Pickleball is a sport growing in popularity across the U.S. It's thought of as an in-between of table tennis and tennis.

The largest indoor pickleball court facility in Oregon is celebrating its much-anticipated grand opening with booze, food, pumpkins, and, of course, plenty of pickleball.

East County Pickleball Courts will bring 12 temperature-controlled indoor dedicated pickleball courts to Troutdale, 27100 S.E. Stark St., making it the largest facility in the state. After some red tape delays from permits and construction (the building is a former grocery store) everything is set for pickleball enthusiasts.

For more information visit eastcountypickleballcourts.com. The 36,000-square-foot facility will open with normal hours — 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. There will be opportunities to pay as you play, or become a member.

East County Pickleball Courts is a venture by Stayce Blume and Amelia Salvador, who envisioned a space where players of all skill levels could enjoy the country’s fastest growing sport for the last five years.

The building has a speaker system to play music and add to the ambiance, and there is lots of parking available. There will be a pro shop with equipment and gear for sale/rental; lots of seating and comfortable nooks for folks to watch or wait for their next match; a grab-and-go snack bar that will also have smoothies and a liquor license; and big garage bay doors that can be opened during nice weather. Future phases of the project will include a mezzanine/second-level viewing deck.

“We want this to be a big old party,” Blume said.

All of this started when Junki Yoshida, who owns the Troutdale Marketplace, asked Salvador Blume Properties, LLC, to find a tenant for the vacant space that would eventually house the pickleball courts.

The building was a former grocery store; then was split between a church and dance studio; and most recently was a movie production studio.

The duo brainstormed what could be done with such a large venue. They talked about an expo center or another sports hall. But the former had too many permits to deal with, and the latter kept hitting speedbumps: the rafters were too low for volleyball, and support beams prevented the space needed for indoor soccer. Through all the research and discussions, they settled on pickleball.

“We kept hearing how people would drive an hour away just to get to pickleball facilities,” Blume said.

And Yoshida had faith in the duo to make it happen, eventually asking them to not just find a tenant, but to operate the location themselves.

“It was an honor for Mr. Yoshida to give us this opportunity,” Blume said.

“He just told us, ‘Do something, I trust you,’” Salvador added.

For the uninitiated, pickleball is a racket sport in which players (singles or doubles), hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a center net. Think of it as an in-between of table tennis and tennis. The sport has exploded in popularity in recent years, after being invented in 1965 by our neighbors in Washington, where pickleball was just named the official state sport in 2022.

“Neither of us have any experience, but everyone we have met in the pickleball community has been so kind and supportive,” Blume said.

“Jump feet first, that is how we do things,” Salvador added with a smile.