Grand opening for Soldotna Field House on Saturday
Published 9:30 pm Sunday, August 10, 2025
A grand opening celebration for the Soldotna Field House is set for Saturday, Aug. 16, from noon to 4 p.m.
According to a release from the City of Soldotna, the event will feature a ribbon-cutting at noon, live music, food trucks, and opportunities to explore the new 54,000-square-foot facility. Also present will be several local recreation and sports organizations, like the Tsalteshi Trails Association, to preview local programming.
The space features, per the release, “a multi-purpose sport court, removable turf field, an ADA-accessible elevated walking and jogging track, and sufficient space to host statewide tournaments and other large events.”
“Developed with input from community stakeholders, this facility represents the realization of a decades-long effort to create a year-round recreational hub for the central Kenai Peninsula,” the release reads.
Though the field house will be opened this weekend, the release notes that it will not open to general public operations for a couple more weeks. The field house is the setting for the Kenai River Sportfishing Association’s 33rd Annual Kenai River Classic and Kenai River Classic Roundtable the following week, and the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank’s 30th Annual Soup Supper Fundraiser will be held on Aug. 23.
After those “two longstanding community fundraisers,” the city release reads, the field house floor will undergo a “final reset” before opening for regular operations on Sept. 2. After that date, the facility will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The field house floor features a modular design that allows multiple terrains to be installed. Per previous Clarion reporting, Soldotna’s Parks and Recreation Department says the plan is to rotate for seasonal sports. From January into April, the facility will have turf flooring for flag football, baseball, softball, soccer and rugby. In May and through August, the facility will have courts for pickleball, basketball, volleyball and futsal. From September through December, the field house will be set up with two courts and one turf.
General admission costs $5 and provides access to the walking track, open gym and drop-in sports. There’s also a $3 discounted rate for youth 4-18 years old, seniors older than 65, active-duty military and veterans. There’s a 10-punch card, a 30-day membership and a three-month pass available as well, each with a general and discounted rate.
Hourly rentals will be available for the turf, court and batting cage, as well as an event rental. A pickleball court rental costs $20, a basketball court rental is $50, a half-field turf rental is $60 and a single-day event rental is $2,500, among other options.
It was fewer than two years ago that a groundbreaking was held for the Soldotna Field House, and only three since voters authorized the $15 million bond for its construction in October 2022.
For more information, including a “soon” available calendar of programs and events, visit soldotna.org/fieldhouse.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
