BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Six new pickleball and three new tennis courts were unveiled Saturday morning at Jastro Park.

The Bakersfield Parks and Recreation department spend 18 months refurbishing and converting six tennis courts at Jastro Park into a duel pickleball and tennis courts complex. The project drilled through the original court first installed in the 1930s. The city used general fund money to pay for the $306,000 project.

Saturday morning city officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony. Bakersfield mayor Karen Goh, city manager Alan Tandy and councilmember Andrae Gonzales all spoke during the ribbon cutting.

After the ceremony members of the pickleball community hosted a free pickleball clinic for beginners as well as hosted pickup games to get new pickleball players engaged and playing the sport.

The pickleball community is taking over Bakersfield. City leaders and pickleball players said it’s the fast growing sport in the United States. Last summer the city refurbished old tennis courts into the pickleball courts at Greenacres Community Complex. Councilmember Andrae Gonzales said it’s important for the city to find a way to fill the needs and wants of the community. And Saturday’s ribbon cutting was a great day for the Bakersfield community.

Jastro Park is located on Truxtun Avenue between Elm and Myrtle Streets.

