MINNEAPOLIS KNOCKERBALL
Play Knockerball In Minneapolis!
Minneapolis is a great city to host your Minnesota Knockerball event in. It’s centrally located and has numerous parks to play at. We’ll discuss some of the best places to play and how to go about setting up your event in the coming paragraphs, but keep in mind that urban centers also pose some challenges as well.
First, parking at many of the most popular parks (Calhoun, Nokomis) is VERY scarce. Sure, for participants this may not be as much of an issue if you live in the area, but keep in mind the Knockerballs come in a trailer and need a place immediately adjacent to the field to set-up shop. My advice would be to select a park in a more residential neighborhood where street parking might not be at such a premium.
Second, while Minneapolis boasts a highly ranked parks system, there are many that are in a state if disrepair. I have been to several where there was literally only weeds on the Soccer fields. Generally speaking, if you are unfamiliar with the site, I would discuss where you intend to play with the local parks and rec. person assigned to that park, or visit the site before booking. As an example, in the heading picture of this page (Lake of the Isles) we ended up playing in a grassy area next to the field since the field was in such bad shape.
Best Spots To Play Knockerball In Minneapolis
Armatage Rec. Center and Park
Armatage is an excellent option, it sits on the south end between 56th and 57th street just west of Penn Ave. The grass at Armatage is in good condition for much of the park and there is a lot of parking. What’s also nice is that you could reserve the indoor basketball court as a back-up in case it rains that day or you are booking early/late in the year and colder temps. are a concern. With the rec. center right there, that makes getting a Knockerball event in that day a sure thing. If you have an event that can’t be rescheduled this option is something to consider. What’s also nice is that there are a lot of odd grassy areas, like the baseball outfields that we could play on as well, so soccer fields do not need to be available. If you wish to reserve the fields/court in advance, you can do so through the park and rec department specifically for that park/rec center, here.
Kenwood Park
If you really want to be in the thick of things, but still have a place or two to park, Kenwood is a good option. It sits just to the north of lake of the Isles along Fraklin ave. between Logan and Oliver Avenues. Just like Armatage, there is an indoor option as well if you choose to hedge your bets’ and double book. In particular there are two outdoor spots along Franklin to play (can park along Logan Ave. usually), the soccer fields and an open area just to the west. To reserve a space at this park, head over to the parks and rec site for this park.
West Bank
If you are near downtown or on campus, the west bank fields of the University of Minnesota at S 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55454 officially named “west bank softball fields” are a viable option. It’s close to the light rail and for those that are driving there, it is off the beaten path enough of campus that there are usually places to park along S 1st street. The grass isn’t great, but outside options near downtown or campus are pretty slim. One additional benefit here is that you can play outside at night since the field has lighting. Contact the U of M and not Minneapolis to reserve this space.
Reserving Your Minneapolis Knockerball Event
It is not an official policy that you must pre-reserve field space in order to have us bring the Knockerballs out. However, in the event we cannot play where you intended, there will be no refund issued. Therefore it is best to reserve a space through the local parks and rec departments. Keep in mind that many of these government offices, especially one as large as Minneapolis, need some time to process your request. As a result last minute bookings are tough to do in an official way. Circumstances like this are still feasible, but keep in mind just organizing everyone to show up at a location without going through the proper channels has risk involved.
When choosing a venue please take into consideration, as stated above, where “Knockerball MN” will be able to set-up/park. The parks I recommended above are certainly not the only options, but ones that I have experience with events at already, and as such, take a lot of the unknowns discussed in this page out of the equation. Ultimately, if it makes no difference to you other than the location being relatively close, I would stick to the parks I have mentioned above for an event in Minneapolis.
Video Of Previous Minneapolis Knockerball Events
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