ESCANABA — A new Escanaba business owned by Gladstone native Debi Haley and her husband Chris Haley is open by appointment only at 1837 3rd Ave. North. Haley Station Wedding & Event Venue has her first booking for April and has already hosted weddings, photo shoots, baby showers and paint her nights. With several more properties in the lineup, customers are taking advantage of the package options offered by Hailey Station.
Debi and Chris moved from Arizona just under three years ago. Chris, an Arizona native, said he fell in love with the area during a previous visit.
Debi reported that her passion for party hosting and planning led to her dream of owning an event venue business.
“It was always something I enjoyed.” she said. “And that evolved into hosting craft nights at our house. We'd have 20 or 30 girls in the dining room. …Planning the event and coordinating with all the girls and meeting the needs. It was fun hosting the craft night because we had all the supplies and supplies.”
She has more space and “Bigger Plan” There are possibilities such as. Haley Station offers just that, and with the decorations and supplies you already have accumulated, you will be able to offer those items to your clients as well.
On January 6, 2023, Haley's closed on its 3rd Street property.
“This building is sentimental for my family because my dad owned this building when I was a kid.” Debi explained. Under her father, Tony Harkmans, it was the Station Bar and Grill. “So when I found out this was for sale, I jumped on it.”
Perhaps it was luck that sentiment carried them forward. Both Debi and Chris acknowledged that the building is vacant and in need of significant work.
Several companies have occupied the space since Hulkmans owned it. One of his, Retro Station, is a roller skating rink, and Debi said the hardwood floors are relatively new and in good condition, giving the venue a nice atmosphere. “character.”
Renovations have been ongoing since the Haley family purchased the building.
“We installed all new windows, replaced the roof, and installed air conditioning and heating.” I started Devi. The walls and lighting were also redone. Debi said the building and restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
While improvements were being made, several digital renderings were done, which the pair said were fairly accurate and were able to line up some reservations even before the work was completed. They finalized their marriage in March and hosted their wedding reception on April 6th.
Wedding packages are typically for a 15 hour window. There are many other customizable options. They recommend a minimum of three hours, which Devi said would be appropriate if you needed the space for a corporate meeting or as a photo studio. Prices are based on time and staff requests, beverage service, decor, set-up, etc.
Hailey Station offers a variety of drink packages. Although the venue has a bar with a liquor license, this is not required to be included. A mocktail menu, coffee service and other specialty drinks are also available. Catering for events is also available, but there is no kitchen on site.
Recently acquired is a parking lot for guests a block away. A sign will soon be installed at 319 Stevenson Avenue near JN Taxi and is already marked on Google Maps.
A courtyard partially enclosed by a high wooden fence serves as an outdoor area during events. It doesn't require a lot of work, but the Haleys said they plan to fix it up a bit now that the weather is nice.
Haley Station has gained traction on social media and is also broadcast on radio and WZMQ.
“It seems to be getting pretty good reviews.” Devi said. “Every time we host an event, we book at least two events from there.”
Anyone interested in learning more or making a reservation can visit their website at haleystationevents.com, Facebook, Instagram or by calling (906)261-9159.