You can now play pickleball in Union Square

It's pure pickleball pandemonium here in New York City. The on-the-rise recreation—which is like the sporty love child of badminton and ping-pong—has been popping up all over the city this past year, from fancy indoor pickleball courts in Hell's Kitchen to beachy outdoor courts in the Rockaways to, most notably, CityPickle at Central Park's Wollman Rink, the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast.

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Now, in partnership with the Union Square Partnership, CityPickle is bringing the paddle fun to Union Square with free pickleball courts as part of the park's annual "Summer in the Square" programming. Presented by Visit Seattle and Paragon Sports, there will be four free public courts every Thursday from 9am to 7pm starting June 15 and running through August 3. One-hour court bookings as well as paddle rentals will be completely free of charge, but you will need to make your reservations one week in advance at noon via the official CityPickle website or app.

“Our mission at CityPickle is to bring pickleball to as many New Yorkers as possible. By teaming up with Union Square Partnership’s Summer in the Square program, we’re pleased to offer the joy and community of the sport with 320 hours of free pickleball this season,” said Mary Cannon and Erica Desai, the co–founders of CityPickle.

"Pickleball has been a beloved sport in Seattle and the Northwest for many years. We are thrilled to partner with CityPickle to help share a piece of what makes Seattle special by introducing the game to more people,” added Ali Daniels, the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Seattle.

Along with the new pickleball programming, the Union Square Partnership's free weekly "Summer in the Square" series will include eight weeks of family-friendly activities and outdoor offerings, including interactive performances, big-yard games, a bubble garden, live lunchtime jazz, outdoor movie nights, fitness classes in partnership with Exequor Wellness, and more. Check out www.summerinthesquare.nyc for the series' schedule, which will be announced weekly.