Two new pickleball clubs opening in and around Toronto

Toronto and its surrounding area is about to become home to a family of new pickleball courts to get the ball bouncing this spring and summer.

It's no secret that pickleball — a kind of easier-on-the-joints tennis — is taking Toronto by storm with new clubs and courts opening in quick succession over the past few months.

It started with The Jar, the city's first pickleball-exclusive club, opening in late January, quickly followed by Fairgrounds, a free-to-join pickleball and padel club that launched at Cloverdale Mall.

Now, people in the city — and just outside of it — are getting even more chances to play the game that athletes and agers alike adore, as Fairgrounds gears up to open two additional clubs in the coming months.

Up first, the ball is soaring into Vaughan this month with the opening of a huge pickleball and padel club at Assembly Park, which will feature nine pickleball courts and one court for padel to maximize your playtime.

The club officially opens on Friday, May 17, and will be hosting a free-to-play weekend over the Victoria Day long weekend, featuring beats by a live DJ and lessons from the club's coaches, to test out the courts for yourself.

Just like the Cloverdale club, Fairgrounds Assembly Park will be completely free to join, with booking fees for court reservations.

Bookings for the new club are already open, so be sure to snag your spot before they're all gone.

Later, in early June (the exact date has yet to be confirmed), Fairgrounds is bringing their A-game to midtown with the opening of yet another location at Yonge and Rosehill — and there's sure to be plenty of fanfare to celebrate that opening, too.

Fairgrounds isn't just setting their sights on Toronto and the GTA on their mission to make pickleball more accessible; a Vancouver club is also on the horizon for 2024, with clubs in Hamilton, Ottawa and Calgary coming in the more distant future.