Kathleen Kennedy, Kate Killgrove and Jack Blakely – all accomplished archers – had a plan: Open a local venue where enthusiasts could practice their shooting. The trio aimed to open the venue in Dracut.
Their aim was, as usual, true.
Kestrel Archery opened in February at 80 Pleasant Street, inside the Navy Yard Mill and behind A Lowell Storage. There, you can hone your skills or pick up a bow-and-arrow for the first time and try your hand. The only requirement: Have fun.
Dracut Economic Development held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome Kestrel Archery to town on March 8.
“It’s a very close-knit community,” Kate said of archery fans. “We want to broaden it. So many people say they want an archery range around here and they wish someone would open one. We wanted to be those people.”
The closest archery ranges to Dracut are in Amesbury, Salisbury or Lunenburg, which makes shooting “hard to do seriously,” according to Jack.
“It was during Covid that we started thinking about opening our own,” Kathleen said.
Kate picks up the thought: “We sat down and did a business plan to see if we thought it was something we could handle.”
“Turns out, we thought we could,” Kathleen finished.
Kestrel Archery features a dozen 18-meter lanes, with 40-centimeter targets.
Kathleen was the first of the three to take up the sport, and 24 years in, she is the top Senior Women’s Recurve archer in Massachusetts. Jack has been shooting seriously for five years, and Kate six.
As Kate explains her introduction to the sport, “Kathleen and I were carpooling at the time and she was going to an event, so I said, ‘OK, I’ll take you there and read a book or something.’ Now I’m organizing tournaments.”
Speaking of tournaments, Kestrel Archery is wasting no time bringing competitive archery to Dracut. The venue will host Spring Migration, a USA Archery-sanctioned state regional tournament, April 12-13.
“If you’re a tournament shooter, that’s a big deal,” Kate said.
She’s quick to add, however, that archery is not all about bull’s-eyes.
“It doesn’t have to be serious. It can just be fun,” she said.
Toward that end, Kestrel Archery offers corporate outings and parties for adults and kids over 8.
“If you want to celebrate, we’re here to celebrate with you,” Kate said.
Of the three owners, Kathleen is the most accomplished archer, with 24 years of experience. She is the Senior Women’s Recurve champion for Massachusetts.
Kate is a more recreational shooter, and Jack is working toward tournament competition. And both Kate and Kathleen are level 2 archery instructors.
“Archery is about having fun while working to better your own abilities,” Kate said.
Kestrel Archery is open for league play Tuesday, from 8 to 10 p.m., and for classes Sundays, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and Wednesdays, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. It’s open to the public Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Monday through Friday, by appointment only.
For more information, call 978-606-5854, email kestrelarcheryllc@gmail.com, or visit www.kestrelarchery.org. For a calendar of events, visit www.kestrelarchery.org/calendarofevents.
CAPTIONS (PHOTOS BY DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT)
1: From left at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Kestrel Archery, 80 Pleasant Street, are Ed Gadson; Bryan Killgrove; Maddie Grigg; Josh Labrecque; Tristan Brawn and his kids, Milo and Maisy; owners Kate Killgrove, Kathleen Kennedy and Jack Blakely; Selectman Josh Taylor and his son, Colt, both archery enthusiasts; Ellen Kennedy, mother of Kathleen; Tim Savage, a member of the Dracut Economic Development Committee; and Karen Davis, a member of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
2: Kestrel features a dozen 18-meter lanes with 40-centimeter targets.
3: Josh Taylor, a Dracut selectman, and his son, Colt, take aim.