Brainerd Lakes Curling Association

About Brainerd Lakes Curling Association

Brainerd Lakes Curling Association: Dedicated Ice at the Fairgrounds

Brainerd Lakes Curling Association brings curling to the heart of Minnesota’s lake country. The club has been throwing stones since 2006, and in 2012 it moved into its own arena on the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds, a building made possible by a $1 million gift from local donor Fran Holden. The curling hall sits behind the Food Building on the west side of the fairgrounds and holds ice for roughly six months of the year, then becomes part of the county fair once summer arrives.

The season is built around a full week of league play: a doubles league on Mondays, a men’s league on Tuesdays, a women’s league on Thursdays and open leagues on Wednesdays and Fridays. Fall leagues run eight weeks plus a two-week playdown, and the winter session starts in the first week of January. Open curling fills Saturdays, and the club hosts annual bonspiels along with facility rentals for groups.

Newcomers start with a four-week Learn to Curl course on Friday evenings that includes an annual membership, and a youth program welcomes curlers from age six. Each fall the season opens with a free community open house, and games are streamed on the club’s own YouTube channel. The association operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.