LANCASTER PA HOTELS | HERSHEY PA HOTELS

FAN FEST SET FOR APRIL 13

Barnstormers To Host Camden In Free Exhibition Game

The crack of the bat, the freshly mown grass, a juicy hot dog on a soft bun with a slather of mustard, the scent of popcorn wafting through the ballpark will all be back. Those sights, sounds, smells, tastes and, of course, the action of a summer at the ballpark will return to Clipper Magazine Stadium on April 13 with the annual Lancaster Barnstormers Fan Fest.

Admission to the event is FREE. Gates will open at noon, and a festive afternoon awaits those who file into the stadium, which will be outfitted in its full spring regalia and ready for season nine of Barnstormers baseball.

Highlighting the day will be the first of two exhibition games to be held at Clipper Magazine Stadium this spring as the Barnstormers will host the Camden Riversharks at 1:00 p.m. For most, it will be the earliest opportunity to see what manager Butch Hobson has in store for 2013 in the quest to take that one final step to an Atlantic League title. Hobson will preview his pitching-rich team for the fans from atop the first base dugout prior to the game.

Surrounding the game will be an entire afternoon of family fun at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The first 200 fans will receive a FREE hot dog combo meal while the first 150 kids through the gate will be greeted with FREE cotton candy. That’s not all! Fans can also look forward to their favorite frozen treat as Turkey Hill will be passing out FREE ice cream cups.

To burn off that delicious ballpark fare, families will be invited to head out to Lancaster’s “Field of Dreams” for a pre-game catch on the outfield grass, and kids can make the post-game dash around the bases, just like the pros. A face painter and a balloon artist will also be on hand from noon until 2:00 p.m. to give an additional bright splash of color to a spring afternoon.

Fans can also look forward to a “Rename the Team For a Day” contest. There was a time, back when Clipper Magazine Stadium was only a blueprint, when Lancaster’s new team did not have a name, and many were offered. Beginning at Fan Fest, the Barnstormers faithful will vote for their favorite “alternate” name from the original naming contest, by which the team will be referred for one night, June 28. That evening will be dubbed “What Could Have Been Night.” A game-worn jersey auction for that one-night-only rebranding will be held following that night’s contest against York.

Music will be a significant part of the day as well. On-air personalities Damian Rhodes and D.C. from WLAN-FM will be at the ballpark to greet fans and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to kick-off the 2013 baseball season. Local band Alternative Education is slated to rock prior to the game in the Hess’s Picnic Pavilion.

Plus, one lucky fan will walk away with a pair of tickets to one of this summer’s hottest concerts in the area, the Justin Timberlake/Jay-Z show at Hersheypark, set for August 4, all courtesy of the Barnstormers.

“Fan Fest serves as our official kickoff to the season,” said General Manager Kristen Simon. “Butch Hobson has another great team coming together, and we can’t wait to have our fans back in the ballpark having a great time.”