Miami continues to be synonymous with the word pickleball as it announces it will host “The world’s largest pickleball festival.”
We brought you the story back in July of how the Pickle Games Miami would take place January 13 and 14 at the historic Miami Marine Stadium, with the stunning Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami as the backdrop.
Things have moved on considerably since then, and we can now bring you news of the latest developments.
First-Of-Its-Kind Festival
Falyn Wood, Editor of Time Out Miami, reports that the venue will house up to 100 courts plus vendor villages, culinary experiences, musical performances, VIP experiences, and brand activations.
Pickle Games Miami is produced by Black Stage Productions and is the first-of-its-kind festival. It will include a tournament open to everyone from amateurs to professional picklers, including competitions in doubles and mixed doubles across age divisions.
The event is designed to bridge the gap between the competitive tournament and the pickle-curious and promises plenty of food and drink offerings and Instagrammable moments.
Early Bird Registration
Though final details on entertainment and culinary offerings have yet to be announced, early bird registration is now open through The Pickle Games Miami website.
The $400 per team fee includes registration for two days of pickleball, commemorative merchandise, and access to an athlete village that with an array of services and experiences for participating athletes.
Athletes will also have access to the entire festival throughout the weekend.
Attendee Information
The Pickle Games is a unique, one-of-a-kind festival bringing the community together to enjoy a weekend of food, music, beachside attractions, and, of course, pickleball!
The Miami Marine Stadium is located at 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149. Parking information will be provided at a later date.
You can book tickets at Eventbrite by following this link.
VIP experiences are available at an additional cost and provide access to exclusive areas, bars, and the beach club.
Sponsorship
Sponsors for the event include ARI Arteaga Foundation, Florida International University, Selkirk, Hendrick’s Gin, and Elite Islands Resorts.
Pickleball facilities involved in the sponsorship include Chicken N Pickle, Elev8 Pickleball, Hashtag Pickleball, Courtside, Faye and Florie, Vossberg Gainor Pickleball, Pickleball in the Sun, PlayPickleball.com, and the APP Punta Gorda Open,
They are still looking for partners, so if you would like to become a sponsor, please reach out to [email protected].
Categories And Groupings
The tournament will take place over two days with five games per day as follows:
Day 1: Round Robin Seeding Day
Day 2: Tournament Bracket Day
There will be several different categories: amateurs and pros, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
Each gender grouping will be split into 2 age brackets: 50+ and Under 50. Within each age and gender combination, they will have four skill levels: open/under 3, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0+.
The tournament will be structured as round robin for seeding and bracketed play for placement. This structure is intended to provide each team with 10 games over 2 days.
No assistance will be provided with pairing single players to form teams. The organizers encourage you to use social media and the rapidly growing pickleball community to find a partner near you.
Registration
Once the early-bird registration has finished, the price will increase to $500 a team.
To register for multiple events, you should follow the same process as for one event. Please click Register Now on the home page and complete the required fields.
They also welcome large groups and clubs – contact them at [email protected].
Tournament Overview
Picklers of 16 years or older are welcome to play at any skill level.
The final schedule will be determined once registration closes, and the format will be subject to change based on the number of registered teams in each division.
The current plan is to ensure five games per team per day. The number of games will be determined by court availability, the number of registrants, and the weather on the days of the event.
Reference the USA Pickleball Player skill rating definition page to gauge your tournament and skill rating if you are unsure of it.
Teams will be registered based on the age of the youngest player on the team.
Number Of Registrants
The organizers reserve the right to cap registrations based on interest as the big day approaches.
They wish to ensure a day full of fun and competition, so if a division has fewer than desired registrants, they reserve the right to adjust and combine groups in order to optimize the experience for everyone.
Although January tends to be beautiful in Miami, the weather can always play a part in the proceedings. The organizers plan on being available on Monday, January 15th, in the event that tournament play needs to be rescheduled.
The tournament is not USAPA-sanctioned.
Athlete Village
All athletes who compete will have access to the Athlete Village. This is a space where those competing will be able to rest, get some shade, and have access to amenities like physical therapy, massages, refreshments, and more!
The vendor village is a grouping of vendor spaces where sponsors and vendors can interact with our athletes and guests. Vendors will be able to sell to and interact with customers from their own dedicated tent space.
The organizers are looking for vendors in all categories, so please reach out if you would like to be a part of The Pickle Games.
Contact
Keep up with The Pickle Games Miami news and ticket information at @thepicklegamesmiami.
For information about vendors and sponsorship, don’t hesitate to get in touch with [email protected].
Please reach out to [email protected] to obtain your media credentials.
Sign up to be a referee or guest ambassador by going to thepicklegames.com/get-involved.
