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The countdown is on. Pickleball returns to town Nov. 1.
To help Farmers Branch residents prepare for the thrill and chaos of the more than a week of Major League Pickleball and the United Pickleball Association (UPA) World Championships from Nov. 1-10, the UPA, Brookhaven Country Club and the City of Farmers Branch is holding an open house 6:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Brookhaven Country Club at 3333 Golfing Green Dr. Residents will be able to ask questions, purchase tickets and sign up to volunteer.
The organizations anticipate 4,000 to 9,000 people will attend daily. Hotel blocks are reserved at seven Farmers Branch hotels, said Meredith Dowdy, tourism incentive and servicing contractor for the city, at the Sept. 10 Farmers Branch City Council meeting.
She said that three organizations learned many lessons from the first championships event last year, and quite a few of improvements are being planned, including more live music with more well-known acts on Pickleball Boulevard, additional restrooms, more concession options and locations, more spectator seating on the amateur courts and open play for anyone who wants to register.
“We are adding a lot more no parking signs this year thanks to our public works team, and additional no parking measures on Brookhaven Club Drive,” she said.
Shuttles will drive between parking lots at Dallas College’s Brookhaven Campus, the hotels and the Brookhave Country Club.
In addition, there will be an opening ceremony and block party on Sunday, Nov. 3 to celebrate the Major League Pickleball ending and the start of the UPA World Championships.
“This is going to be a ton of fun. It’s going to be a huge pickleball party,” she said.
In addition, the event is open for locals to play pickleball, if they want to register for the event.
Local residents can get 25 percent off tickets by using the discount code PICKLEBALL on the UPA’s website.
The city took over the grant sponsorship from Dallas Collas for the State Economic Development & Tourism – Event Fund Program and will receive $467,497 with a local match, said Perla Travera, director of economic development, tourism and planning. She will present the required forms to the Farmers Branch City Council at the Sept. 17 city council meeting.
