The year 2022-23 marked the beginning of a collaborative effort to expand access to high quality courts in North Hero, the birthplace of Islands Pickleball Association (IPA) in the Champlain Islands. Plans call for the construction of four professional courts at Knight Point State Park (KPSP) in 2025.
With the support of the North Hero Recreation Committee and the Town, and resourced through IPA fundraising, State Parks revenues, and eligible grants, courts will be built on the pad that once served as the performance ring of the Lipizzaner Stallions and later the stage for Shakespeare in the Park. The location just north of the drawbridge is perfect for pickleball in the Islands:
- Its existing gravel and sand base reduces the cost of subsurface preparation.
- Parking is abundant.
- The pad’s north/south orientation is optimal for play.
- The setting within the Park provides natural sound abatement.
Latest Update:
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news that’s been five years in the making.
The Islands Pickleball Association (IPA) will be hosting a Groundbreaking Ceremony at Knight Point State Park (KPSP) in North Hero. This event marks the official launch of our long-awaited project, and we’d be honored to have you there to celebrate this major milestone with us.
When: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 9:30am
Location: Knight Point State Park (KPSP), North Hero, VT
We’ll be joined by representatives from Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation, as well as our construction partners from Vermont Recreational Surfacing and Fencing, who are helping bring our courts to life.
This will be a fun and memorable event, and we’re hoping for a great turnout. Please bring your pickleball paddles — we’ll be gathering for a group photo to mark the occasion in true IPA style.
And mark your calendars — while this is the groundbreaking, we’re planning a more official Grand Opening Celebration in the spring, once the courts are complete and ready for play.
Your support over the years has made this possible, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.
In addition to monetary contributions, we all benefit from the literally thousands of volunteer hours expended on behalf of our membership and our local Lake Champlain Islands communities. Whether it’s line painting, court blowing, mulch spreading, court/playground weeding, IPA appareling, Playtime Scheduler scheduling, meeting with local town and rec committee members, picnic and tournament planning, photographing and filming, designing new courts, project managing new courts, fundraising, grant writing, serving on the Board and Committees, special events planning or hosting, website mastering, managing the funds or tracking the emails, scores of dedicated volunteers pitch in to make Lake Champlain Islands Pickleball Association an organization to be proud of.