Everett held a grand opening for seven new pickleball courts at Forest Park on Thursday, Oct. 29, with a ceremony and planned pickup games.
The courts at 802 E Mukilteo Blvd. were completed and open to the public in September, according to the city's completed-projects page. Thursday's ceremony marked the formal grand opening.
After the brief ceremony, the Mukilteo-Everett Pickleball Club planned to host pickup games. Players of all skill levels were encouraged to stay, the city said in a press release reported by the Everett Post.
Mayor Cassie Franklin said in the release that the courts "give residents another place to stay active, connect with neighbors and build community."
The addition lands at a moment when pickleball demand in the Everett area is hard to miss.
Frank Espinoza, owner of Pickleteo Paddle Club in southwest Everett, told the Everett Post his indoor facility at 2716 119th Street SW sold out its annual memberships two months before it opened in December 2024.
Espinoza said the sport took off during the COVID-19 pandemic because people were limited in what they could do. He pointed to the short learning curve as a big draw.
"The real draw with pickleball is you have a sport that's fun. The key thing is, its a blast to play," Espinoza said. "You can be proficient in a very short period of time."
The median age of Pickleteo's members is 42, Espinoza said, with a near-even split between men and women. Six percent of members are under 18, and 12 percent are over 65.
"It's been laid out as an old person's sport, but it's definitely not that," Espinoza said. He noted that on a smaller court, precision can matter more than power or speed, keeping games competitive across age groups.
The city's sport court schedule gives pickleball priority at the Forest Park courts on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Basketball gets priority Mondays and Tuesdays. Fridays through Sundays are first-come, first-served.
