This summer, you can take the edge off in a new way. Urban Axes, a Philadelphia-based axe-throwing facility, has broken ground on a location in Durham, expected to open later this summer. Up to 200 “throwers,” as the facility calls visitors, can hurl the sharp tools in the 12,000 square-foot space. The environment is controlled for safety, but nonetheless this axe throwing is for ages 21 and up. There’s also a bar of beer and wine on-site, the company’s first. Co-founder Krista Paton says Durham is a perfect fit for the fourth Urban Axes location (besides Philadelphia, there are spots in Boston, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas). “Durham is a community-driven city that supports local businesses and its innovators, and that’s something we value.”

About axe throwing: The new take on recreation has become increasingly popular among the brewery-and-bar-going set, and it is precisely what it sounds like. Think of it as the 2.0 version of bar games like darts. “We pride ourselves on a creating a space that’s fun, laid-back, and inclusive, whether you’ve never thrown an axe in your life or you’re a pro,” says Paton. Throwers come out of curiosity, in search of entertainment, and, yes, for stress relief. “Some people come to blow off some steam after a hard day at work, some come to get together with their friends to have a good time—either way they always do. Once you get a bullseye, you want to keep trying for the next.”  —Catherine Currin

619 Foster St., Durham; urbanaxes.com