By Marshel Couso
Welcome to our weekly feature dedicated to covering Susanville and Lassen County’s business scene! Grand openings, new employees, renovations, new hours… each week we’ll keep you up to date with important information about the businesses you rely on.
Lassen Axe Reopens Under New Ownership
Get ready to hone your skills and have a great time, because Lassen Axe is officially re-opening its doors in Susanville! Newly owned by Joseph and Rebekah McKernan, along with their children, the venue promises a fun, family-friendly atmosphere right here in town.
The soft opening is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20th, from 3:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. This will be your first chance to experience the new changes to the venue, which now features eight lanes—one dedicated to kids and seven for adults—for a unique and exciting axe-throwing experience.
Walk-ins are always welcome, and they’ll have lanes saved just for you!
The Grand Opening celebration will take place on Saturday, August 23rd, from 11:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. The day will be packed with activities, including an exciting cornhole tournament in the parking lot and axe throwing inside.
To celebrate, the McKernan family will be serving up a delicious BBQ with hot dogs, chips, and drinks available for purchase. You can also grab snacks, ice cream, sodas, water, and Gatorade.
Joseph McKernan shared his family’s enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, “We are a huge, very close family of seven. We have been very involved in youth sports for the last 14 years! With our kids heading out on their new adventures, we figured this would fill some of the void. We love our community and just want to give back and have something fun for everyone to do without driving out of town!”
More Fun to Come
Lassen Axe is more than just axe throwing. You can look forward to future tournaments with a BBQ each month, featuring not only cornhole and axe throwing, but also darts, knife throwing, cribbage, and even pool tournaments. The venue will also be starting an axe league soon.
To make it easy for everyone to enjoy a night out, Lassen Axe has a dedicated play room for kids with toys and games, so you don’t need to worry about finding a babysitter.
Looking ahead, the McKernans plan to get a beer and wine license and install a golf simulator, adding even more entertainment options for the community.
Lassen Axe is located at 55 South Sacramento Street and you can call 1.530.310.0026 to make reservations. You can also email [email protected].
Lassen Axe is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00p.m. until 8:00p.m., Friday from 3:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. and Saturday 11:00a.m. until 9:00p.m. They are closed Sunday and Monday.
Attending Acres Youth Bushcraft Classes
Looking for an outdoor education program for your child ages 4-11 in the Susanville area? Attending Acres just might be the program for you!
Attending Acres offers classes for “Sprouts” (ages 4-6) and “Trailblazers” (ages 7-9), with “Adult Classes” coming soon. The program focuses on hands-on learning through play, exploration, nature journaling and more. Your child can learn skills in bushcrafting, outdoor cooking, herbology, nature arts & crafts, plant identification, land navigation, and more.
Classes start on Wednesday, September 4th. “Sprouts” classes meet on Thursdays from 10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m., and “Trailblazers” meet on Thursdays from 4:00p.m. to 5:30p.m. The cost for the 10-week session is $375, with a non-refundable $75 deposit due at the time of registration.
You can find more details about the classes and curriculum at https://attendingacres.my.canva.site/.
If you have any questions, you can contact Kristie Wakley at 1.661.904.9384 or [email protected].
Mt. Lassen Dance Academy
A beloved local institution is getting a new name and new leadership! Joans Studio of Dance, a staple in the Susanville community for 51 years, is transitioning into Mt. Lassen Dance Academy under the new ownership of Jillaine Laughlin and Gabrielle Singleton.
“My sister and I have been dancing and teaching with Joan Zuehlke and her studio ever since we were children,” said Laughlin. “This summer, Joan decided to retire and hand over the reins to us. We are so excited to continue her legacy but under new ownership and with a new name.”
The new owners are committed to providing an elevated space for all dancers to grow in discipline of body and mind. According to Laughlin, “We want to cultivate a safe space that encourages freedom of expression and human experience through the art of dance. We want our studio to provide an atmosphere of empowerment and kindness in order to foster confidence and growth in our dancers.”
Mt. Lassen Dance Academy will operate out of two locations: 110 S. Gay Street and 718 Main Street. The studio will offer a wide range of classes, including Cecchetti ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary.
This year, they are also adding new classes, including a musical theater class and a “Baby Bears” class for children under the age of 3.
The dance year will be split into two sessions: a Fall session from September 2025 to December 2025, and a Spring session from January 2026 to May 2026.
Registration for the 2025-2026 dance season is now open! You can register your dancer at one of two in-person registration days:
Wednesday, August 20th from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.
Thursday, August 21st from 3:30p.m. to 7:30p.m.
Both registration days will be held at their studio at 110 S. Gay Street. Registration forms will be available on-site, and a $20 registration fee is due per dancer ($15 per dancer for a family package). You can also register at the night markets on August 20th and September 3rd.
Online registration will be available soon. To receive links for online registration and payment, you can email [email protected].
The team of instructors includes owners Jillaine Laughlin and Gabrielle Singleton, along with Seanne McElrath, Miah Mallery, Joan Zuehlke, Hannah Martin, Juliette Singleton, and Autumn Robbins. The academy will also feature an assistant teachers program for teenagers to apprentice and learn how to teach dance.
Is something noteworthy happening with your business? Let us know about it! Each Thursday morning, we present a round-up of interesting news from the Lassen County business scene and we want to hear from you. E-mail your business news to Marshel at [email protected].
