What Fairgrounds does

Fairgrounds Inc. is a Canadian operator of public racket clubs founded in 2022 and headquartered in Toronto. The company runs pickleball and padel courts across nine-plus locations spanning Ontario (Toronto-Leaside, Toronto-Cloverdale, Toronto-Rosehill, Whitby, Kingston, Hamilton, Ottawa, Vaughan-Assembly Park, Picton), British Columbia (Vancouver-Capilano), and Alberta (Red Deer-Bower Place), with capacity typically ranging from 5 to 17 courts per venue. Its flagship Leaside site repurposes a former Mercedes-Benz dealership at 849 Eglinton Avenue East into a 13-court pickleball and 4-court padel venue with stadium seating, sauna, lounge, and dining. Membership is free to join, removing the traditional initiation-fee barrier associated with country-club racket sports, and the company explicitly markets an anti-exclusion positioning ("no membership committees, no dress codes, no gatekeeping").

Revenue is generated through a tiered subscription stack (Free Pay-Per-Play, monthly "Play" and "Play More" plans, annual Unlimited Pickleball and Padel, and capped-availability Founding Memberships priced at C$1,100-C$3,900 depending on club), plus hourly court rentals (C$10-25/hour depending on sport and location), branded merchandise through an in-club and e-commerce Pro Shop, and a corporate/private events vertical for team-building, birthdays, brand activations, and tournaments. Bookings are processed through the third-party PodPlay platform, account management through CourtReserve, and gift cards through Square; the company also operates an iOS/Android mobile app. Distribution is anchored by real-estate partnerships with QuadReal Property Group, Primaris, and Choice Properties, which provide a pipeline of mall and mixed-use retail sites, including Canada's first mixed-use pickleball and padel facility at Assembly Park in Vaughan. The company was founded by the former co-founder of Superette and creator of Stackt Market, and has reached approximately 56,000 members as of April 2025.

In April 2025 Fairgrounds acquired Swedish paddle brand TWOTWO to vertically integrate equipment supply, and in October 2025 closed a Series A led by Back Forty to fund a stated target of 30 additional Canadian locations by 2027. Beyond its courts, the operating model is differentiated by design-led venue aesthetics, integrated food-and-beverage programming, a vertically oriented pro shop, and a community-led GTM motion emphasizing leagues, clinics, and open-play sessions. The principal exposure is a property-tax reclassification at the Toronto-Rosehill location that raised annual taxes by an estimated C$500,000 because courts charge booking fees, illustrating the regulatory and cost sensitivities of converting commercial real estate to recreation use. The company operates on a venture-backed private basis with no public ticker.

Name

Fairgrounds

Legal name

Fairgrounds Inc.

Website

https://visitfairgrounds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fairgrounds is a Canadian racket club operator offering free-to-join pickleball and padel courts at nine-plus locations across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, serving roughly 56,000 members via tiered subscriptions, pay-per-play bookings, events, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Sports Facilities

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Trampoline & Active Play Parks (Trampoline, Ninja/Obstacle, Indoor Active Parks) (THAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pickleball Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAFAB), Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)

Keywords

• Pickleball courts
• Padel courts
• Racket club
• Court bookings
• Recreational sports

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly and annual membership subscriptions offering play passes, programming access, and discounts. Plans range from free tier (pay-per-play) to unlimited memberships at premium pricing.
2. Pay-Per-Play Court Bookings: Hourly court rentals for non-members and members who have exhausted their play passes. Pickleball rates range from $10-15/hour, Padel from $15-25/hour depending on location.
3. Pro Shop Merchandise: Sale of branded apparel (tees, crewnecks), hard goods (paddles), and accessories through the online pro shop and at club locations.
4. Private and Corporate Events: Revenue from hosting private events, corporate gatherings, birthday parties, and brand activations with package pricing based on group size, duration, and additional services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fairgrounds operates public pickleball and padel court facilities across multiple Canadian locations, offering free basic membership with tiered monthly and annual paid subscriptions, hourly pay-per-play court rentals, structured programming (leagues, clinics, tournaments), corporate and private event hosting, and a branded pro shop selling paddles, apparel, and accessories. The company also operates a mobile app and partners with real estate developers to deploy facilities in repurposed retail and mixed-use spaces.

Product overview

Fairgrounds is a public racket club operator offering a portfolio of recreational sports facilities and services centered on pickleball and padel. The core offering consists of court facilities at multiple Canadian locations with free or tiered membership options and pay-per-play pricing. The business model combines physical venue operations with ancillary revenue streams: a Pro Shop selling paddles and apparel, programming/coaching services, and event hosting for private and corporate clients. The company also operates a mobile app for booking and community engagement. Notable expansion includes the 2022 founding, acquisition of Swedish paddle brand TWOTWO, and national expansion plans funded by a 2025 Series A round.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Racket Club Facilities Physical racket club venues offering pickleball and padel courts at multiple Canadian locations. Includes free basic membership and hourly court bookings rather than traditional membership fees, with on-site amenities such as bars, restaurants, pro shops, and wellness spaces.
• Pickleball Court Bookings Hourly rental of pickleball courts blending elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong with wiffle-style balls. Available at all Fairgrounds locations with rates ranging from $10-15/hour depending on location.
• Padel Court Bookings Hourly rental of padel courts featuring enclosed glass court design with turf flooring, blending tennis and squash elements with walls used as part of gameplay. Rates range from $15-25/hour depending on location.
• Fairgrounds Memberships Tiered membership plans including Free Member (pay-per-play), monthly pickleball play plans (4-10 play passes), unlimited annual plans ($1,250-$3,900/year), Founding Memberships (limited 50-100 spots per club), and Family Memberships. Includes varying court time allocations, programming passes, advance booking privileges (7-30 days), and pro shop discounts (10-20%).
• Fairgrounds Pro Shop E-commerce and in-venue retail store selling branded paddles (Playmaker Paddle, Ultimate Padel Racket), apparel (tees, crewnecks, hats, Ace Shorts), and accessories. Ships across Canada.
• Event Hosting Services Private and corporate event hosting including team-building activities, birthday parties, brand activations, and tournaments. Packages include court bookings, lounge area access, optional learn-to-play instruction, and group programming with professional facilitators. Requires one month advance notice for corporate events.
• Programming and Coaching Structured programming including leagues, clinics, tournaments, group classes, and professional coaching sessions led by certified instructors. Programming passes available as add-ons to memberships in packs of 5, 10, or 20 sessions.
• Fairgrounds Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling court booking, location search, and game discovery. Available for download on the App Store (id6743804742) and Google Play.
• TWOTWO Paddle Brand Swedish paddle/sports equipment brand wholly owned and retained by Fairgrounds following the April 2025 acquisition, supporting vertical integration of equipment supply.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 56,000 members across Canadian locations as of April 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• QuadReal Property GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2025Fairgrounds partnered with QuadReal Property Group to launch pickleball and padel clubs across Canada. First two locations: Cloverdale Mall in Etobicoke (opened February 16th) and Assembly Park in Vaughan (country's first mixed-use facility). QuadReal provides real estate expertise, sustainable development practices, and technology integration.
• PrimarismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for national expansion. Primaris is a Canadian retail real estate developer contributing to Fairgrounds' location strategy.
• Choice PropertiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for national expansion. Choice is a Canadian real estate investment trust supporting Fairgrounds' location development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CityPickle: New York City-based pickleball club operator with multiple indoor venues and a similar social-club positioning. Directly comparable as a pickleball-only club operator targeting adult recreational players in urban markets.
• Padel Haus: Premium padel club operator in New York City with design-led venues, integrated food and beverage, and event programming. Closely comparable on the padel side of Fairgrounds' business with overlapping hospitality-led model.
• Padel Social Club: Multi-location padel club operator with venues in the US and UK. Directly comparable to Fairgrounds' padel offering, combining court rental with food/beverage and social programming.
• The Pickle Club: US-based pickleball social club chain targeting adults with memberships, open play, leagues, and tournaments. Directly comparable operating model with tiered memberships and pay-per-play pricing.
• Pickleball Kingdom: Franchised indoor pickleball club chain in the US with a multi-location expansion model. Comparable as a scaled pickleball-only operator pursuing geographic expansion.

Emerging players

• Padel X: Multi-location padel club operator with venues in major US markets. Comparable as a padel-only operator pursuing venue rollouts with similar member/booking economics.
• Sweat440: Franchised boutique fitness studio operating group classes on a flexible scheduling model. Comparable as a community-driven, design-forward boutique fitness concept though in group fitness rather than racket sports.

Broad incumbents

• Xponential Fitness: Public franchisor of boutique fitness brands (Club Pilates, Rumble, CycleBar, etc.). Comparable as a multi-brand operator of physical, experience-led fitness studios with recurring membership revenue.
• The Bay Club Company: Multi-property, member-based sports and hospitality club operator on the US West Coast. Comparable as an incumbent operator of multi-format, design-led sports and hospitality venues with recurring membership revenue.
• Life Time Group: Publicly traded (NYSE: LTH) premium fitness operator with hundreds of locations and an increasingly large pickleball offering. Broader incumbent now entering the dedicated racket sports category where Fairgrounds competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairgrounds
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitfairgrounds
• TikToktiktok.com/@visitfairgrounds
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitfairgrounds

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fairgrounds