3 minute read

Harvesting New Memories

from Ponca City Monthly June 2023

by Ponca City Monthly

from Ponca City Monthly June 2023, page 70

Article from: Ponca City Monthly June 2023

The Moonwalk

Harvest Hall Is Ready For Your Special Event

Story by Everett Brazil, III/Staff Writer

Darion Schieber has made a mark on the Ponca City and Newkirk communities. A Dallas transplant, she married her husband Jared Schieber, a Newkirk native, after meeting in college. As a business owner and mother, she has helped other mothers in the area with The Farmhouse Kids, a boutique dedicated to mothers and their young babies. She and her husband have set new sights on helping the community gather together with Harvest Hall, a place for families to join in celebration in a small, low-key environment, nestled in downtown Ponca City.

Harvest Hall opened in March and has already seen great activity.

“I am so pleased with the success. People are booking me in advance, which is great,” she said.

While Harvest Hall is only a few months old, the building itself, located at 201 N. Second St., has a history of its own, changing hands several times, from transportation to clothing stores.

“It used to be the Union Bus Station, then it was John’s Apparel,” she said.

The John’s Apparel sign still adorns the former storefront. “It was also a boutique and has been vacant for a couple of years,” she added.

There weren’t a lot of changes to the facility when the Schiebers took it over, save for efforts to improve the facility in terms of beauty.

“It was just aesthetics and bringing in a little bit of charm,” she said. “It was a gem waiting to be utilized.”

The Schiebers saw a need for a small meeting facility and worked to make it happen, meeting all the needs of a small group gathering for a celebration, complete with a courtyard. The inside has its own atmosphere. There is also outdoor heating on the patio for celebrations on cooler nights.

“There are wooden tables, industrialtype chairs, a kitchenette and minibar,” she said. “The occupancy is 49, and we have seating for that, and seating with little sofas.”

The Schiebers saw the Harvest Hall as a place to meet. One of the reasons was for getting people and their families out of the house.

“People don’t want to to have events at home anymore, they want to go somewhere, and have it there instead of in the house,” Schieber said.

There are several places groups can meet for large gatherings like the area high school promenades. Harvest Hall provides a quiet place for much smaller, familyoriented gatherings.

“We have the Wildwood Events Center (near Newkirk) and Marland Mansion that host big events, but there was nothing like that for smaller groups,” she said.

The events at the Harvest Hall are much lower key, but still cover a variety of events, including anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays, class reunions and so many others.

Due to the small size of the facility, there are requirements for meeting and costs for those gathering.

“Harvest Hall events have to be at least three hours and are $225,” she said, “If the event wants to add an extra hour, it is an extra $75.”

Booking an event is easy, but does require an advanced cost.

“In order to book, to secure your party, you have to pay half in advance of whatever package you’re booking,” she said.

Packages can be found on their website, harvesthallpc.com.

They are already booking through the summer, but they also plan to have special events of their own at Harvest Hall.

“During Crazy Days, we are having a vendor fair at Harvest Hall where businesses can set up and do a pop-up on July 28,” she said.

No matter how many vendors book or families gather, the Schiebers are excited about the future of Harvest Hall.

“We’re growing, and as we grow, I’ll include more,” she said.

For more information, including booking, visit theharvesthallpc.com or e-mail theharvesthall@outlook.com. You can also connect through Facebook and Instagram.

“Fry-day” June 18, 2021