A new venue in downtown Carbondale lets you embrace your inner lumberjack. Behold Axd Babe (named after Paul Bunyan’s blue ox), the Roaring Fork Valley’s first—and only—axe-throwing lounge: a large, semipermanent tent outfitted with leather couches, lounge chairs, and four throwing lanes that offers good old-fashioned fun in a rustic-chic setting.

“I wanted to create a space for people to turn back into kids a little bit and have that joy,” says Axd Babe’s owner, Taylor Freeman. “After the last year of depriving ourselves of those situations, it felt needed.”

Axe throwing (which NBC News declared “the new league sport” in 2018) is the main attraction, but the site also features lawn games like cornhole, ladder ball, and croquet. An Asian-inspired, locally sourced menu is prepared specifically for Axd Babe guests by The Way Home (the tent occupies the restaurant’s backyard), and the on-site bar serves a rotating selection of beers, drink specials, and mocktails.

If you’ve never thrown an axe before—Freeman calls her first throw “empowering”—Axd Babe’s staffers will show you the basics. If you’re ready to go full Paul Bunyan, join the axe-throwing league, which holds competitions every Wednesday evening. And if you prefer to hurl hatchets in your own yard, Axd Babe’s mobile unit will bring the experience directly to you. 689 Main St, Carbondale