If you’ve been itching for more pickleball, a chance to roller skate away from D.C.’s humidity (indoors), or just the opportunity to watch your friends participate in sports while you sip a cocktail under a cabana, Kraken Kourts and Skates has you covered. From the same team that brought the District Kraken Axes and Rage as well as Hook Hall, Kraken Kourts and Skates is opening in Edgewood on Friday, filling 70,000 square feet with a tavern, indoor lawn games, 14 pickleball courts, and what will be D.C.’s only indoor roller skating rink.

“What we love about both roller skating and pickleball and table tennis and darts and cornhole [is that] it’s all community,” says owner Anna Valero. “All of them have really strong communities associated with them and are welcoming.”

A community that Valero adds is multi-generational, where locals of all ages can participate and meet one another.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and the D.C. area has not been left behind. Politicians in the district and Virginia have proposed initiatives to increase the number of pickleball courts and multiple sports clubs have pickleball leagues. Roller skating also has a rich history in the region– particularly within the Black community. Currently skating options in D.C. include Anacostia Park Roller Skating Pavilion and skating pop-ups at Hook Hall. In Maryland, there’s Temple Hills Skate Palace and Lanham Skate Center. 

When you walk in, you’re greeted by Kraken Kourts’ ambassadors at the activity center where guests can rent paddles, balls, darts, skates, and more. The space is cavernous, with a beer garden of picnic tables in the middle of the space, with nine pickleball courts on one side and five more courts and a roller skating rink on the other. The bar is located in the back.

“The design of the space was to make it feel like you were in a park even though you were inside,” Valero says. “And what I love about parks is the fact that everybody is welcome and the park is whatever you dream it up to be for that day.”

Both the roller skating rink and pickleball courts have cabanas for guests to lounge in whether you’re taking a break from paddling away or want to watch your friends on the court.

“Part of the fun of pickleball is coming with your friends and heckling them while they’re on the courts,” Valero says. “And so we specifically made sure that our courtside cabanas were at center court so you could equally heckle both sides of the net.”

There are four options to play pickleball at Kraken Kourts: reserving a court, drop in/open play, Pickle Party – and, coming soon, pickleball leagues. Monday-Thursday court reservations range from $15-$30 per hour, and Friday-Sunday courts are $40 per hour – $75 if you get a cabana too. 

If you’re hoping to mingle with new folks or find a pickleball partner, drop-in/open play is broken up into different skill levels – so don’t worry, you’ll be evenly matched. And if you’re looking for a group activity, Pickle Parties provide groups of 30-75 people with two courts and cabanas for two hours for $350 on a weekday and $500 on the weekend. Paddles and pickle balls are available to rent for $3, but you’re also allowed to bring your own gear to play.

Valero says that pickleball leagues will also be a part of the new space with Kraken Kourts partnering with local leagues and setting up tournaments in the future.

“We’re partnering with [social sports clubs] Volo, DC Fray, Zog Sports, Chocolate City on leagues here at the facility, everything from pickleball leagues four nights a week, to dart leagues, to cornhole leagues,” Valero says.

For roller skating, prices range from $8-12, depending on the time of day, and $150 for rink-side “skate-in and skate-out” cabanas. Skate rentals are $5 each.

“So you can come and you can have a party on the roller rink and we have party packages, and those aren’t just for kids,” Valero says. “We have adult packages as well because, you know, after nine we go 21+ and adult skate is going to be a vibe in and of itself.”

Kraken Kourts doesn’t have an in-house kitchen, so instead they’ve partnered with local restaurants including Colemans Kitchen, which plans to serve reubens, burgers, and a jerk chicken sandwich out of a food truck. They also plan to work with local taco favorite, Taqueria Habanero whose Edgewood location is right down the street. Both spots can be paired with beer from Kraken’s tavern.

Kraken Kourts is located at 514 Rhode Island Ave. NE and open Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 6 a.m.-10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m.-12 a.m. Reserve pickle ball courts and slots on its website.