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:
Through the off-season, Court Perry, Paul O’Leary, Dee Steffan, and Tim O’Reilly have been working with representatives from the Vermont State Parks and Engineering Ventures, a Burlington engineering firm, on the final KPSP designs and permitting issues.
Our Act 250 permit was issued on December 24, 2024. With the Act 250 and stormwater permits in hand, we are ready to bid and build the courts.
Including the State’s $20,000 contribution, we now have $111,308 of the approximately $120,000 needed to build the four courts.
Click Donate to make Four New Pickleball Courts a reality!!!
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.