In small towns (and on endearing television shows like Gilmore Girls), a town hall is where people go to hash out important issues and find community. In cities, however, such places rarely exist. Cue Town Hall Collaborative, a woman-owned event space and marketplace in Baker that’s been working to fill that gap since 2022.

Today, Town Hall puts on regular vegan nights, where herbivores can enjoy fare from a variety of local food trucks; queer country nights, complete with line dance lessons and a live band; and reproductive justice fundraisers. Many patrons simply drop in for a cup of Queen City Collective Coffee or a Silk Chiffon green chile vodka cocktail at the bar. But the road has been long for this progressive gathering space, which is celebrating its two-year anniversary this weekend.

Co-owners Denise Day and Lauren Beno began kicking around the idea of starting a business together back in 2019, but the true spark came while they were in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There were a lot of really intense things happening in the world at once, and it all would come back to this,” Day says. “Lauren and I, as two best friends, were wondering, Where do we go? Where do we have community? Where do we come together?” That, coupled with the desire to support and empower women and other underrepresented groups, spurred the creation (as well as the name) of Town Hall Collaborative.

Lauren Beno, left, and Denise Day, cofounders of Town Hall Collaborative. Photo courtesy of Town Hall Collaborative

“We loved the idea of utilizing a space to host politically infused events and things that bring people together for hard conversations, or gathering to protest, or whatever that looks like,” Day says.

The pair first looked to RiNo in the hopes of landing in an arts district. Ultimately, however, they chose their current sprawling space on Santa Fe Drive, which formerly housed the Wayfinder Co-Op. Funding was another major hurdle, involving a combination of grants, loans, and a Kickstarter campaign that helped them secure the final $46,000 they needed to turn their dream into a reality. Once they had funding and all the necessary permits, it was opening time, which came with a new hurdle: how to get their name out.

“How do we make this successful and more purposeful or intentional? How do we make sure that the groups and the communities that we want to target and make space for know we’re here?” Day says.

She and Beno credit the Big Queer Beerfest for getting them started. A few months before Town Hall officially opened, Day says, Lady Justice Brewing and Goldspot Brewing were searching for a space to hold the festival. Despite still being under construction, Town Hall hosted more than 30 beer vendors in its parking lot.

“That event itself really solidified [our presence],” Day says. “Like, ‘Hey, we’re here, opening soon, come back!’”

And people did. Since it officially opened in October 2022, Town Hall has hosted dozens of events, public and private, from queer writers’ meetups and fundraisers for Palestine to intimate weddings. In April of this year, they took Town Hall a step further and opened their marketplace, which houses nearly a dozen small, independently owned businesses, including a handmade pottery store, a vintage and secondhand clothing retailer, a social justice–oriented bookshop, and an apothecary full of candles and other ritual necessities.

The bar at Town Hall Collaborative. Photo by Kate Ivy Photography

Beno says one of her favorite parts of opening Town Hall has been seeing the connections that have been formed there over the years. “Whether it’s people who met here and are now dating or married, or are now working together because of Town Hall, I think getting to see that come to fruition has been incredible, because that is at the heart of why Denise and I created this space, for community and connection,” Beno says.

And although they’ve been operating the space for two years, Day doesn’t feel that any of it is losing its luster. “It’s been such an incredible journey for Lauren and I. It doesn’t get old for me,” Day says. “Almost every day that I walk into Town Hall, I think, We did this! It just feels really wild.”

3 Must-Attend Events at Town Hall This Month

First Friday and Two-Year Anniversary Bash

  • Date: October 4
  • Time: 4–11 p.m.
  • Cost: Free

This celebration of Town Hall’s two-year anniversary will feature drink specials, food from Maiz and The Easy Vegan, live music courtesy of Chasing Avenues (a self-described nostalgic indie duo @chasecavanaugh_ and @avery.clarisa.mk), and perusing the goods in the Town Hall marketplace.

Dreams and Screams – A Roller Burlesque Party

  • Date: October 18
  • Time: 7 p.m.
  • Cost: $18

Dressing up is encouraged at this Halloween-themed roller burlesque party hosted by HawtWheelz Roller Skate Troupe (part of MissFitts Entertainment). A burlesque show on wheels will kick things off from 8 to 10 p.m., followed by a dance party and costume contest.

Matt & Ben – An Unleashed Theater Co. Production

  • Date: October 25
  • Time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Cost: $15

This hilarious two-woman show (written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers) centers around Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, prior to their fame, and speculates that the screenplay for Good Will Hunting wasn’t written by the duo but, rather, fell from the heavens.