Kind of a big dill: Pickleball returns to Dilworth Park
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Don't worry, you're no longer in a pickle, because the sport is coming back to Center City.
Why it matters: The pickleball craze may have leveled off, but that doesn't mean it's dying.
Driving the news: CityPickle's seasonal pop-up returns to Dilworth Park on Wednesday, allowing amateurs or seasoned aficionados to rent professional-grade courts through Oct. 18.
- The courts will be open from noon-7pm Monday-Friday and 10am-7pm on the weekends. You can reserve a court a week in advance if you want to avoid finding yourself in, well, a pickle.
Zoom in: The pop-up — a collab between the Center City District and Visit Delaware — returns after a hiatus.
Zoom out: CityPickle debuted its first indoor pickleball club in 2023 in Long Island City and opened a sprawling 37,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Times Square earlier this year.
- It runs 14 outdoor courts in Central Park's Wollman Rink and is building another 11-court hub in Dumbo, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, that'll open in 2027.
- They're also planning to open a 25-court racquet sports facility with indoor and outdoor pickleball and padel courts in Boca Raton, Florida, in November.
The big picture: Pandemic lockdowns spurred rapid growth in the sport's popularity when people were looking for activities to stay busy and keep sane.
- That explosive growth has slowed since then, with Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reporting the number of pickleball courts in the 100 most populous cities increased only 4% from 2025 to 2026, down from 13% growth in 2024.
Yes, but: As we reported in 2023, Philly is doing its best to solve a pickle-dillo — a paucity of pickleball courts around the city.
- While some residents have complained about the noise, others are embracing the sport: Last year, a boutique club opened up in Kensington.
What they're saying: Visit Delaware is hoping the event will encourage Philadelphia residents to make a trip to the neighboring state for pickleball and other sightseeing.
The bottom line: We wouldn't be making such a big racket if this weren't a big dill.