The Beat Goes On — Finding Rhythm and Love in the Desert

Step back into the rhythmic Sundays of Tucson's Himmel Park Drum Circle, where we met in 2017 and ultimately became life partners. Discover the history of our prior "drum happy" crowd on Hippie Hill, and how that beat eventually moved to Reid Park. Plus, find out where to participate in drumming events in Tucson and across the country.

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES

Up until 2020, Sunday afternoons at Tucson's Himmel Park was where you found us hanging out with the "drum happy" crowd. If you sauntered anywhere near "Hippie Hill" or the tennis courts, you could hear the hand-drumming heartbeat of our rhythmic music-making. Here you'd find smiling faces that made you feel you were part of something.

Life-Changing Connection

For us, the memorable Himmel Park Drum Circle videos Victoria regularly recorded and posted on YouTube represent more than just local history. They are the soundtrack to our own story, considering we met each other at Himmel Park Drum Circle in 2017 — and we’ve been life partners ever since — proving that sometimes the best things in life happen when you just follow the beat of the drum.

The Beat Goes On at Reid Park

For historical context, the Himmel Park Drum Circle Facebook page — for which Jerry served as admistrator for seven years — remains online as of Spring 2026. Happily, many of the former "regulars" can be found drumming on Sundays and Thursdays at Reid Park.

Drum Circle Resources

"Sometimes the best things in life happen when you just follow the beat of the drum."

For drum circle enthusiasts or curious individuals wanting to find a circle, learn new rhythms, or learn how to play — Victoria compiled and vetted the handy hyperlinked resource list below that includes drum circle connections locally and across the country.

🌵Tap the hyperlinked resource titles to the referenced site

⬇️Tap down arrows to reveal the content

When we played, we experienced what Jerry describes as "an integral part of intricate rhythms, each of us contributing our own beats while staying in sync with the group rhythm."

The facilitator would often use hand signals to bring the volume down for soloists like Jerry and other regulars — creating space for individual expression within the collective.

Beyond the music, Victoria describes the circle as "a feeling of connection with people gathered for the specific purpose of finding joy through music we made with our own hands."

In essence, the Himmel Park Drum Cicle engendered an uncommon feeling of shared happiness and peace not found in other groups.

Victoria & Jerry at Himmel Park Drum Circle
Victoria & Jerry at Himmel Park Drum Circle

In the shade of swaying palm and palo verde trees, you could find enthusiastic participants playing frame drums, djembe drums, bongos and cajóns, together with congas, floor toms, cymbals, tambourines, guiros, shakers — and countless other hand percussion instruments.

But the best part was the philosophy: No experience is required to drum happy!

Sadly, the pandemic and other factors eventually took a toll — and the lively community drum circle we once thought of as "our tribe" gradually dwindled as long-time regulars moved away or joined other circles. But in its heydey, this beloved community drum circle was an eclectic mix of sound and groove.

As our YouTube channel reveals, you don't even need a traditional drum to be part of the music. A block of wood or a plastic bucket works just as well.

Himmel Park Drum Circle was a space that truly welcomed everyone — pets included. Children were also encouraged to join in, and the circle provided percussion instruments specifically for the little ones to find their own beat. (We were happy to contribute to that cause!)