WPT Punta Gorda Picklefest Draws 146 Amateurs to 24-Court PicklePlex

About 146 amateur players filled all 24 courts at the PicklePlex of Punta Gorda when the World Pickleball Tour staged the Punta Gorda Picklefest across a three-day stretch from February 20 to 22, 2026. The turnout packed the facility’s courts and produced a tightly scheduled slate of matches across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The PicklePlex of Punta Gorda is a 24-court complex located on Airport Road at Florida SouthWestern State College, and WPT used the venue’s full footprint to run concurrent matches throughout the weekend. Tournament play remained on-site at the college-adjacent facility for the event’s duration, with all courts active during peak hours Saturday afternoon.

Organizers reported roughly 146 registered amateur entrants for the Punta Gorda Picklefest, a field that reflected WPT’s amateur-focused stop in Florida. The three-day schedule held matches across multiple sessions each day to accommodate the entry list, keeping players on court without extended idle time between rounds.

Using all 24 courts allowed match directors to maintain the event’s timetable from Feb 20 through Feb 22, 2026, and to keep courts rotating for early-round play. The facility’s location on Airport Road at Florida SouthWestern State College provided direct access for players traveling from nearby communities and helped fit preliminary rounds into the Friday schedule before Saturday’s heavier match load.

The Punta Gorda Picklefest capped its weekend with the final matches on Sunday, Feb 22, after which the PicklePlex cleared the courts following awards and departures. With roughly 146 amateurs competing at one of the region’s larger outdoor/indoor complexes, the WPT stop in Punta Gorda demonstrated how a 24-court venue can support a compact, three-day amateur tournament format.

The Feb 20-22 event at the PicklePlex of Punta Gorda confirms the facility’s capacity to host sizable amateur draws and gave the World Pickleball Tour a full weekend of action on Airport Road at Florida SouthWestern State College.