Fort Collins to get its first ax-throwing bar

Erin Udell | Fort Collins Coloradoan

Show Caption Hide Caption Watch woman hit a bullseye at new Reno axe throwing bar Elise Levy of Reno hurls — and hits! — at Reno Axe in downtown Reno.

A new bar is being thrown into the mix.

The Axe and Ale is set to become Fort Collins' first ax-throwing bar in early 2020, as local father and son duo Mark and Ross Ericksen prepare to bring the fast-growing entertainment trend to Northern Colorado.

Ross, 38, got the idea when he and his wife went to an ax-throwing bar in Athens, Georgia. Ross fell in love with the concept, and after the couple moved to Fort Collins in August, "I thought I could either wait for one to open in Fort Collins or I could take the bull by the horns ... so I did," he said.

After retiring, Ross' father Mark, 65, recently moved to Fort Collins from Cincinnati. Since then, the duo has secured the former Dungeons & Drafts gaming tavern, which closed its 1624 S. Lemay Ave. location this summer over unpaid taxes.

Ross and Mark plan to start construction on The Axe and Ale in late January or early February, with an opening date planned for March.

Raising the bar: Downtown Fort Collins' Ace Gillett's to close for early 2020 renovation

While they will keep Dungeons & Draft's overall medieval feel, Mark said they plan to remove two existing interior walls to open up the space, which will ultimately house nine indoor ax targets. They're also hoping to eventually add two targets to the bar's outdoor patio, Ross said.

The Axe and Ale will allow groups of up to four people to throw axes at each indoor target, Ross added. Sessions can be reserved, but the business will also accept walk-ins. The axes will weigh three pounds, and the targets will be located about 12 feet away.

A typical throwing session will last an hour and costs around $23 per person per hour, Ross said. First-time throwers will be given safety and throwing instructions by a trained employee, and a trained coach will be provided for every group of throwers during the entirety of their reserved session, he added.

Participants will also be able to grab a beer or glass of wine at the bar, though there will be a two-drink maximum for safety reasons.

If friends want to tag along, but not throw an ax, they can watch from a separate seating area in the bar. Ross and Mark are still mulling over The Axe and Ale's age limits.

The trend of ax-throwing bars started in North America after one opened in Toronto, Canada in 2011, according to Forbes. Over the past two years, the idea has exploded across the U.S. and is expected to be one of the nation's fastest-growing entertainment trends in 2020, according to spending data from mobile payment company Square.

It's lit: Catch these Fort Collins holiday lights displays before it's too late

While Colorado Springs-based Jack's Axe Throwing brings its mobile ax-throwing trailer up to Fort Collins for events, The Axe and Ale will be the first dedicated ax-throwing bar north of the Denver area.

After spending time in various ax-throwing bars, "Ross and I were thinking we could do this exact same thing," Mark said. "We just had to find the right property in the right city, and I think we've done that."

Loading...

My quirky feature articles, true crime podcasts and stories that get to the heart of Fort Collins take time to produce each week. And the only way I can keep doing what I do is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, and you want to see me unearth more stories, sign up for a subscription to the Coloradoan today.