Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Indians have unveiled details on Play Ball Park, a large indoor-outdoor event that will be held in conjunction with July’s All-Star Game.
The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will be played at the Indians’ Progressive Field. The game itself is scheduled for July 9, making it the anchor of a larger series of events taking place at the ballpark and around Cleveland over the preceding days. One of those events is Play Ball Park, an indoor-outdoor fan fest at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland from July 5-9. The indoor portion of the event will be ticketed, featuring autograph sessions, virtual reality displays, traveling exhibits from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, as well as other offerings.
All offerings outside the convention center will be free, with a concert stage, demonstration fields, and food trucks among the amenities slated for that area. While fan fest-type offerings have been an All-Star Game event staple for years, the Indians and MLB are billing this year’s Play Ball Park as a first-of-its-kind concept. More from Cleveland.com:
Play Ball Park, an interactive family-friendly experience, is set to open July 5 and run through the 90th All-Star Game on July 9. Larger in scope than previous MLB All-Star festivals, Play Ball Park will be the first of its kind to offer both an indoor ticketed experience and outdoor free-to-the-public activities for fans all in one location.
Curtis Danburg, Indians senior director of communications, said Cleveland has a tremendous opportunity in being the first location to launch the new concept for this event.
“It’s going to be the biggest sporting event of the summer in it’s entirety, and to have that convenience that the infrastructure the city offers is going to really enhance the experience for the fans,” Danburg said….
Jackie Secaira-Cotto, MLB’s director of special events, said Play Ball Park will host interactive skills games, shopping, music, food and something for fans of all ages, including the opportunity to meet baseball’s biggest stars and longtime legends.
Tickets for the event went on sale this morning. The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will be the first at Progressive Field since 1997–when the ballpark was known as Jacobs Field–and Cleveland’s sixth turn at the Midsummer Classic overall.
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