New Memorial Park Pickleball Hours Announced

Cupertino officials are changing when people can play pickleball at Memorial Park, and the new schedule is narrower than the one players use now. A Parks and Recreation memorandum dated April 30 said the city plans a trial for the park’s public courts from July 7, 2026, through February 7, 2027. During that period, free drop-in pickleball will be allowed from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with no pickleball on Mondays. The city said the change is meant to address noise and other concerns tied to court use. ### When do the new Memorial Park pickleball hours start? July 7, 2026, is the start date listed in Cupertino’s April 30 informational memo and repeated in local coverage of the city’s pilot program. The trial is set to last until February 7, 2027. (cupertino.gov) NBC Bay Area reported on May 18 that the city had approved the pilot and that the new hours would take effect on July 7. The station said the change came after complaints about noise from the Memorial Park courts. ### What exactly changes for players at Memorial Park? The new rule set limits pickleball to 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. (cupertino.gov) Mondays are carved out as a no-play day for pickleball during the pilot, according to the city memo summarized in Cupertino’s published materials and local reports. (nbcbayarea.com) Memorial Park currently appears on the city’s athletic courts page as a site where tennis courts are first-come, first-served and not reservable. The same city page says Memorial Park offers pickleball on Courts 1 and 2 and notes that pickleball is otherwise permitted during daylight hours until 9 p.m. (cupertino.gov) ### Why did the city narrow the hours? Rachelle Sander, Cupertino’s director of parks and recreation, wrote in the April 30 memo that staff was recommending a trial with reduced time, one no-play day each week and a request for quiet pickleball equipment at all times to “alleviate noise and other concerns related to court use.” (cupertino.gov) Cupertino had already taken an earlier step on equipment. A city notice published July 22, 2025, said signage would ask players beginning August 1, 2025, to use quiet-category paddles and balls from dawn to 9 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. A city Q&A said the goal was to balance recreation with neighborhood peace by reducing early-morning and evening noise, especially near homes. (cupertino.gov) ### Does this mean the city is pulling back from pickleball entirely? Cupertino’s published Q&A says no. The city said it “continues to support pickleball” and said the Memorial Park Specific Plan includes pickleball courts in potential future park improvements. The same Q&A says the city is looking for a long-term solution to address noise concerns. (cupertino.gov) The city’s athletic fields and courts page also continues to list Memorial Park pickleball information, including the two courts and the quiet-equipment request. That suggests the pilot changes hours of use rather than eliminating the activity from the park. ### Where can residents check the official details? (cupertino.gov) Cupertino’s Council Informational Memos page and Parks and Recreation webpages carry the city’s published materials on the Memorial Park pilot and pickleball equipment guidance. The April 30 memorandum is the city document that lays out the trial period and operating approach. (cupertino.gov) The next concrete milestone is July 7, 2026, when the pilot schedule is set to begin at Memorial Park, and the trial is scheduled to remain in place until February 7, 2027, under the city’s plan. (cupertino.gov) (cupertino.gov)