By Lucia Grijalva
Desert Rose Social Club founders (from left to right) Haylee Howe, Shayna Larson, Madison Baity and Kelly Hart. Photo from the Desert Rose Social Club Instagram page.
Social clubs, running clubs, book clubs and more local groups such as these have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years. After the Covid lockdown, the world faced a micro extinction of community and places to assemble. Locally run restaurants forcibly shut down, mom and pop shops couldn’t survive and gyms and movie theatres were vacant. Ever since then, individuals have been in search of an environment to foster relationships and build engagement. A select few have taken it upon themselves to create a third place.
“Third places” is an idea originally created by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. According to Project for Public Spaces, “Oldenburg identifies ‘third places’ as the public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact. In contrast to first places (home) and second places (work), third places allow people to put aside their concerns and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them.”
Among these is a Tucson based social club by the name of Desert Rose. Desert Rose pushes an agenda of “cultivating connections [and] nurturing wellness”. The club is run by Kelly Hart, Madison Baity, Haylee Howe and Shayna Larson. Activities that are hosted by them monthly include a social hour, book club and pickleball meet-up.
Also featured on the group’s website is a cumulative recollection/guide of all things Tucson. Coffeeshops, restaurants, workout studios, great views/attractions and more are listed for your own discretion to scroll through.
Desert Rose took the time to chat with The Pima Post on details about their club.
Q: Where did the inspiration for the club begin? What did the process of building your community look like?
A: Desert Rose started as a passion project for us, we were craving more connection in our own lives and saw a gap in Tucson for a casual, low-pressure social club that made it easy to meet new people. The idea began over coffee and between friends, and it blossomed from there. Our first event on May 10th, 2024 was met with only three people that heard about us organically and the rest of the attendees were friends and family. From there we knuckled down with our website and social media and the word started to spread. Word of mouth and a welcoming vibe played a big role in building a solid foundation. We continue to focus on cultivating connections and nurturing wellness. That is the backbone of our club and the vibe we like to curate at all events.
By the time our next social hour came around on June 22nd, we had grown from only three new attendees to thirty. After that night we knew that this is something we needed to continue doing.
Q: How are most newcomers hearing about you? Where is the majority of your exposure coming from (through the “grapevine”, social media, etc.)?
A: It’s a mix! Social media, our website and just the Tucson network in general is how people hear about us. Social media, especially Instagram, has been huge for visibility. We are able to capture how our members feel in the moment and then share that with the rest of the community. We also get a lot of members that say they found us via our website.
A story that has stuck with us is a member mentioned that one day they were just fed up with trying to find friends in Tucson and with tears in their eyes they hopelessly searched “How to make friends in Tucson” and to their surprise, we popped up as an option. That person came to the next event and was so excited to finally meet people in a low pressure environment.
Lastly and certainly not least we have a lot of people say they heard about us from a friend. That “grapevine” effect is real, and I think it speaks to the genuine experiences people are having. When someone has a good time, they bring a friend next time, and it keeps growing from there.
Q: Are current members involved in event recommendations/scheduling?
A: Yes, definitely. We always welcome feedback and suggestions. We have a pretty set schedule when it comes to our Pickleball Club and Book Club. Our social hour has a regular cadence as well and you can expect similar vibes. However, we do switch up where we do our social hour every month. Our special events are where the feedback from the community is important. This is feedback from members as well as local Tucson businesses who reach out with an idea. It’s important to us that this club feels co-created. We try to keep a pulse on what people are enjoying and also leave space for trying new things based on interest.
Q: You currently collaborate with Tucson Run Club and Corbett’s, but are there any other organizations/businesses you are hoping to join forces with in the future?
A: Absolutely! There are local workout studios, wellness spaces, restaurants and small businesses that we’d love to team up with. We love to partner with places that share our vibe— welcoming, community-centered and a little fun. There is no lack of that in Tucson, so more often than not we find ourselves overwhelmed with opportunity rather than at a loss for what to do that month.
Q: The club currently offers pickleball, book club, social hour and special events. Do you prefer keeping the attention on a limited amount of activities or would you like to broaden member’s options in the future?
A: For the co-founders, this is something we do outside of our 9-5’s. On top of that we also juggle our personal lives with DRSC, so we feel like the few consistent touchpoints allow us to stay involved, have fun, but most importantly we really want to avoid getting burnt out, so we use our monthly “special event” as a way to branch out and find something new to bring to our members. Typically it’s something like a ballet class or a speaker/networking event. It ranges based on what our members want.
Q: What sets Desert Rose apart from other social clubs? What would you let someone who’s on the fence about joining a social club know?
A: Desert Rose is rooted in cultivating connections and nurturing wellness and with that comes this natural sense of warmth and intention when someone new joins. We try really hard to find the perfect balance of not too little; not too much so when people show up they feel included but not overwhelmed by this new environment. As co-founders we like to make our rounds to new people but also introduce them to others. We read them and try to understand, does this person need me to hang here with them to get them acquainted or are they itching to meet someone new? From there we try to make the best decision.
We’d tell anyone on the fence: just try it once. You don’t have to “network” or be outgoing—just come as you are. The beauty of this club is that everyone is just figuring it out together. More often than not people are taking the leap and coming by themselves to these events and leaving with new friends. Come and try us just once. We promise you will see the magic we do.
Q: In what ways do you believe Desert Rose Social Club has established itself within the Tucson community? Have you seen any positive impacts made or relationships formed?
A: We have seen so many friendships bloom, from casual connections to full-blown friend groups that hang out outside of events. We had a co-founder go to yoga one day and saw three girls that looked familiar. Turns out those three girls had met at the last social hour we hosted and decided to go to yoga together! There is also a group of guys that met through Desert Rose and they have gone mountain biking together, gone to other events together. Our last social hour in April, about 10 people decided that they wanted to stay connected, so they went from our event to another bar in town to chat. We truly believe Desert Rose gives some people a sense of belonging after a move or even just after a rough season. That’s the stuff that reminds us why this matters—it’s more than just events; It’s community-building in real time.
Q: Why do you believe this outlet/form of connection is valuable? Do you think social clubs are a modern bandwagon trend or will they only keep gaining more and more traction?
A: I think it’s a response to something real: people want meaningful connection. In a world that’s increasingly online, spaces like Desert Rose gives people the chance to show up in person, talk face-to-face and be part of something local. It might feel trendy now, but I think it’s here to stay because the need is timeless.
Q: Anything else you’d like to let me know?
A: Just that Desert Rose is always evolving. It’s not a polished product—it’s a living, breathing community. And we are so grateful to everyone who’s shown up, shared a drink, played some pickleball or simply said “hi.” It’s the people who make it special and we hope to continue to build this to be one of Tucson’s top social clubs.
About: Lucia Grijalva is a Hispanic journalist studying the social sciences at Pima Community College. She hails from San Diego, California and plans on going back home in the near future. Her prominent interests lie within the physical arts. With any questions or comments, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or at @luciaggrijalva on Instagram.