Fernley ACES founder and president Dana Uhlhorn is stepping down as president after eight years of leading the volunteer group he created to bring art, culture and community events to a city that at the time had almost none.
Uhlhorn, with the help of volunteers like Skye Long, Cathy Martin, Felicity Zoberski and Joseph Maino, launched the Fernley Arts & Culture Event Squad in 2018 with the simple idea of giving people in Fernley something to do in a town that had no venues for live music, no art and very little participation or turnout for local events.
“When we started this, people did not gather in this town to be entertained,” Uhlhorn said.
As a teenager in Carson City, Uhlhorn remembered the Carson City Speedway hosting concerts with bands like Blue Öyster Cult and the J. Geils Band, and he dreamed of bringing similar shows to Fernley.
“Dana saw a need in the community, and instead of complaining about it, he stepped up and forged a pathway to make it happen,” ACES Vice President Jaimie Daniels said.
But the idea almost died before it even got started, when public gatherings were prohibited during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We created an organization to host events, and we were not allowed to host events,” Uhlhorn said.
The organization had begun to raise money, and Uhlhorn said he had come up with the idea for a Christmas light contest to give away the money and then fold up shop. Although there wasn’t much participation in the contest, it instead breathed life back into the group.
“We came up with stuff to do, and it didn’t want to die,” Uhlhorn said.
One of the first ACES events was a board project, where they sold 80 boards for people to decorate. They hosted a play at the Out of Town Park and several other small events, but the turning point came in 2023 when the M3 (Music, Murals and Margaritas) Festival took off.
“When we did the second or third M3 Festival and it went really well, we realized we’re good at this,” Uhlhorn said. “All of a sudden we’re having events every month and major events three or four times a year.”
Seeing an idea that stemmed from his desire to watch live music without having to drive to Reno turn into a powerhouse organization that brings major music, art and other events to Fernley several times a year, Uhlhorn said he is now ready to devote more time to other projects and enjoy those events as a spectator.
“I’m thrilled what happened and happy to be able to leave it in people's hands that will keep it going,” he said.
ACES board members honored Uhlhorn and treasurer Cathy Martin, who is also stepping down from the board of directors, with an announcement and presentation of a signed picture of the group during the M3 Festival on May 16.
Board members and volunteers say Uhlhorn is leaving a legacy they intend to continue.
“Dana is always the call where you know he will not just answer but will say ‘be there in 10’ and show up,” Skye Long said. “He kicked a single rock and sent a boulder barreling down the Nevada mountain that is this organization.”
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