Taking up the vacant space in Fairview Shopping Center that once was Bed Bath & Beyond, The Picklr officially opened its doors on Saturday, welcoming more than 200 pickleball players in their afternoon opening event.
Manager Ciara Fenlon said that The Picklr is “not just a place to work out at.” The indoor facility is climate controlled and houses six regular courts and one tournament court, a pro shop, and locker rooms complete with showers and will host leagues, tournaments, and clinics.
For those who want to hang out before or after their games, there is an upstairs lounge where guests can bring food and drink, and a separate community room that can be reserved for parties.
On opening day, the brand-new blue courts were open for free play, and they were all occupied by rotating teams who kept playing until after the event ended.
One of those teams was Cindy Busby, Olga Herrera-Pinal, Barb Kloos, and Alice Birch. They were introduced to the sport during covid and have been playing ever since. Frequenters of the courts at Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC), Dynamite Pickleball, The Hilton, Municipal Tennis Courts, and more, these dedicated ladies are excited to have another court to call home.
“I think pickleball has exponentially opened up a social network for all types of ages,” said Herrera-Pinal, herself and the rest of her group are all older than 60.
Players who are new to the sport can sign up for Pickleball 101, a free program which teaches the basics to get people started. From there, players will have to get a membership to keep playing at the facility. Currently, only tier 2 founder memberships are available costing pickleballers $197 per month, with lower price point tiers coming soon. The new location is one of more than 40 locations across the U.S., all of which members with the unlimited membership can play at.
“I’ve seen a lot of familiar faces,” said The Picklr employee Cristian Araiza, who has been playing the sport for the past two years. He said that now with a dedicated pickleball space like this, the community is “just going to continue growing.”
