Stacks Pickleball, touted as the largest indoor pickleball facility in Louisiana and the first in Baton Rouge, is planning to open at Celtic Studios next month.
While there are other places to play the rapidly growing sport in Baton Rouge–BREC has 16 courts at Greenwood Park near Baker–Bee Vo, who owns Stacks with his wife and two other partners, sees a market for a place to play that’s sheltered from the south Louisiana weather.
Vo fell in love with the game about a year ago, when he began playing with seniors on basketball courts at Highland Road Community Park. While some players take it more seriously than others, the game is accessible to all ages and skill levels, which is a big part of its appeal, he says.
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“It’s kind of a silly game at its core,” Vo says.
A 30,000-square-foot stage will host 12 courts. Stacks doesn’t have a firm opening date, but a soft opening is planned for mid-November.
The film business has largely been shut down by strikes, and it can be up-and-down even in good times. Celtic has been focusing recently on event rentals and community outreach, including a “celebration of fatherhood” barbecue cookoff on Sunday afternoon.
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Kevin O’Neil with Celtic hopes that next year Stacks could host a major pickleball event not unlike a recent New Orleans exhibition featuring Drew Brees and John McEnroe. He says he has been speaking with local students about the opportunities in the industry once filming ramps up again.
While the writers’ strike has ended, the actors’ guild was expected to resume negotiations with studios today.