Dillabusters 2026 — Invitational Pickleball Tournament

01 — The Story

Our champions
are back 돌아왔다

Four years ago we needed a silly excuse to keep everyone we love in one room. We threw a pickleball tournament and now we can't stop.

Dillabusters started with a joke, a rec-league team with a dumb name, and the suspicion that people want excuses to get together and have fun no matter how weird.

Every fall since, scores of humans have taken over an indoor court in Washington, DC for a weekend that is equal parts competition and party. Friday is welcome drinks. Saturday is the tournament, then a party where the winners and the superlatives get their due. Sunday is a get-out-of-town brunch and a promise to do it again.

This year is Year Four — and the reason for the theme is simple. Sarah Weber, one of our founding members, is back in DC after years in Korea with the State Department. So 2026 is the Return of the Weber: a Korean–American mashup edition.

Lets Have A Great Dillabusters!

A Dillabusters champion holding the trophy at Kraken Kourts

Thompson Torpedos Flyin Pickle Winners - 2025

02 — The Weekend

Three days 주말 일정

Come for all of it or come for Saturday. Times below are firming up. Final details go out by email a few weeks ahead.

Nov 13

Welcome Drinks

Navy Yard. The unofficial opening ceremony: name tags, trash talk, and finding out who your teammate actually is.

FRI · 7:00 PM

Nov 14

The Tournament

Kraken Kourts, 514 Rhode Island Ave NE. Round-robin pool play into a bracket, all afternoon, every skill level on the same floor.

SAT · AFTERNOON

Nov 14

Afterparty & Awards

Immediately after the last point. Trophies for the champions, superlatives for everyone else, coasters for posterity.

SAT · POST-MATCH

Nov 15

Get-Out-of-Town Brunch

The Reilly's on Capitol Hill. Sore shoulders, big plates, long goodbyes.

SUN · MORNING

03 — How It Works

The rules,
such as they are

You do not need to be good. You need to show up, hit the ball roughly where you meant to, and be a good hang between games.

Enter a team

Teams start at two players and can carry extras who rotate in. Have no team? Say so on the RSVP and we'll place you — that's how half the friendships here started.

Pool play, then a bracket

Everyone gets guaranteed games in the morning-to-afternoon pools. Results seed the bracket. Everybody plays a lot; nobody sits around.

Superlatives count

Best costume, best rally, most improved, worst call — the non-trophy trophies are handed out at the party and are, frankly, the point.

Bring the kids

Kids are genuinely encouraged. There's court time for them and plenty of adults happy to be beaten by a nine-year-old.

Entry · per player

$55

Court time all Saturday

Official 2026 tournament t-shirt

Commemorative coaster

A special gift

A shot at the trophy

How to pay

Same as always: RSVP first, then send $55 per player on Venmo. Your spot is locked when the money lands.

Venmo handle and a QR code appear on the confirmation screen and in your confirmation email.

Start your RSVP

04 — The Venue

Kraken Kourts 워싱턴, 디씨

Indoor courts in Northeast DC. Warm, loud, and immune to November weather.

Address

Kraken Kourts & Skates
514 Rhode Island Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

Parking

On-site lot plus street parking on the surrounding blocks. It fills up on tournament day — carpool if you can, and leave a few minutes of slack.

Transit

Rhode Island Ave–Brentwood Metro (Red Line) is the closest station; rideshare drops right at the door.

Indoors

Every court is inside. Rain, wind, and cold are not part of the bracket.

Get directions

Indoor courts at Kraken Kourts during the tournament

05 — Hall of Fame

Past champions

Names on the board are forever. Send us any we've mangled.

2025

Champions — Kosher Delhi

Year 3

2024

Champions — FiTZ Volley

Year 2

2023

Champions — Kate+JAcked Up

Year 1

06 — The Archive

Years one
through three

Every year, the same photo at the end: everybody, on the court, refusing to leave.

The full group photo from a past Dillabusters tournament

Team photo on court at the end of the day

Everyone posed together after the final match

07 — Questions

Frequently asked 자주 묻는 질문

Still stuck? Email us.

Do I need to be good at pickleball?

No. Skill levels of all kinds play in this tournament, and always have. Pools are set so you get competitive games against people in the same neighborhood as you — first-timers and league regulars both end up with a good day.

Can I join a team if I don't have one?

Absolutely. Mark it on your RSVP and we'll match you with a team. It's one of the most reliable ways to leave with new friends.

How big can a team be?

Two players minimum. You can carry extras and rotate them in — bigger squads mean more rest and more people on the sideline yelling for you.

Do I need to wear a costume?

Not required, strongly encouraged. Every year the theme brings out something outrageous, and there's a superlative waiting for whoever commits hardest. This year's theme is Return of the Weber — a Korean–American mashup — so interpret freely.

Can I bring my kids?

Yes, and please do. Kids are encouraged at the tournament, they get court time, and they routinely embarrass the adults.

Is there parking at Kraken Kourts?

There's a lot on site and street parking around it, but tournament day is busy — carpool if you can, or take the Red Line to Rhode Island Ave–Brentwood.

What does the $55 cover?

Court time for the whole day, your official 2026 t-shirt, a commemorative coaster, a special gift, and eligibility for the trophy. Pay by Venmo after you RSVP.

What if I can only make part of the weekend?

Totally fine. Plenty of people come for Saturday only. Tell us on the RSVP which pieces you're in for — Friday drinks, the tournament, the party, Sunday brunch — so we get the headcounts right.

Can I come and not play?

Yes. Spectators, cheer squads, and people who are only here for the party are all welcome. RSVP anyway so we count you for food and drinks.

What if I can't make it this year?

Use the RSVP form and choose "Can't make it." It takes fifteen seconds, it keeps you on the list for next year, and it genuinely helps us plan.

Dilla
busters

Our champions
are back 돌아왔다

Three days 주말 일정