By: Norafiqin Hairoman for The Dirt
Davis has long been known as the land of farmers’ markets, bikes, and students juggling three midterms in a single week. It’s charming, sure, but not exactly the kind of place bragged about for nightlife. That reputation, however, is about to get a serious remix.
Enter: the Davis Rave Collective—now operating under the banner of DRC Creatives—led and founded by Davis native and UC Davis alum Caden Velasquez. What started as backyard shows during the pandemic has snowballed into something much bigger: a creative force planning more than 60 events in 2025.
If that number sounds excessive, it’s because it is—and that’s exactly the point. Velasquez says folks in Davis are no longer content with being a sleepy stop between Sacramento and the Bay. People here want to party, create, and connect.
“As a student at UC Davis, I would see these shows pop up with local bands, DJs, and performers who were looking for spaces to share their music. I started promoting some of these shows and eventually throwing my own,” Velasquez told The Dirt. “As a Davis native, giving back to this vibrant community has always been so meaningful to me.”
Don’t let the name fool you: it isn’t just about raves. They’ll throw a wild electronic music night when the mood strikes, but the “rave” part has evolved into something broader: the energy, the community, and the disruptive spirit. That spirit is now showing up everywhere from art takeovers at historic San Francisco buildings to short-form documentaries to block parties in downtown Davis.
And those 60 events? They’re not cookie-cutter concerts. They’re immersive experiences, the kind of nights that blur categories and leave people buzzing the next day. Think pop-up galleries tucked inside rock shows, livestreamed DJ sets at Sophia’s Thai, or an outdoor block party where art, vendors, and music spill into the streets.
“People want good music and, more so, memorable experiences,” Velasquez said. “No longer are the days where people just want to pay to sit in front of a performer.”
One of the most ambitious experiments on the 2025 calendar is Downtown at Dusk, a six-part series reimagining the much-debated G Street block closure.
“We looked at G Street and, like many in our community, were disappointed with how the block closure underwent transformation and then seeing the very underwhelming result,” Velasquez explained. Instead of shrugging it off, DRC teamed up with the Downtown Davis Business Association to turn the space into something vibrant. Each Downtown at Dusk event will build on the last, blending art, music, and local business involvement into what he hopes will become a new Davis tradition.
This kind of programming is more than just a good time; it’s a statement about what Davis is capable of. For decades, the city’s cultural identity has orbited around bikes, produce, and the University. But as Velasquez pointed out, the heart of Davis has always been its small-town community feel.
“You see people you know, work with, or friends of friends all the time. People look out for each other. We have a safe and vibrant downtown. Davis is on this tipping point where the dampening effects of the pandemic are finally fading and community leaders are back to making impactful contributions to this town.”
That tipping point is where DRC thrives. They’re not interested in just catering to college kids (though the students certainly show up). They’re thinking bigger: engaging with families at Downtown at Dusk, art lovers at a Pence Gallery show, and bar-hoppers at Sophia’s takeovers. And they’re keeping prices low whenever possible. “It’s no secret that everything is expensive now,” Velasquez said. “We’ve always been intentional about offering a diverse array of options.” The result is an events calendar that feels less like a niche subculture and more like an open invitation to the whole city.
Of course, any collective worth its salt has a few legendary stories, and DRC is no exception. Ask Velasquez about the most memorable moment, and he’ll say without hesitation: Dome Rave. For the uninitiated, UC Davis has a housing community where students live in futuristic domes focused on sustainable living. Naturally, DRC decided this would make the perfect venue. Twice. At the first show, just as midnight struck, two police officers arrived on noise complaints. Instead of shutting the party down, the officers wound up on stage learning how to DJ in front of hundreds of students. “The way that this night ended is something I’ll remember forever,” Velasquez said. It’s the kind of moment that perfectly encapsulates DRC’s ethos: community contribution, shared joy, and maybe a little chaos.
If Dome Rave sounds like too much for your first foray, Velasquez recommends starting with something lighter—like their Volt parties at Volt Coffee on Olive Drive. Picture a sunny afternoon with DJs spinning outside, local vendors selling jewelry, students and professionals dancing side by side, and phones staying in pockets for once.
“It’s really such a great introduction to DRC because it exemplifies the eclectic nature of the events we host—literally everything from 11 a.m. Volt parties to late-night raves.”
So why is 2025 the year Davis finally shakes off its “quiet college town” label? Velasquez pointed to timing: the community is growing, developers are investing in new spaces, and the appetite for experiences is higher than ever. DRC is seizing the moment—and in doing so, hopes to push Davis toward a cultural reinvention.
Will every experiment land perfectly? Probably not. But the fact that Davis now has a group ambitious enough to try 60 different things in a single year is the story itself.
By December, if Velasquez’s vision comes true, Davis won’t just be the town where you buy heirloom tomatoes. It’ll be the town where dusk means dancing downtown and where the calendar is packed with more fun than you can possibly attend. In short: the kind of place you brag about.
