8, and Madison 4, at the ribbon cutting March 18 for the couple’s new venture Downtown Event Center. Mayor William Judge and Tina Ludwig, who is a member of Main Street Barberton and school board member, were among local officials at the ceremony.

By CHRISTINA McCUNE
BGNN managing editor

BARBERTON  It’s remarkable how easy it is to book an hour or two – or more – at a new event venue downtown.

With just a few clicks of a mouse or swipes and selections with a fingertip on the website of the recently opened Downtown Event Center at 538 W Tuscarawas Ave., you can book the date and time you need the space. Hourly rentals are offered for the entire facility.

Within a few seconds you can skim a list of add-ons and enhance your event with a fridge pre-stocked with soda or waters, and add to the fun with cornhole boards and bags, basketballs, bounce houses, giant Jenga and even “ultimate NERF package.”

Local government officials joined owners Mike and Ashley Kaisk and their children Max, 8, and Madison, 4, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 18.

Built in 1997, the building previously housed the Varsity Teen Center and then sat empty for awhile. A plaque is still on the brick wall at the entrance listing the varsity board members and the words “sponsoring the youth of our community.” The space lends itself perfectly to a multi-use event hall with a basketball hoop, large TV screen and sound system, restrooms, and tables and chairs for up to 50 people. The space is ideal for birthday parties, graduations and showers, group classes, sports practice for teams.

Mike and Ashley Kaisk opened the renovated space just about a month ago and it’s already being booked and proving it’s filling a need. “We just love this space,” said Mike Kaisk, a Barberton graduate who also co-owns Magic City Motorcars. “We saw a need because our kids are starting to get into sports and there’s very limited space for practices and things. We saw the potential with different practices and parties and basically anything you can think of.”

The couple already has plans to add to the center. They plan to increase tables and chairs. By winter, they would like to install nets and batting cage for baseball practice. Ashley Kaisk said they would like to add pickleball, which is growing in popularity locally and beyond.
Others at the ribbon cutting ceremony included Mayor William Judge, Councilman Shorter Griffin and Tina Ludwig, who is a Main Street Barberton board member and Barberton Board of Education member. A post on the City of Barberton’s Facebook page also mentioned representatives were included from South Summit Chamber of Commerce and inSITE Advisory Group.

Judge said he was excited about the grand opening of the new business downtown. He said the renovation was done well and he noted the center already has been busy with people renting it.

“It’s a place to come and relax with family or friends for different events,” Judge said. “It’s another kind of staple business here in downtown. We have a good variety of different types of businesses. It’s not all antique stores, it’s not all clothing stores … We’re continuing to build.”
For more information, find Downtown Event Center on Facebook, book online dtownevent.com, email Service@dtown event.com or call 330-351-3993.