Page Repp builds things for a living, and for the past decade one of his biggest projects hasn't been a building at all. It's DUSK, the music festival he co-founded in 2016 that has grown into Tucson's largest music festival, bringing bands and art downtown, and it returns to Jácome Plaza Nov. 13 and 14 for a 10th-anniversary edition.
Repp is DUSK's co-founder and festival director, according to wildcat.arizona.edu, and he handles the festival's set design and construction through his own company, Repp + McLain Design & Construction. That dual role, architect by training and festival organizer by necessity, has shaped how DUSK looks and feels each year it has returned to the city's core.
The festival started in 2016, per a Daily Wildcat history of the event, and the same outlet's reporting names John Rallis, Steve Stratigouleas and Pete Turner as fellow University of Arizona alumni who co-founded DUSK alongside Repp. This year's event lands on Nov. 13 and 14 at Jácome Plaza, according to an interview Repp gave to thissongslaps.com.
From Rillito Park to the Heart of Downtown
DUSK didn't start downtown. The festival moved from Rillito Downs to Armory Park in its third year, the Daily Wildcat's sister coverage at tucson.com reported at the time, relocating to 222 S. Fifth Ave. A later Daily Wildcat report said the festival has called Jácome Plaza home since 2021, cementing its downtown footprint.
Putting a festival of that scale in the middle of downtown isn't simple. The same thissongslaps interview quotes Repp saying that producing DUSK in the heart of downtown Tucson requires heavy coordination with the city and county. He also described DUSK as a 50/50 co-production with Relentless Beats, a partnership that has carried the festival through its growth.
A Different Layout for the 10-Year Milestone
For the anniversary edition, Repp told thissongslaps.com that organizers are changing things up: the overall site layout will look different this year, with VIP and Platinum areas getting a revamp and more interactive features built in. It's a continuation of a trend reporters have tracked for years — a 2016 history piece on wildcat.arizona.edu noted that each year DUSK has introduced more local art exhibitions, backyard-game play stations and Tucson shops alongside its music lineup.
That local-first approach extends to staffing and vendors, too. Per the same thissongslaps.com interview, Repp said DUSK uses local vendors, hires local artists, commissions artwork from Tucson residents, and fills its staff with people from the city. A report on the festival's sixth year described that same pattern of expansion, noting DUSK had been growing 15 to 20% annually at the time, with that edition's expected attendance of 11,000 to 12,000 people outpacing the prior year's 9,000.
Public Money and Downtown's Festival Economy
DUSK isn't funded entirely by ticket sales. Rio Nuevo, the special taxing district that supports downtown redevelopment, has backed several of Tucson's biggest annual events. According to tucson.com, the district's board approved spending up to $250,000 to sponsor the city's “big five” community events, and it had spent roughly $1.7 million across those five events over the preceding five years — with the biggest chunk, $1.2 million, going to the Arizona Bowl.
DUSK's programming has also leaned on institutional partnerships. The Daily Wildcat reported that for a ninth-year edition, organizers planned to add Tucson ARTS and Tucson PLAYS experiences alongside the festival's existing Tucson FEASTS food offerings. An earlier tucson.com report on the festival's move to Armory Park noted that Tucson Arts had partnered with the University of Arizona's School of Art, 3D and Extended Media to commission artwork for the festival grounds — an early example of the campus ties that have run through DUSK's history.
Repp's Other Downtown Fingerprints
Festival production is only part of what keeps Repp + McLain busy downtown. The firm's own project page lists the company as both architect and general contractor on the Playground Bar & Lounge, according to reppmclain.com — one more entry in a portfolio of downtown builds tied to the same name behind DUSK's staging and set design.
A decade in, DUSK has become shorthand for what a downtown Tucson event can look like when music, art, food and local business all share the same plaza. The festival returns to Jácome Plaza Nov. 13 and 14 for its 10th-anniversary run, with organizers promising the reshaped layout and expanded VIP and Platinum offerings detailed in Repp's interview with thissongslaps.com — the latest chapter for a festival that started in 2016 and grew into, as reporting has repeatedly described it, Tucson's largest music festival.
