The 2019 Tampa Bay Rays Fan Fest, presented by Tampa Bay Times, is set for Saturday, February 9 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Rays Season Ticket Holders are granted early entry beginning at 10 a.m.
Fan Fest is free; however, all attendees 18 years and older must individually obtain an admission ticket at raysbaseball.com/fanfest to attend. Fans can choose to print their ticket at home or scan tickets from their smartphone. Parking for the event is free. Over 70 current and former major league players and coaches are expected to attend, and will appear at various stations throughout the day along with mascots Raymond and DJ Kitty.
Autographs
A limited number of autograph passes are still available for $25 each, exclusively online at raysbaseball.com/fanfest, for the following players: Matt Duffy, Joey Wendle, Ryan Yarbrough and Mike Zunino. There is a purchase limit of four (4) autograph passes per player.
In addition, a limited number of passes for the Blake Snell VIP gaming experience are still available for $50, and include a seat in the gallery to watch the video game contest and an autograph from Snell.
All proceeds from the experiences benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization and the official charity of the Rays, which focuses on youth and educational programming that make a measurable difference in the Tampa Bay region.
Activities
Among the free activities, fans are invited to take a tour of the Rays clubhouse facilities, participate in goat yoga and DIY activities and interact with Rays and Tampa Bay Rowdies players. More than 30 major league alumni will be signing autographs for free throughout the day. Also, fans have the opportunity to compete against Rays players at numerous tailgate games, including 22-player foosball, billiards, pop-a-shot, air hockey, giant Jenga, ping pong and more.
Fan Fest will feature a number of exciting activities for kids, including Reading with the Rays, presented by Suncoast Credit Union; speed pitch, batting cages and home run derby in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Kids Interactive Zone; and baseball clinics in the infield, courtesy of Sagicor Life Insurance Company. While at Fan Fest, kids ages 14 years and under can sign up for the Rays Rookies Kids Club, presented by Outback Steakhouse. For $10, members will receive one (1) ticket to every Sunday home game, a Rays snapback hat and one (1) ticket to a Rowdies 2019 home match.
Entertainment
To promote Reading with the Rays, the club’s summer reading program presented by Suncoast Credit Union and supported by Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education, Willy Adames and Yarbrough will read select stories on the Tampa General Hospital Main Stage. Adames will read in English and Spanish and Yarbrough will read in English.
The Tampa General Hospital Main Stage will also host entertainment throughout the day, including a Game Show segment with Tyler Glasnow and Ryne Stanek, Raymond magic show and Fashion Show with Levy’s retail division Rank + Rally, which will unveil new 2019 regular season and spring training merchandise.
In addition, the stage will also feature panels with Rays coaches, broadcasters and team executives, including a discussion on “the opener” with Manager Kevin Cash, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations/General Manager Erik Neander and MLB Network studio host Brian Kenny.
Social Media
The Rays will use their social media accounts to give fans opportunities for team and player interaction and exclusive prizes through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat contests during Fan Fest. The team’s official Twitter account, @RaysBaseball, will serve as a communication hub where fans can get up-to-date information on events happening throughout the day and answers to questions about Fan Fest.
Fans can also visit the Social Media Zone, presented by tampabay.com, to witness a live podcast recording of “Sports Day Tampa Bay,” featuring Rick Stroud and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, and for photo opportunities with a larger-than-life Snell bobblehead and oversized player emojis.
In addition, fans will have the opportunity to play a selection of video games, including R.B.I. Baseball, take pictures in a photo booth and charge their cell phone at the phone-charging station at the Social Media Zone.
Shopping
The Rays Baseball Foundation Clubhouse Corner and Charity Yard Sale return for the ninth consecutive year. In Clubhouse Corner, fans can find deals on authentic, game-used merchandise, including jerseys, helmets, bats and autographed memorabilia. The Charity Yard Sale will feature unique Rays items from the past and present for $5 each. All proceeds from the Charity Yard Sale and Clubhouse Corner benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation.
Representatives from the Rays ticket sales department will be available to assist fans throughout the day in the purchase of Season Tickets, group tickets, spring training tickets, party areas, suite rentals, business packages and special ticket offers.
Season Ticket Holders will also be able to access the Republic Bank Draft Room—a club area which will feature a photo station to have their pictures taken with Rays players, complimentary refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, alumni player appearances and more. Season Ticket Holders will also receive a 15 percent discount at select concession and merchandise stands.
Yes, you need a ticket!
Fan Fest is free; however, all attendees 18 years and older must individually obtain an admission ticket at raysbaseball.com/fanfest to attend.
Info courtesy of: https://www.draysbay.com/2019/2/1/18206794/rays-announce-fan-fest-details-for-2019
