If you don’t play pickleball, I’m betting you know someone who does. And there’s a solid chance they play it religiously.

The sport, once relegated to reluctant 13-year-old participants in smelly middle-school gyms, has exploded in popularity over the past several years. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down — the number of self-professed pickleball players in the US nearly doubled from about 4.8M in 2021 to a whopping 8.9M in 2022.

Whether you’re already an avid dinker or just “pickleball curious,” here’s some info you might find useful as you plan to get in on the action this fall and winter.

Slots are still open for organized tournaments at Haynes Gymnasium in St. Charles. The details:

☑️ December 9: Mixed doubles intermediate tournament from 1-3:30PM | Mixed doubles competitive tournament from 3:30-6PM

☑️ December 16: Men’s doubles competitive tournament from 1-3:30PM | Women’s doubles intermediate/competitive tournament from 3:30-6PM

St. Charles also features open gym hours at various locations, plus outdoor options if the weather cooperates.

In Batavia, the Civic Center Gym is the spot for open play — it’s $3 to pop in once, or you can get a 10-visit pass for $27. Open gym dates:

The Geneva Park District also offers open gym, formal leagues, group lessons and private lessons at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center. You’ll find those details here.

The 🔒 icon indicates a potential paywall. The *️⃣ icon indicates that an account/login is needed.

☑️ New budget, new rules: Expect big changes to Metra zones and fares starting in February 2024, including the elimination of the popular $100 Super Saver monthly pass.

☑️ Money matters: In the interest of transparency and an informed citizenry, St. Charles has published its 2023 Popular Annual Financial Report to help residents get a clear, easy-to-understand picture of the city’s finances.

☑️ Hot woods: Prescribed burns are imperative to the health of our local ecosystems. Kane County has announced the forest preserve sites planned for this year’s burn season.

🔒 An international hub: Fermilab is preparing to start work on a massive facility that will solidify the laboratory as THE PLACE for the study of neutrino particle physics.

☑️ El restaurante nuevo: A mini-mall restaurant space off Fabyan in Batavia — the one that previously housed Doc Watson’s Smokehouse — is preparing to welcome a new Taco Dale location.

🔒 Breakfast of champions: Several local business leaders received awards during the St. Charles Chamber’s Annual Meeting to honor their service to the community.

☑️ Ribbon cutting: Tomorrow marks the official introduction of the new St. Charles location of the Ecker Center for Behavioral Health.

🔒 Local lawyers: The public is invited to celebrate the grand opening of Feagans Law Group’s new offices at 477 S. 3rd St. in Geneva at 4PM on Thursday. The business was recently recognized as the Daily Herald Readers Choice 2023 Best Law Firm.

☑️ Picturesque places: According to World Atlas, Geneva and St. Charles are among the eight most quaint small towns in Illinois. Congrats to us all on being known as “pleasantly old-fashioned.”

☑️ Winter wonderland: WGN’s “On the Map” radio show featured Laura Rush from the Geneva Chamber for a conversation about the town’s magical aura during the holidays.

☑️ Century club: The Tri-Cities area may have just lost its oldest resident — lifelong Batavian Clara Jennings passed away last week at 109. She grew up on a farm where Fermilab is currently located.

🔒 Different kind of hero: Air Force veteran Garrett Lane brings a unique perspective and positive energy to his teaching role at Geneva Middle School South.

🎟️ Friendsgiving: Grab your people and enjoy a special Thanksgiving-style meal at Preservation in Geneva on Wednesday evening.

🎟️ Harvest Wine Dinner: Now’s your chance to see the magic in action, sample wine directly from the fermentation tank and enjoy tasty food pairings at Acquaviva Winery on Thursday at 6PM.

🎟️ Christmas Ship Concert: Tickets are still available for Lee Murdock’s Annual Christmas Ship Concert — a historical musical journey into Chicago’s early days — at the Norris Cultural Arts Center on Saturday.

*Below are “listed” start/end times — actual play times tend to vary. The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee. Links to band/event info are provided where available.

✔️ Ryan Burns: Preservation | Geneva | 6-9PM | Event info + video

✔️ Infunktious Duo: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 6-9PM | Musician info

✔️ Jason Benefield: Preservation | Geneva | 6-9PM | Musician info

✔️ Riley Bros Duo: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 4-7PM | Band info

✔️ Barrelhouse Blend: Emerald Acres | Virgil | 5-11PM | Event info

✔️ Matt Kopecky: Preservation | Geneva | 6-9PM | Event info + video

✔️ Open Jam w/ Sam Wyatt: Pollyanna Brewing | St. Charles | 7-11PM

✔️ Backdrop Band (Live Band Karaoke): EvenFlow | Geneva | 7-11PM

🎟️ Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti: Arcada Theater | St. Charles | 7:30PM | Event info

✔️ Christian Hansen: The House Pub | St. Charles | 9-12PM | Musician info

☀️ Today: High 61F | Low 28F | Fall perfection

☀️ Tuesday: High 63F | Low 37F | Is this SF or IL?

☀️ Wednesday: High 66F | Low 41F | Alarmingly nice

⛅ Thursday: High 65F | Low 47F | What are these, clouds?

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Sam

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