Baseball fans can head south this month for the largest interactive baseball fest around. The Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest will take place in St. Louis, July 10-14, and will encompass 450,000 square feet of baseball interactives.
“This is an event where you don’t have to be a baseball fan, but if you are, it is quite heavenly,” says Jackie Secaira-Cotto, director of special events at Major League Baseball. The interactive games let visitors face a life-size image of a major league pitcher of their choice. An actual baseball comes out of the video and lets kids practice their swing against the all-star. There’s also a major league batter that kids can attempt to strike out.
Younger kids will enjoy the rookie league, where they can practice hitting off a tee and fielding. Parents and kids of all ages can practice fielding at the mini-baseball stadium, while also attending programs and clinics related to baseball. There’s also a Cooperstown exhibit with artifacts from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The indoor fest is held at America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, St. Louis, Mo., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Monday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday. Best days for families are Friday, Monday and Tuesday and the fest is appropriate for all ages, Secaira-Cotto says.
Tickets are $30 per day, $25 for kids. For more information, visit www.allstargame.com or call (888) FAN-FEST.
For information about places to stay while in St. Louis, visit www.explorestlouis.com.