Produced solely by volunteers, Acker Night was created to fulfill the wishes of benefactor and Prescott resident James S. Acker. Mr. Acker first relocated to Prescott, Arizona in the early 1900’s. As the owner of a general store, he provided music supplies for local children. After moving away for a short time, Mr. Acker returned to Prescott in the 1930’s and ran a real estate company. During this time, he accumulated parcels of property around the community. When he died in 1955, Mr. Acker left many of those parcels of land to the City of Prescott, to be used for parks and music programs for children.
In 1988, longtime Prescott resident LaVon Anderson decided to pursue her dream to mesh music and Prescott’s historic downtown together in a memorable event. Music and the Christmas holidays was a natural pairing and Anderson decided to spearhead the J.S. Acker Musical Showcase in December. From 8 performers in 8 shops in 1988 to over 100 performers in over 100 shops today, Acker Night has become one of Prescott’s most beloved events.
Click here for more information on this year’s Acker Night Event
Click here to see a Video of the 2014 Acker Night
