City Of St. Helena Opens Pickleball Courts

ST. HELENA, CA — Following a grand opening celebration held last week, the highly anticipated pickleball courts at Crane Park in St. Helena are officially open for community use.

The four pickleball courts are situated near the southwest entrance to Crane Park off South Crane Avenue with the existing tennis courts. The courts feature a new, high-quality playing surface, lights for evening matches, and fencing.

"We are excited to bring pickleball to our community and provide an additional recreational activity that promotes fitness, social interaction and friendly competition," said Mayor Paul Dohring. "The opening of these pickleball courts is a testament to our continued commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents and fostering a sense of community."

The pickleball courts are in addition to existing Crane Park amenities which include lighted tennis, volleyball and bocce ball courts, picnic tables, playground equipment, a skatepark, restrooms and more.

This past spring, the St. Helena Parks & Recreation Commission and St. Helena City Council reviewed and approved a plan to transition one tennis court — Court #6 — into four pickleball courts.

Over the next six months, the city plans to monitor the court usage and may add additional scheduling details and court guidelines, and/or make facility modifications as needed.

"It is our hope that community members of all ages will have increased opportunities to be active and to participate in friendly matches, open recreational play and pickleball clinics," said Dave Jahns, director of Parks & Recreation. "The addition of pickleball courts has been several years in the making, so we are excited to bring this new amenity to St. Helena."

The City of St. Helena extended its gratitude to the community members, including the Parks & Recreation Commission made up of St. Helena residents, who supported and advocated for the creation of the pickleball courts.

"Their dedication and enthusiasm were instrumental in bringing this exciting project to fruition," city officials said.