Joan Roehre, Racine’s New Generation Entrepreneur

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Photo courtesy Joan Roehre

Joan Roehre

Joan Roehre

Next to summer, winter seems to be Racine’s favorite time of year. The past 30 years have seen various tree festivals, Small Business Saturdays, downtown decoration trolly tours and craft markets help ring in the season. These events not only bring the community together, they also give people a chance to express their artistic side through promoting wares and decorating. 

Although a few of these events have come and gone due to funding, there are always new artists and entrepreneurs starting their own traditions to keep the spirit alive. Joan Roehre is one of these entrepreneurs who runs Social on Sixth, a venue that hosts everything from tea parties for Royal Family followers to Heidi Wagner’s 2022 LGBT photo exhibition. For this holiday season, Roehre is screening two now sold-out sing along editions of White Christmas and The Sound of Music on Dec. 15 and 19. Roeher took time to discuss traditions, the artistry involved in holidays, and why musicals feel special during the holidays.

Describe your journey to becoming an event host.

I’ve loved throwing parties for a long, long time. I’ve always loved bringing people together and setting a lovely table. After 30 years in education, I didn’t really want to go back and I just have a passion for throwing a good party. Chris Hafel (Social on Sixth’s landlord) and I went back and forth about that space. After Long Shot (Racine’s local record store) moved out, we thought it would be a cool venue. We chit chatted about it regularly and I kept telling her when you’re ready to hire an event planner, let me know. She came back to me in February of 2021 and said “I’m not ready to hire you but I think you need to open your own business.” It was many years of loving to entertain but it was also serendipitous that Chris said,“let’s talk”, so it kind of happened both ways.

Has the community influenced your business?

There really is a need for smaller venues and we have some incredible venues like Preservation Hall, Uncork’d, The Branch. Those are rather large, but Racine  does embrace historic buildings and I’m lucky to be in a  cool historic building. People who grew up here get a smile on their face when they see the old Red Cross Drugstore. I would say the idea has been embraced, but it’s a roller coaster; I’m booked solid through Christmas, but it was a very slow summer. It’s important to me that my space is a community space, so I’ve worked very hard to ensure that it’s out there in the community. 

Racine has done a good job at embracing the character of my space and recognizing the fact that the detail is in the detail. I love the smallest detail when a host is having a party. Racine has been pretty good with saying “Hey it’s a cool space, you know what you’re doing, let’s do this together.”

Have you seen Racine’s holiday traditions change?

I think that might be a Covid question. It’s been interesting opening a business in a pandemic when capacity was mandatorily reduced. If they’re using my space, maybe it’s a newer tradition for their family to not entertain, maybe they don’t want that many people trampling through their home. I think maybe I’m starting new holiday traditions like the sing a-longs or the tea parties. I’m hoping the events I offer infuse some impetus to change. As far as generally, I think we’re sticking to the basics. Families gathering is a tradition that will never change.

Why is the holiday season particularly inspirational to the city’s creative communities?

I think people are hungry for experiences. It’s Wisconsin, we’re hearty: the ice sculptures, walking and seeing the window displays, I think that’s an experience families can enjoy. I think younger generations don’t want all that “stuff,” they want experiences like a holiday tea. When they come to my tea, they know it’s homemade and it’s done proper.  I think it’s the experience that draws people.

Describe your perspective on the holiday season, Racine, audiences, and musical theater.

I host Broadway karaoke. You can’t go to the theater to sing along to Mama Mia but I like that interaction. I don’t care if my voice is any good or not, I’m going to bellow at the top of my lungs and have a blast. Tying all those things together is fun and it’s the holidays. You have incredible classics films, plays, and performing arts like The Nutcracker. They’re not the same in April.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I’m just grateful that I have an opportunity to be part of this business community that I love. I think that people recognize that and it’s important to me that my space is welcoming, inclusive and comfortable. When you have this labor of love and put everything you have into it, people recognize it. It’s important to me that it’s a community space where everyone feels included, welcome and comfortable. It’s definitely a labor of love and I think that’s why it’s supported as well as it is.