Aroostook County recently saw the opening of something that had never been seen before in this area. It is a new entertainment center in Caribou called “Rendezvous.” The 35,000 square foot building includes a bar, restaurant, arcade and 10-pin bowling alley. This bowling alley is named Evergreen Lanes after the former Loring Air Force base lanes. It is the only 10-pin bowling alley in Aroostook County since the one at Loring closed. The office manager, Deana Williams, was able to get the pins and lanes used at Loring to bring that original feel back to the County.
For locals, this is a great change of pace in the entertainment scene here in Aroostook County. UMPI junior Ricky Goupille had to wait a little while to be able to bowl. But overall, he enjoyed his time there with some friends. “I had a great time with my friends. You can tell they did not rush the opening and were prepared for the droves of people that would come out, even if we had to wait for two hours for a couple lanes to open,” Ricky said. “It was great to see so much of the community coming out to see what this place was all about. Overall, I think it’ll be a great place for the County to have.”
UMPI first year Meagan Blanchard also enjoyed her time at the lanes. “I had a lot of fun. I was there for almost four hours,” she said. “My favorite part was the arcade. We didn’t have something like that before this opened. It’s a great new opportunity for the County.”
The place went through some setbacks on its way to opening, just as any new business does. The original opening date was scheduled for July 2022. But getting the lanes and pins from Loring proved to be harder than intended, pushing the date back to the fall. Then the flooring and building itself needed maintenance, which pushed the date back to November 2022. The latest problem was issues with supplies being delivered in November instead of their original August date. Even with these setbacks, the management company was able to get things done as quickly as possible, leading to their opening this past month.
If you’re looking for a good place for a group outing or even just something to get out of your house, Rendezvous is just the place to go. If you want to check it out, Rendezvous is located in Caribou at 60 Access Highway.
