El Paso’s creative scene just leveled up with the newly opened local music venue, Apple Tree Creative Center. Apple Tree is a nonprofit venue intended to provide El Paso youth a safe space to cultivate their talents through workshops, live music, and stage production. Located at 3945 Doniphan Park Circle, the alcohol- and drug-free “third space.” The center shares a facility with Let There Be Rock music school and was created to help young musicians develop their talents outside the city’s bar scene.

“We’re still so new,” said Apple Tree creative director Ernesto Carrillo. “It’s so great to see all the support we’ve gotten so far. It really shows how much it was needed.”

Apple Tree Creative Center officially opened Feb. 21, 2026, following a kickoff charity event in November 2025 that hinted at its potential as a creative hub for young artists.

“A turning point for us was in November,” Carrillo said. “I started throwing shows in August and there was a show that was happening elsewhere, at The Underground. From what I know, they throw their shows outside and they were getting rain. So a show wasn’t going to happen and someone from the community hit me up, asking if they could throw the show at Apple Tree. And I was like, ‘Well that’s what we’re all about, why we’re here.’ I let them know if I can get some help we can make it work.”

The idea behind Apple Tree grew from a need among music students, especially those at Let There Be Rock music school, which shares a facility with the center. Carrillo said many young musicians needed a safe space where they could enter the local music scene.

“Everything’s a bar in town and it’s not easy for someone who’s not of age to be playing shows. It’s important for, especially the next generation of musicians, to have space where they could experiment and cultivate their sound. And not only that, build a community amongst their peers. So I saw the stage, I saw the demand, and I asked Pepe, who’s the owner of the Let There Be Rock school, ‘can I start throwing some shows here? All ages shows.’ And he’s like, ‘That’s a great idea, but, you know, we need to be able to do it in a sustainable way and have it be regulated,’ And he came up with the idea of doing a nonprofit.”

Carrillo works with Pepe Clarke Magaña, Apple Tree Creative Center’s CEO, to serve the community the center brings together.

“We teamed up with the El Paso Community Foundation, they allowed us to have that 501(c)(3) status. I started throwing shows in August and right off the bat, the demand was so truly there that we were packing up this place. So the shows have been going super well.”

Carrillo remains focused on providing a safe, creative space for El Paso’s youth and ensuring the center can sustain itself.

“Thursdays from 6 to 8, I’m hosting free workshops, and those have to do with art, music, technology. Even just meet-ups, networking, musicians networking with each other. Those I definitely need help with bringing in more traction since the workshops are completely free. I really want the community to take ownership of the space and do what they want with it.”

Apple Tree draws inspiration from the “Gilman model,” based on the volunteer-run music venue in Berkeley, California, known as 924 Gilman Street, or Gilman.

“[The Apple Tree] was my idea and I’m borrowing from a model that’s existed already, which is the 924 Gilman model,” Carrillo said. “Gilman is a venue out in the Oakland, Berkeley area. And they’ve been around for over 30 years now, and it’s community-run. I used to live out there and I got to see it. Bands like Green Day and Operation Ivy got started there. Not just bands had an opportunity, but also photographers, people who are filmmakers, artists. It was a chance for all of them to have a platform to create and meet each other. So that was kind of the inspiration, you could say. A space is a space and it’s a community that makes it what it is.”

Both Gilman and Apple Tree operate on a DIY ethos, emphasizing community and inclusivity.

“Part of the subculture I grew up in – which is punk rock, alternative, hardcore – is a big component. A lot of the words that we hear or phrases we hear nowadays, like ‘safe spaces’ and inclusivity really came from this subculture I was a part of. ‘DIY’ is a big component of that. The way that I learned what I know is in the same way when someone feels like jumping in a van and going on a tour. All of these skills I built up from experiencing, touring, seeing other venues in different parts of the country. I am taking all of these experiences that I’ve had that I’ve learned from someone else and bringing them into this one space.”

The center’s mission focuses on the power of music to uplift, educate and inspire positive change, both individually and within the community.

“Music has given me so much,” Carrillo said, “and I expect nothing from it. It’s given me a form of expression, community; a means to travel, even. As I see technology mutualize to connect people, it’s kind of through a filter. What we’ve seen at the school is that camaraderie that is built. That confidence that is built in an individual when working in a team. So many life skills you could only really get from interacting with each other. The brain really craves that social connection.”

As screens and digital trends continue to shape how people connect, Carrillo said he sees young people seeking out experiences that feel more tangible and more real.

“Nowadays, I see guitar-based music being popular again. My assumption is that people want to get out of their phones, actually experience events, and not just see it through reels or stories. They want to be a part of something real. Something you can hang out at, talk to people, rub shoulders with, dance.”

For Carrillo, an El Paso native, Apple Tree is about recognizing a need in the community and using his skills to help fill it. Carillo hopes the model becomes a source of inspiration for others to adapt and continue.

“I’m just doing what I know and what I feel passionate about. There is definitely some thought about leaving a model other people can pick up and continue. Whether it’s here or not, I think it’s just important to impart that knowledge because learning really tears down boundaries. No one can take away what you’ve learned and these skills you could build. You could go anywhere and be adaptable. I’m not too interested in my own personal legacy; I just saw something that El Paso needed. Something that combines all my skills and hopefully it could expand to a point where we collaborate with more people.”

The Apple Tree Creative Center emerges as a vital and timely addition to El Paso’s creative scene. By offering a safe, inclusive, and community-driven space for young artists, Apple Tree not only fills a significant need in the local scene but also fosters the personal growth and social connections that are increasingly valuable in our digital age. Apple Tree is more than just a venue; it’s a movement empowering El Paso’s youth to shape their creative futures and contribute to an interconnected community. 

Local promoter Nathaniel “Nacho” Shalliene said the center brings people together.

“Everybody should pull up. I think everybody could enjoy it. [Apple Tree] brings the community together.”

Apple Tree Creative Center posts show updates on its website and Instagram at @apple.tree.ep