Photos by Matt Colville, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130
Year Opened: 1984
Capacity: 1,000
Pickleball takes over the Big Easy
There's been a steady rise in pickleball in recent years, with some saying it could be the country's fastest-rising sport. In 2023 there were an estimated 36 million people in the country who played pickleball, a mixture between ping pong and tennis. Part of its appeal is its easiness of learning and low startup costs, making it a popular sport for all age groups. Pickleball is an extremely popular sport among the retirement community, with over 52% of the players being 50 and older.
One such person who is enjoying his retirement years playing pickleball is former Saints quarterback Drew Brees, whose first experience with the sport was as a kid at summer camp in Texas – he continued to play throughout his NFL career, even building a court in his backyard in 2018. After retiring in 2021 Brees has become sort of an ambassador for the sport, joining the ownership of Major League Pickleball's Los Angeles Mad Drops. Brees is also involved as a partner with The Picklr, a chain of indoor pickleball facilities, and will be behind a brand new Picklr facility that is scheduled to open in nearby Biloxi, MS, in the fall of 2024.
In 2023 Brees took his love for pickleball and began hosting his annual Nola Pickle Fest – held inside Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, it is a four-day festival-style event filled with food, music, vendors, and of course, pickleball. The event benefits the Brees Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, as well as provide care, education, and opportunities for children and families in need; Drew Brees and his wife Brittany have raised over $50 million for cancer research since launching the foundation in 2003. Nola Pickle Fest is operated by the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, whose mission is managing sporting events that have a positive impact on the greater New Orleans area.
Food and Beverage 3
A festival in New Orleans is bound to have plenty of food options – they bring in three food trucks for the event, as well as have several different pop-up bars. Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar, a popular New Orleans eatery known for its beach theme, brings their coastal beach vibes to Pickle Fest with their food truck, where fish tacos, shrimp po’ boys, and shrimp and grits are just some of the items available for sale.
Right next to that, Lillie's Cajun Kitchen food truck is set up offering additional selections of po’ boys and gumbo; make sure you try their signature Cajun Philly Po’ Boy. Everbowl also has a food truck set up selling different acai bowls and smoothies. The food trucks are located towards the back of the hall, however, so are kind of hard to find.
Besides the food trucks, Drew Brees-owned Small Sliders, a Louisiana burger chain, also has a tent sent up where they give out samples of their small slider burgers, which are must-haves. There are also several bars scattered around the exhibit hall set up selling cold drinks and beer, and Smirnoff Lounge, a lounge area built in the exhibit hall, even has a table set up selling and offering different Smirnoff products.
Atmosphere 4
The event takes place in the large exhibit halls E & F inside Morial Convention Center – over 30 pickleball courts are brought in and scattered around the floor. The whole event is laid back and relaxed, and on one court you may even see a beginner's class taking place. On another, you may see a match going on between some pros from Major League Pickleball. They have open courts for free play, and they have various tournaments you can sign up for based on various skill and age levels. Drew Brees is also here all day during all four days, walking around mingling with people and taking photos. If you're lucky he may even jump in and play a few pickleball matches with you.
Anything pickleball related you'll find it here, as it is one giant pickleball convention. Around the exhibit hall are various vendor booths set up; pickleball companies from all over the country have booths set up where you can try out and buy the latest pickleball products and merchandise.
Over on the far east side of the hall is Smirnoff Club, a bar area complete with TVs and couches. In front of that is a large stage for bands, as it wouldn't be an event in New Orleans without live music – the cool thing about the stage is it had a Saints theme, backdropped with various images of Drew Brees throughout the years. The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation even had a booth set up promoting the upcoming Super Bowl LIX and recruiting workers for that event, which will be held in New Orleans in February 2025.
On the back side of the exhibit hall is a silent auction with assorted sports memorabilia, as well as food trucks, plus a large gaming station where you can play the new NCAA '25 and the new Madden on a big screen.
At the center of the exhibit hall is an impressive makeshift pickleball stadium with bleacher seating for 1000, constructed around a professional pickleball court. The court is a Saints-themed black and gold custom set up, with the Saints logo at midcourt – if you want an elevated view of that court, just climb up on one of the three Mardi Gras floats that are brought in to provide seating at one end, while a replica New Orleans streetcar provides the seating on the other side. This is where the big matches are held during the week, and if you make it very far in any of the bracket-style tournaments, you'll get to play a match on the main court.
The biggest match that takes place on the main court is the Drew Brees Celebrity Match, held on Saturday afternoon – make sure you get to your seats early for this, as they fill up quickly. For this match Brees will bring out some special guests and play a couple of matches; John McEnroe and Keegan-Michael Key are a few of the special guests he's played with over the two years (so far) of the festival.
In 2024 the celebrity match featured Brees and Keegan-Michael Key, playing a few matches and providing live play-by-play of some of the action. There were also a few professional matches as well as some comedy matches, such as when one of the pros played a 90-year-old lady, or anytime Keegan-Michael Key was out there.
Neighborhood 5
Morial Convention Center is located right on the Mississippi River in New Orleans' Warehouse District, just blocks from the French Quarter and the rest of the tourist sites in New Orleans. There's too much to see down here for me to name, but there's so much more to the French Quarter than just Bourbon Street. You'll find some of the best restaurants, off-the-wall museums, and some of the oldest buildings in the country. From Jackson Square to live music on Frenchmen Street and art shops on Royal Street, there truly is not another place like it.
I recommend not driving to the French Quarter, as it is close enough to walk to from the convention center, and you could also take a streetcar if you want to venture anywhere outside the Quarter or the Warehouse District. A short 20-minute streetcar ride up the river to the Garden District/Uptown makes for a great visit as well, if you have time. For those who want the authentic New Orleans jazz experience from the neighborhood where jazz music was born, then Treme/Lafitte makes for a great adventure too.
In the Warehouse District there are a few attractions worth checking out, some within two blocks of the convention center. For families, there's the Aquarium of the Americas, while for history buffs you can check out the World War II Museum, the largest collection of World War II memorabilia in the country. Or, if you’re into gambling there's a Caesar’s Casino across the street. Also, make sure to take a stroll through Fulton Street Alley to view all the outdoor restaurants and giant bowling alley.
The RiverWalk Marketplace, an indoor shopping mall with over 100 different stores, is located on one side of the Morial Convention Center, while on the other side is the famed Mardi Gras World – inside this giant warehouse, you can get a look at how Mardi Gras floats are built. Visitors can walk around the warehouse and view the hundreds of different floats being designed year-round. Mardi Gras World also holds an after-party each night after the pickleball action wraps up, complete with more live music and special guests.
Fans 4
Nola Pickle Fest averages about 1,000 people per day with over 4,000 people attending the four-day event. Saturday draws the biggest crowd during the week, with people wanting to see the celebrity match. The event is also purposely held during August, as it can get unbearably hot here during the summer, so the event occurs during this time as there is not a lot else going on during the summer months.
There are competitive bracket-style tournaments taking place, as well as free play on any of the open courts – this event attracts a wide range of people. You'll find the diehard pickleball players who play competitively, as well as the locals who just play for fun. I saw different pickleball groups and people of all ages, from all over the country.
The whole event is laid back, as anybody can sign up to play. Saturday is always the most popular day when you'll get professional pickleball players, as well as the people who just want to see Drew Brees and his special guests. As usual, you'll also hear plenty of ‘Who Dats’, as there is a big Saints theme here. Nobody does festivals like New Orleans, so you'll also find tourists and locals, the latter who just come to Pickle Fest simply for something to do. Even if you know nothing about pickleball, this event makes for a great place to get some air on a hot August day in the French Quarter.
Access 3
Getting to Morial Convention Center may be a little difficult if you are not familiar with navigating the anxiety-driven streets down here. Located near the Mississippi River on the outer edge of the French Quarter, you will have to navigate the many one-way and narrow streets. The best way to get here if coming from out of town is to take I-10 to the I-910 interchange like you are headed to the West Bank, which is across the river. Then take Exit 11 at Tchopitoulas Street, and the convention center is right there.
The official parking lot for the event is Lot F, located at 411 Henderson Street – for $23 you can park in this lot all day. If you are staying in the French Quarter or anywhere downtown I would recommend walking to the convention center instead of driving. Once inside the facility for Pickle Fest, you are free to come and go as you please.
Return on Investment 4
The best thing about Nola Pickle Fest is it is free to attend on any of the days, except Saturday, which is the biggest day of the Fest – on Saturdays, it is $10 admission to enter, but you are given a wristband and free to come and go all day. All proceeds go to the Brees Foundation, so you know it's going to a good cause.
The official parking lot at the convention center is $23, and you are allowed to park all day. You may also be able to find some cheaper lots in the city, but you'll have to walk longer to get here. I considered this a good return on investment – though the main focus of the event is pickleball, it is so much more than just that, and you are guaranteed to have a good time regardless of whether or not you like the sport.
You'll also get to come into contact with one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football, as well as see some special guests and celebrities. It's a unique event, one that hopefully will continue in New Orleans for many years to come.
Extras 4
All proceeds from the event benefit the Brees Foundation – since its inception in 2003, the foundation has contributed over $50 million to various causes. You can make donations to the Brees Foundation at a table at the front of the main entrance, on any of the days of the tournament.
Morial Convention Center covers almost 11 blocks, with over 1.1 million square feet of space, making it the seventh largest convention center in the country. The building opened as part of the 1984 World's Fair, which was held in New Orleans and was the last World’s Fair to take place in the United States.
Ernest M. Morial was the mayor of New Orleans at the time, and if you walk around the grounds you may see some remnants of that world’s fair, such as an old gondola you can eat it in, that once took visitors across the river, located outside Nesbit's Poeyfarre Market across the street from the convention center. You can also see the giant King Neptune sculpture located at the main entrance to Mardi Gras World next door.
Another extra for the challenges the building would face after Hurricane Katrina after it was used as a shelter of last resort for over 30,000 refugees who lost their homes in the storm. With limited food and resources, the scene here in the weeks following Katrina was apocalyptic, with robberies, looting, shootings, and assaults taking place inside and outside the convention center. This area has long since recovered, however, and there is a cool little art sculpture of a house in a tree called the Katrina tree, located across the street from Hall F, the main exhibit hall where Nola Pickle Fest takes place.
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