So, you’re having a party. One of your first questions might be, where?
Unbeknownst to many, there are multiple places in the area suitable for any budget and gatherings of any size.
Rental coordinator Carrie Welty handles rentals for the Imogene Theatre and Magnolia Hall. She meets with potential customers and shows the facilities, organizes details, and handles the contracts.
“The Imogene offers unusual ambiance, and has two options for rentals,” Welty said. “We have a parlor on the ground level that can accommodate up to 75 guests, and it features old brick walls that make for beautiful photographs.
"It also has a full commercial kitchen," she added. "We also offer the whole building, which includes the theatre upstairs for gatherings of up to 450 people.”
The upstairs is history itself, with a stage, lighting, balcony, and open area for tables and chairs.
“This facility offers a historical setting for weddings, showers, anniversaries, you name it, it will enthrall your guests,” she said.
Magnolia Hall, also known as the Milton Garden Club and formerly the Milton Event Center, is a good venue for budget-minded hosts.
“The building can accommodate up to 140 guests, has a kitchen, and a beautiful courtyard that lends itself perfectly to small, intimate weddings,” Welty said.
In addition to her role as rental coordinator, Welty also operates her own catering business, and the two ventures complement one another. She can be reached at cookingwithcarriellc@gmail.com or 850-368-7954.
Bagdad offers an extremely unusual site to host a party: a railroad dining car, located at the Bagdad Railroad Museum on Forsyth Street.
Apart from these interesting venues, Milton, Pace, Jay, and Bagdad offer multiple venues for hosting a gathering. Local restaurants with meeting facilities include Brew Angels, the Bearded Brewhaus, Boomerang Pizza, Grover T’s, and South Market.
Local churches that offer gathering places include First Presbyterian Church, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, and St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.
Public venues with meeting facilities include Coldwater Gardens, the Emerald Sands Motel, the Red Roof Inn and Suites, the Hadji Shrine Temple, Pensacola State College, UWF, Locklin Technical College, and Stonebrook and Tanglewood Country clubs.
Auditoriums/community centers are also available in Jay, Bagdad, and Milton. For more information on each, contact the facility or the Milton Chamber of Commerce.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosas Press Gazette: Santa Rosa offers unique venues for rent