Categories: Things To Do

A free Pickleball tournament is taking over downtown Seattle this month & you can play

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Love Pickleball? You can partake in a citywide tournament that is taking over downtown Seattle this month. The tournament is part of the Downtown Activation Plan to make downtown a “desired place to live, work, visit, and play year-round.” Here’s what to expect and how to get in on the fun.

As you may or may not know, Pickleball was created in Washington State. In 1965 Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell were looking to entertain their families but didn’t have all the equipment to play a game of badminton. Instead, they had a perforated ball, ping pong paddles, and a badminton net. The rest is history.

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On Saturday, September 16th, and Sunday, September 17th the area between 5th Avenue, Denny, and Wall will be transformed into ten temporary courts. Attendees can expect free coaching from the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association, games for competitive play against players of similar skill levels, and drop-in play for all.

What’s more, the courts are ADA-accessible and the event is completely open to all ages and experience levels. Plus there will be food trucks, live music, a beer garden, and pop-up pro shops among other attractions.

Best of all, paddles and balls will be provided so all you need to do is bring yourself. Psst you may need to register for certain games but the event is free to attend regardless of whether you register or not.