Drew Brees Celebrity Pickleball Tournament Returns to the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival Next Month to Raise Funds for Feeding San Diego

Presented by Justin Vineyards & Winery, the fourth annual fundraiser will be held on Friday, October 2 at the Barnes Tennis Center

Next month, the Drew Brees Celebrity Pickleball Tournament, hosted by the NFL legend, is returning to the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival (DMWFF) to bring together athletes, chefs, and hunger-relief supporters for an afternoon of pickleball for a good cause. The charity event will take place at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma on Friday, October 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. New this year, the public can register in intermediate and advanced tournaments, with the winning team in the intermediate division taking home a $2,000 purse and the advanced division taking home $3,000. This event is signature fall fundraiser for Feeding San Diego, the county’s only Feeding America partner food bank.

Celebrity athlete players include tennis pro James Blake (former world No. 4) and former Major League Baseball players Brett Tomko and Eric Byrnes, former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia, Slightly Stoopid frontman Miles Doughty, as well as Drew Brees himself, plus an all-star lineup of current and former professional athletes, celebrities, and familiar faces for DMWFF’s signature pickleball tournament benefiting Feeding San Diego. Guests can team up with the stars in a friendly round-robin competition, compete in advanced and intermediate tournament divisions for a chance to win prize money, or opt for the casual Play for Fun experience. There is also a spectator ticket for fans who want to support the cause that includes all-inclusive walk-around tasting with food and drinks served courtside.

Since launching in 2023, DMWFF has raised more than $100,000 for Feeding San Diego and other local nonprofit organizations. A portion of proceeds from the 2026 festival will benefit the organization, San Diego County’s leading hunger-relief and food-rescue nonprofit. Feeding San Diego provides more than 36.3 million meals annually to people facing hunger through a network of more than 380 local charities, schools, faith communities, meal sites and food pantries.

“No one can deny the popularity of pickleball, so we’re incredibly grateful to the DMWFF for creating this signature fundraiser that has been a runaway success the past three years. We thank them for their continued support and partnership,” said Ali Colbran, senior director of development at Feeding San Diego. “The culinary community is interwoven with our cause because we all agree that access to nutritious food is a basic human right. We are looking forward to this year’s events and to the opportunity to showcase the work our organization does to support our neighbors facing food insecurity to such a large audience who can get involved by donating or volunteering.”

According to Feeding America, food insecurity in San Diego County has now surpassed pandemic levels with more than 420,000 people, including over 120,000 children experiencing hunger. Feeding San Diego provides nutritious food at no cost to children, families, seniors, college students, active duty, military families, and veterans in partnership with a network of over 300 local charities, schools, colleges, faith communities, healthcare providers, and meal sites. 90 percent of the food the nonprofit provides to the community is rescued from more than 750 local and national food donors to protect people and the planet.

Tickets for the tournament vary from $125 to $600 per person depending on the level of play, with all tickets inclusive of food and beverage from brands such as presenting sponsor Justin Vineyards & Winery, Stone Brewing, Hendrick’s Gin, Above Board Liqueurs, Nova Easy Kombucha, Lofty Coffee, Crudo Cevicheria & Oyster Bar, The Cottage, and many more.

Later on Friday, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., a “Spotlight on Baja” dinner benefitting Feeding San Diego will take place at a private Rancho Santa Fe estate. The intimate, 60-person dinner features a multi-course culinary and tequila-pairing experience featuring Baja California’s most celebrated chefs, including Benito Molina (from MasterChef México), Drew Deckman (from MICHELIN-starred Conchas de Piedra), Esteban Lluis (from MICHELIN-starred Damiana), and Oscar Torres (from Javier Plascencia’s MICHELIN-starred Animalón). The evening’s specially curated menu celebrates the coastal bounty and culinary creativity that makes Baja one of North America’s most exciting food destinations. The event, presented in partnership with CBS8, also shines a spotlight on the region’s agave heritage with Tequila Ocho, featuring sixth-generation tequilera Fany Camarena. Tickets are $400 and can be purchased here.

The Del Mar Wine & Food Festival kicks off on the evening of Thursday, September 30 and concludes on Sunday, October 4. Tickets for all DMWFF events are on sale now at delmar.wine.