Dartmouth Welcomes Former Fall River Archery Range

Fall River's loss is Dartmouth's gain.

Trader Jan's Archery Pro Shop, forced to move after losing its mill space in Fall River, has opened an outdoor archery range in Dartmouth. The shop was located in the same mill space at 288 Plymouth Avenue in Fall River for 31 years until the mill was sold and turned into storage space.

Owner Jill Oliveira, who lives in Dartmouth, took over the business from her parents in 1996. When the shop opened in 1991, "there were only a few archery shops to go to," Oliveira said.

She said her family "decided to venture out and open a family-friendly archery shop where everyone is welcome," regardless of age or experience.

Trader Jan's Archery Pro Shop is for now a trailer parked in a field at 644 Faunce Corner Road. The business officially opened last week.

"At some point, perhaps in the fall, I'll have a structure here instead of a trailer," Oliveira said.

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Initially, the structure will not be large enough for indoor archery like the mill space in Fall River was, but Oliveira hopes to have a large enough building constructed within a couple of years.

In the meantime, Trader Jan's has outdoor archery targets erected behind the trailer for experienced archers and offers lessons to newbies.

"The cost on the range varies, depending on if you are renting or have your own gear," Oliveira said.

Archery lessons are $35 for one-on-one and include the equipment you'll need.

Girl and Boy Scout troops and other groups are encouraged to sign up for lessons, as are individuals looking for a new experience.

Learning new things is totally cool, and this sounds like something I just might want to try.