Pickleball News

Celeb athletes battle pickleball stars at big Farmers Branch championship

Pickleball Championship is sure to draw lots of players and a big crowd.

PPA Tour

In conjunction with the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour, there's a new star-studded contest featuring a quintet of world-famous athletes taking the court with the best pickleball pros.

Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd, Tyler Seguin, and John Isner will participate in the “Celebrity Pickleball Showdown,” an exhibition on Championship Court at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, on Tuesday, November 7 at 7 pm.

Nowitzki, Romo, Kidd, Seguin and Isner will be joined by some of pickleball’s top professionals for the match, which will kick off pro play at Nationals.

“We can’t wait to welcome the pickleball world to Dallas for the biggest-ever celebration of our wonderful sport to date. Dirk, Tony, Jason, Tyler and John were eager to be a part of the record-setting USA Pickleball National Championships at Brookhaven and experience the festivities for themselves, so they’re thrilled to hit the court and join the fun,” said Dave Fleming, a local Dallas senior pro and the official broadcast voice of the PPA Tour. “Championship Court will be buzzing to see these outstanding athletes go head-to-head in North Texas. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy this special event and the unique experience that Nationals will offer.”

It'll be a one-of-a-kind match between Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks NBA All-Star; four-time Pro Bowl Dallas Cowboys quarterback and sports commentator Romo; NBA All-Star and head coach of the Mavericks Kidd; NHL star/Dallas Stars alternate captain Seguin; and tennis great Isner.

Tickets for the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown are available now and can be purchased online.

The National Championships will take place on November 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Club, vying for a Guinness World Record attempt for Largest Pickleball match, with dozens of musical acts including American Idol winner Phillip Phillps, beer gardens, music venues, culinary immersions, tasting rooms, interactive games, kid-friendly activities, merchandise, premium viewing platforms and more.

“Pickleball Boulevard” at Nationals will create the world’s biggest pickleball party and elevate the experience to heights never before seen in the sport. A full schedule of events is here.

More than 3,500 amateur and professional players will compete at Nationals on 65-plus courts for the biggest prize purse in event history, and more than 20,000 attendees are expected to take in the pickleball action and enjoy the festivities at Brookhaven, which underwent $5.3 million in transformative renovations and upgrades.

Individual tickets for Nationals, along with week-long passes, and tickets for pickleball clinics and select events on-site at Brookhaven are available here. It starts on November 5 with clinics and other activities, while tournament competition officially begins on November 6.

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The Joke Has Landed

New comedy club at Toyota Music Factory in Irving gets set for laughs

Photo by Anna Dolmany

This is the fifth Punch Line location.

It's almost time for Punch Line Irving to open its doors, and Dave Chappelle is at the ready. The famous comedian will christen the new comedy club with four sold-out shows on December 17 and 18, but there's plenty more funny business in store for 2026.

First announced in November, this is Punch Line's fifth location — and second in Texas, the first opened in Houston in 2024 — and it's taking up residence at the Toyota Music Factory. The 240-seat club plans to host more than 350 shows and private events annually, featuring a blend of high-wattage celebrity and homegrown talent.

Its decor nods to the brand's belief that comedy is a sport, with feature wall showcasing punching bags and boxing bells signed by "heavy hitter" performers.

The menu also echoes the theme, with such cocktails as the Bellringer (bourbon, lemonade, and Liquid Death half-and-half iced tea), Ringside Ranch Water (blanco tequila, hibiscus, lime, and soda), and the Espresso All-Star, their take on the espresso martini. Food includes Punch Line favorites like the Mic Drop Burger, Punch Line Nachos, and Homemade Punch Pop Tarts in bourbon apple or strawberry cream.

There is also a second, more flexible space outside the main showroom called The Callback Bar that's designed to host smaller performances, as well as a furnished patio.

Punch Line Irving The Callback Bar.Photo by Anna Dolmany

Photo by Anna Dolmany

This is the fifth Punch Line location.

The talent gets treated as well as the audience, with a private comics lounge in place of a traditional dressing room. Designed as a shared gathering space, it sports a custom media wall showing the live-show feed, a dressing table, a private ensuite restroom, and a hospitality station.

Punch Line makes it a point to support the local comedy scene, and its Irving location will be no exception. Twenty-five cents from each ticket at participating shows benefits Comedy Gives Back, a nonprofit organization providing financial grants and resources to stand-up comedians in need. The club also hosted its first open mic on December 9 to welcome the community, with participating comics donating nonperishable items to the North Texas Food Bank.

Don't fret if you didn't snag tickets to Dave Chappelle — big names like Leslie Jones, Tone Bell, Pete Holmes, and Christina P. all have shows scheduled in the first few months of 2026 and tickets are on sale now.

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