Burlington's New 'The Bend' Complex Features Indoor Pickleball Courts and Brewpub

Burlington is set to gain one of the most ambitious sports and entertainment complexes in the region when The Bend opens later this summer — a multi-use venue that pairs indoor pickleball courts with indoor and outdoor turf soccer fields and a full brewpub.

The Bend represents a new model for indoor pickleball facilities: rather than a stand-alone court venue, it embeds pickleball within a broader sports-and-social destination. This approach has proven commercially successful in markets across the Midwest and South, where venues like Chicken N Pickle pioneered the combination of competitive recreation and food-and-beverage. Burlington's version brings that concept to northern New England.

Indoor pickleball courts are a central feature of The Bend's design, giving Burlington players access to year-round indoor play in a facility purpose-built for the sport — a significant upgrade from the gym floors and converted spaces that most local players currently navigate. The addition of turf soccer fields, both indoor and outdoor, broadens the venue's appeal and helps sustain foot traffic across different sports seasons.

The brewpub component is equally strategic. Pickleball skews toward an active, social demographic that tends to linger after play, making the combination of courts and craft beer a natural fit. Venues that get this pairing right typically outperform single-use facilities on both revenue and customer loyalty.

The Bend is scheduled to open in late summer 2026 in Burlington, adding a significant new destination for indoor pickleball in Vermont and positioning the city as a regional hub for the sport.

[Read the full piece](https://www.eaglecountryonline.com/news/local-news/the-bend-brewpub-sports-complex-coming-to-burlington/)