About 15-20 minutes north-west of Concord is the charming city of Albion, Michigan. Albion originally became a village in 1855 but was named a city in 1885. Throughout the 1960s, Albion had many successful manufacturing companies, but once technology and industries began to advance, these successful companies started to die out in Albion. This caused a mass loss of jobs for the citizens, also resulting in a decrease in Albion’s population. In 2013, the Albion Reinvestment Corporation (ARC) formed and began gaining money from donors and grants to work towards restoring downtown Albion.
In the last couple of years, Albion has become an excellent destination for family fun, whether it comes to selecting artisan chocolates from the Yellow Bird Chocolate Shop or splurging on a sweet treat from the beloved Foundry Bakehouse and Deli. Albion’s Malleable Brewing Company was also voted to have the best burger in Michigan in 2020. The growth has not stopped. Last Thursday, another new business called Viking Warrior Axe Throwing Co. began operations.
Viking Warrior Axe Throwing Co. is open to anyone 12 years of age or older, but children between the ages of 12 and 17 must have an adult present. At the location, there are three axe throwing lanes that each have a digital target where up to six players can compete against one another in a series of 13 different types of axe throwing games. Some of these include an ordinary target, zombie hunting, tic-tac-toe, duck hunting, and even Connect 4. Regarding the cost of playing, 2-6 players can play for an hour for $25 each, while 4-6 players can play for two hours for $40 each. Children under the age of 18 will be discounted to $20 for one hour or $35 for two hours. It is also essential to know that walk-ins are welcome, but you may book online as well for Thursday and Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Saturday from 12 pm to 10 pm. It is also open on Sundays from 1 pm to 6 pm. On Thursdays, it is College Night, so that means any person who comes in with a valid college ID will receive $5 off.
Tommie Fagan and school board member and Concord parent Steve Sinden co-own the Viking Warrior Axe Throwing Co., and Sinden happens to be a resident of Concord. When asked how they know each other, they explained that they’ve been friends for about 20 years and often hunt together. Sinden then explained why they chose to start a business in Albion, “Tommie brought the idea of axe throwing to me first and asked if I’d be interested. He then mentioned that Albion had been doing well and downtown was being revitalized.” Fagan added, “We also figured that with the college, we could hopefully get some college kids to come down as well.”
There is another business in Albion that is run by another Concord parent of current students TJ Allen, Tylend Allen, and Rihanna Turner. Toccara Gaddis owns a small business called Gaddis Impressions. When asked about the business, Gaddis explained, “It is ultimately a boutique and print shop. We do customized hoodies, t-shirts, jerseys, things of that nature.” She continues, “In the storefront, we have women’s and men’s clothes, accessories, purses, tumblers, and things like that.”
Gaddis’s business has been open for a little over a year now, and she explains, “I love the creativity, and I like when people come in and have no idea what they want, and then I can create that for them and give them the vision that they didn’t even know they had. That is my favorite part of it all.”
So with all that, If you are looking for something fun to do or just want to try something new, then head over to Albion and join in on the growing fun of downtown!
