Audiences also packed in for shows with some of the biggest Latino groups of the day including Little Joe, Johnny and la Familia, Sunny & the Sunliners, Los Tigres del Norte, Celia Cruz and Ray Camacho, and big bands led by national band leaders including Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey.

Hispanic residents from South Tucson and Tucson’s south side and African-Americans from the predominantly Black neighborhoods along South Park Avenue found a safe space there, which brought in big-name artists including Chubby Checker, Fats Domino, James Brown and The Ronettes. “The dance floor was huge because people just loved dancing,” said Martinez, who took over the venue from his father Raul “Butch” Martinez, who managed El Casino from late 1960s.īack in the early days, El Casino was one of the largest venues in Tucson and one of the few in the 1950s-60s that didn’t practice racial segregation. It took Martinez and groups of community volunteers countless hours outside of day jobs and busy careers to rebuild, replacing the roof and restoring the historic wooden dance floor which at one time was the longest wooden dance floor in Arizona.įred Martinez, manager of El Casino Ballroom at 437 E 26th St., in Tucson, Ariz. The COVID closure was the longest since El Casino was forced to close for nine years after a fierce wind storm tore the roof off the building in 1991. El Casino was closed for more than a year during the pandemic and when they reopened in 2022, “we were barely getting back on our feet,” he said. The anniversary was actually last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic set them back, said Fred Martinez, who has managed the 1,200-capacity venue since 1995. For the full lineup, visit El Casino's Facebook page. 9-10, features salsa and folklorico dancers, dancers from Viva Performing Arts and Arizona Folk Dance Company, mariachi groups including from Pueblo and Sunnyside high schools, and a number of bands including J5, Ritmo de Sanchez, Conjunto Bravo and Los Hermanos Cuatro.

The two-day celebration Saturday and Sunday, Sept.

This weekend, El Casino Ballroom celebrates its 75th anniversary with two days of concerts and performances from dance troupes and bands that have played a part in the ballroom’s storied history. Little Joe of Little Joe, Johnny and la Familia performs at El Casino Ballroom at 437 East 26th St.

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