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Times Square is usually better suited to dodging Elmos and tourists than practicing your backhand. But later this month, one of New York’s busiest stretches will become an actual pickleball court—and you can play for free.
CityPicklePalooza will take over Times Square Plaza from Wednesday, August 26, through Sunday, August 30, bringing five straight days of pickleball to the heart of Midtown. CityPickle and the Times Square Alliance are behind the event, which will install a professional pickleball court amid the billboards and Broadway theaters.
Free open play will be offered throughout all five days, giving New Yorkers and visitors the fairly surreal opportunity to grab a paddle and volley in the middle of Times Square. Beyond open play, the five-day event will include special programming, interactive games, prizes, giveaways and a live DJ. Organizers have also announced ProAm exhibition games, Beat-the-Pro sessions and nonprofit community programming. Sign-ups will open soon on CityPickle’s website.
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Each day brings its own lineup of events and brand collaborations: Wednesday includes Pickle Pong with Rhone, followed by On the Court with Prince on Thursday and Pickleball with Cabot on Friday. Saturday features On the Court with K-Swiss and Cabot’s Shoot Your Shot, while Sunday wraps things up with more K-Swiss programming and open play fueled by Zespri. The temporary court will also have courtside cabanas and activation spaces.
The event arrives just as the U.S. Open gets underway in Queens, so consider this your chance to get some racquet action in without requiring Carlos Alcaraz-level skills—or a pricey U.S. Open ticket. And if you’ve ever wanted to yell “mine!” in the middle of Times Square without referring to a taxi, here’s your chance.