New Pickleball Courts Officially Open in Pasadena, Tournament Announced

Pasadena marked the grand opening of new pickleball courts at Jefferson Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 29. 

Vice Mayor Felicia Williams, along with city staff from Public Works and Parks & Recreation, and competitive pickleball players from the Pasadena Fire Department, joined resident pickleball enthusiasts at the event.

Parks & Recreation Commissioners and Mike Alviridiz, Pasadena Pickleball Ambassador also attended the opening.

Vice Mayor Williams expressed pride in the city’s conversion of the Jefferson campus into a new community asset and thanked the Pasadena Unified School District for their partnership. 

Williams also announced a block party and pickleball tournament to be held on Saturday, November 4th on the Jefferson Elementary courts.

The new courts are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to keep up with the growing demand for pickleball, which combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. The sport has seen a surge in popularity during the pandemic, with over 4.8 million players nationwide by the end of 2022.

Tony Olmos from Public Works announced that the city now boasts 13 pickleball courts, five of which are located in District 2, including the new ones at Jefferson. The courts will be open during daylight hours as there is no nighttime lighting.

In response to the increasing demand for pickleball courts and long wait times at local venues like McDonald Park and Allendale Park, the Pasadena City Council approved a contract last November to construct two temporary pickleball courts at Jefferson Elementary School.

The new courts, located at 1500 E Villa Street, will operate on weekdays from 8 a.m. to dusk and on weekends from 9 a.m. to dusk. The Council budgeted the project at $169,944.