Pop-up pickleball courts are coming back to Dilworth Park

Outdoor pickleball courts are coming back to Dilworth Park next month.

CityPickle, the company that brought the sport to Center City last year, will again set up temporary courts. Avid pickleball fans or those looking to try out the activity will be able to rent out the courts for play between Sept. 9 and Oct. 13.

“We learned that Philadelphians love pickleball,” Mary Cannon, one of the cofounders of the company, said of their takeaway from last year. “Our court utilization was really high. It was clear that the demand for pickleball is great in Philadelphia.

Two courts will be open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and can be reserved online through the company’s website or app. A court costs $40 to reserve per hour and can be used by a group of up to eight people. Paddles can be rented for an additional $6 per person.

This year, the company is bringing more clinics led by coaches to the site and is launching open play, which allows individual players to connect with other available players.

Pickleball courts have been popping up in the Philly region recently, including a $4 million facility in Malvern with 16 indoor courts, and a South Jersey center with eight courts. Both opened in 2023. CityPickle is focused on bringing pickleball courts to dense urban areas, Cannon said.

“Eventually there could be the question of oversupply in suburban markets and those markets that CityPickle is not pursuing,” Cannon said. “I think, though, that in cities, there is a massive shortage of courts to play on.”

Beyond the Center City pop-up, the company has experienced some growth recently. Cannon and cofounder Erica Desai are gearing up to host a Major League Pickleball tournament on their New York City Central Park courts in September, which will bring together top players. The pair also secured their first outside capital investment this year from The Avenue Sports Fund and reached 100,000 customers having signed up through their reservation system.

Cannon and Desai both have ties to Philadelphia: Cannon grew up in Montgomery County, and Desai went to the University of Pennsylvania.

“Philadelphia, it’s home to us,” Cannon said. “We’re Philly girls, and it’s special for us to have a presence in my hometown.”

They had originally planned to open a permanent pickleball facility in Center City this summer with a full bar and restaurant. They are actively looking for a space and now hope to open a dedicated space in Philadelphia in 2025.