ABOVE: Danelle Simmons and Bowlmor Manager Brett Ekho stand with the bowling alley’s new volleyball court, part of their plan to boost their summer season.

FAIRMONT – A new outdoor area, including a volleyball court and stage, has been added to the Bowlmor Lanes in Fairmont.

Manager Brett Ekho said it started last year when they looked at their property lines and realized they had plenty of space to work with.

“It’s pretty obvious that we struggle during the summertime,” he said. “It’s our non-busy season. We’re thriving in the winter, and then summer is tough for us. We figured we could do something with this area. Just try to capture the general term of entertainment, more than just bowling, spread our wings a little bit.”

Originally, they had considered putting a pavilion for weddings and events, or an axe-throwing setup. The pavilion ended up being too expensive in projections, and axe-throwing was dropped due to liabilities and dangers.

When Ekho started getting the word out, he said he got partnerships right away with locals to help bring in sand and set up the stage.

Getting the whole area together took around three to four months to complete. Now that it is complete, Ekho said they have received good feedback since the new area opened on July 4.

“I’ve been hearing nothing but good feedback,” he said. “People are always coming up to me and saying, ‘I can’t believe the bowling alley is changing.’ They notice a lot of changes, and it feels nice to be recognized.”

Ekho said he feels like the reputation is that the bowling alley has stayed the same and always will be, but that this recognition is starting to change.

“People are starting to notice the innovation and work we’re putting into it to try to be better for the community,” he said.

Similar to their bowling leagues, Bowlmor plans to launch a volleyball league in August, featuring six-player teams.

“We want as many people as possible,” Ekho said. “As many teams as we can get, make it as big as it can be.”

With the band stage, Ekho said they are looking to have karaoke every other Saturday, weather permitting, and bring in bands when they can. He said karaoke has been a success due to the large space they have.

“We usually do it in the bar area,” Ekho said. “We’re pretty limited on space in there. It gets claustrophobic on busy nights.”

Being able to take a long-standing establishment and continue evolving it for the future is something Ekho said means everything to him.

“That’s why I’ve been sweating,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been putting so much work into it, because that is my goal. I want to make good connections and be community-driven in Fairmont. I feel like there’s not a whole lot of entertainment here. I’d be happy to be a big part of [changing] that.”

For more information or to inquire about the volleyball league, contact the bowling alley at 507-235-5719 and ask for Brett.