Kitchener hosts inaugural pickleball festival downtown

Downtown Kitchener was transformed Tuesday for the Paddle Palooza Pickleball Festival.

Four courts were set up in Carl Zehr Square so people could try out the sport for themselves.

Participants got tips from professional players and then enjoyed live music, a beer garden from Four Fathers Brewing, food trucks and vendors.

The festival was a first for organizers.

“It is the fastest growing sport in North America,” said Fiona MacGregor, the Pickleball of Waterloo Wellington Region president. “I think people are realizing that and trying to figure out how to get more facilities [or] places to play. That’s the tough one.”

“We know it’s popular in the community,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “We have high demand across many of our facilities and we want to do something fun that brings people downtown.”

About 40 teams signed up to play in one of three divisions – business, community or professional.

- With reporting by Colton Wiens