Rays to hold annual Fan Fest outside Trop ahead of return to home park

ST PETERSBURG -- The Rays won’t be holding their annual Fan Fest back inside Tropicana Field this year. But they will host a party just outside their home ballpark to ring in another season.

The Rays on Wednesday announced plans for the 2026 Fan Fest Block Party, which will take place from 1-5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14 outside Tropicana Field. The event will be held along 16th Street S in St. Petersburg, the road bordering the west side of the Trop.

Admission will be free, but fans must claim a ticket to attend. Mobile tickets are available at RaysBaseball.com/FanFest. Season ticket members will have their tickets automatically added to their accounts via the MLB Ballpark app.

Free parking will be available for the Fan Fest Block Party in Lots 1, 2, 6 and 7 at Tropicana Field. For security purposes, no bags are allowed into Fan Fest except medical and diaper bags, which will be inspected upon entry.

With the Trop unavailable last year after Hurricane Milton, the Rays moved their home games to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and hosted Fan Fest outdoors at the St. Pete Pier. Now that the Trop has its roof back and repairs are ongoing inside the ballpark ahead of the April 6 home opener, the club is set to celebrate its return.

“The Fan Fest Block Party is our first chance of the year to bring fans together and reconnect with the team ahead of the upcoming season, and we’re thrilled to welcome everyone back to Tropicana Field in April,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a statement.

To that end, the Rays also announced Wednesday that there will be a redesigned social space above left field at Tropicana Field at the start of the regular season: the MaintenX Sky Deck. The area will offer all-inclusive ballpark fare, beer, wine and soft drinks starting at $49. The new-look design will include graphics paying tribute to the Sunshine Skyway and LED lighting that matches the in-game experience. Tickets are available at RaysBaseball.com/SkyDeck.

“Last season taught us a lot, and one key takeaway was how much our fans value social, all-inclusive spaces,” Babby said. “That insight inspired the design of the MaintenX SkyDeck, and we can’t wait to share that experience with them.”

The Fan Fest Block Party will have the usual array of family-friendly activities, games, mascot appearances, player autograph signings and more. There will also be a community yard sale and a panel with members of the Rays’ leadership group.

Season ticket members will have exclusive access to purchase autograph passes for specific players beginning Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. All other passes will be available starting at 2 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Rays’ official charity.

The charity yard sale will have Rays items from the past and present, including hats, shirts, bobbleheads and more, along with game-used merchandise, jerseys, helmets, bats and autographed baseballs. The Rays Pop-Up Team Store on First Avenue N will also be open during the event and for another hour after it concludes.

Ticket sales representatives will be available at Fan Fest with information about season memberships, the new MaintenX SkyDeck, the upgraded 200-level premium suites, new seating areas and more.