WRITTEN BY CHERYL WELLS
This brand-new event space has been a long-time coming for us and we are very pleased to be able to present it to our greater community. Headline Event Space at 41-1st Ave. NE is in the Sentinel Building in Le Mars right across the street from the Fareway parking lot. The Sentinel Building in Le Mars is 75 years old and we chose to leave the name Sentinel on it because everyone in town knows it as that. The Le Mars Daily Sentinel started in 1876 and is published still today, but on May 6, 2022, they sold to Iowa Information Inc. out of Sheldon, Iowa. They began to print the newspapers out of Sheldon but still had employees in Le Mars and were using office space in the Sentinel. When we found out that the Wagner’s were interested in selling the building we reached out and purchased it. The Sentinel is right around the corner from the Olson Cultural Event Center and the stage where many community events take place, and we thought it would be a good space to accommodate some things during those times. Community events are very important to us as we believe that they are the way that people connect with their community emotionally and even physically with others.
When we purchased the building, we offered some leased space to the newspaper so they could stay, and we built it out new. We are really happy to have the Sentinel Newspaper still in our building using about 2500 sq. ft. There is a second story above the front part of the structure, and we rebuilt the 2 apartments upstairs first. That left about 5000 sq. ft. on the main floor that used to be the printing area. The whole building needed redone, and we started by putting new windows in the whole building and a new roof. Plumbing and electrical needed updated, so that is all new as well. We did some work to the front for street appeal, and we were very pleased.
We left the 5000 sq. feet for last and we knew we wanted to make a big meeting space that could be used for community events. When entering the front door on the south side there is the entrance to the Sentinel offices. To the north is the entrance to the Headline Event Space and right inside the door there are two smaller rooms for meetings of any kind that can be rented. Continuing down the hallway there are several restrooms and a large kitchen space before you enter into the large room. The biggest room is 2500 sq. ft. and could seat about 160 people at round tables, and about 270 people for conference seating. There is a portable stage with sound and lighting and a large media screen. We also have some comfortable seating at the entrance to the large room on both sides.
Our first event is scheduled for March 21-22 for a marriage conference with Dr. Don & Renee Worcester from Phoenix, Arizona. We are sponsoring the conference through Side by Side Ministries, and this is our 6th year we have invited them back. We know it will be a wonderful time, and we are so excited to have this available in Le Mars this year. With all of the new downtown renovations that have been done, as well as all of the other great places that people can go to, we felt like it was time to have it here. We look forward to many other events like this in our small-town setting. We love the fact that there is an Inn downtown (Inn on Central) and many wonderful places that people can shop and eat. Our hopes are that there will be more hotels and inns in our beautiful little community. Watch for these over time.
Ice Cream Days are coming, as well as Christmas in Hometown Le Mars in November and this new space will be used for those and other community events. We built it out so that all kinds of people can rent it for family reunions, birthday parties, graduations, and weddings. There’s plenty of kitchen space so that people can bring in their own food and drink, as well as they can use caterers also. All the tables and chairs are new and will be stored there for rental for any event. The rentals all go through Headline Event Space/Habitué Coffeehouse. You can contact us at 712-546-4424 and the email is headline@habituecoffee.com. Call or set up an appointment for event space rental.
