Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America and Toronto is jumping into the kitchen with both feet as another new club is set to open with a second close behind.
Fairgrounds is the original pickelball club in Toronto having opened a temporary purpose-build facility in midtown Toronto a few years ago, as well as a court at the Stackt Market downtown.
Now, Fairgrounds Public Racket Club is partnering with QuadReal Property Group (QuadReal) to meet Canada’s rapidly rising demand for pickleball as well as another fast-growing sport, padel.
The partnership will begin with two new club locations including a location at Cloverdale Mall in Etobicoke opening Feb. 16 with nine pickleball courts.
A second location will open later this month in Vaughan. According to the Fairgrounds website, a third Toronto area location is set for this summer at Yonge and Rosehill.
“This partnership couldn’t have come at a better time and really benefits everyone,” says Fairgrounds co-founder Drummond Munro. “By working with QuadReal, we’re revitalizing unused spaces to become community-building destinations, like Cloverdale and Assembly Park. The whole idea is to make pickleball and padel more accessible to more people and keep up with the growing demand across the country. QuadReal is helping make that a reality.”
Fairgrounds democratizes racket sports by removing the exclusive membership and initiation fees of more traditional racquet clubs. According to Fairgrounds, every public venue offers individuals of any age and skill level the opportunity to play pickleball and padel at an hourly rate, all while enjoying complimentary membership, thus ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for the entire community. In addition to the courts, the Fairgrounds amenities will feature a bar and restaurant, where patrons can also purchase branded merchandise.
QuadReal, a global real estate management, investment and development company, worked with Fairgrounds to create an immersive, community-focused environment in each location that complements existing community amenities and programming.
“At QuadReal, we are committed to building communities where people want to live, work, shop and grow,” says Aaron Knight, senior vice president of development and lead on the Cloverdale Mall redevelopment project. “By establishing community focused partnerships, we can provide unique experiences at our buildings and enhance the ways members of the community engage with and connect in our spaces. We are thrilled to be supporting the incredibly popular sports of pickleball and padel alongside Fairgrounds at both Cloverdale Mall and Assembly Park.”
Fairgrounds will host a free-to-play weekend at Cloverdale on Feb. 17-19 with activations, coaches’ corner, and the Fairgrounds resident DJ. Signups will be open to reserve your sport on the court on Feb. 6 at the Fairgrounds website.
Another new pickleball club dubbed The Jar opened in the Castlefield Design District last month.