A bar entertainment businessman is taking aim at a new adventure, bringing combat archery, or “dodge bow,” games to Windsor.
Robert Goldberg, owner of Hartford-based Bar Rated Entertainment, started the subsidiary Arrow Dodge, and was granted a special town permit to conduct outdoor games at Fastpitch Nation on Day Hill Road in Windsor this summer.
Arrow Dodge is a combination of three sports – dodgeball, paintball and archery – where participants form teams and shoot at opponents with large foam-tip arrows using a bow.
The special permit, granted this week, will allow Goldberg to utilize the outdoor space at Fastpitch Nation, 1001 Day Hill Road, during softball tournaments.
Sessions will be open to the public at $30 per 90-minute session. Arrow Dodge can also go mobile, bringing dodge bow games to private residences or businesses.
Goldberg is now working toward securing a 10,000-square-foot lease in a facility on Day Hill Road that’s currently under renovation. The facility, when complete, will also house a brewery and soccer dome next to his Arrow Dodge arena, he said.
He is hoping for a spring 2023 opening after building renovations are complete and once he has secured the lease and proper town permits.
The facility will then be open seven days a week, year-round, while still offering mobile games.
In Middletown, Goldberg has used space at Vale Sports Club for Arrow Dodge indoor private events and is also planning to form a league. He will host an open house there on July 22.
“I’m taking this opportunity to … introduce this sport to the area before we get into the bricks and mortar,” of a permanent facility, Goldberg said.
He is conducting Arrow Dodge games at other outdoor facilities throughout Connecticut.
Games of the burgeoning sport are also offered at select locations around the state. Goldberg believes dodge bow will be a hit with people looking for the adrenaline rush of an extreme sport in a fun and safe environment.
According to the company, players ages 10 and up need no archery experience, and they get basic training and practice shooting time before games.
Goldberg said dodge bow games don’t require heavy protective gear, but face masks and arm guards are supplied for added safety.
“The foam-tipped arrows have been on the market and sold world-wide since 2007 and have thousands of hours of safety testing, and are specifically designed with the highest level of safety and durability in mind to ensure a fun, safe way to provide a combat archery experience,” according to the company.
Goldberg, of New Hartford, started Bar Rated Entertainment in 2010, having hosted thousands of live events in Connecticut and Massachusetts including trivia nights, bar bingo, karaoke, video game tournaments, beer fests, charity fundraisers and more.
For more information, visit PlayArrowDodge.com, BarRatedEntertainment.com or @playarrowdodge on social media.
