Fans of all ages will be able to participate in a host of activities as Atlanta Braves players, coaches and alumni descend upon SunTrust Park and The Battery Atlanta on Saturday, Jan. 27 and Sunday, Jan. 28 for Chop Fest, a fan festival celebrating the Braves and the upcoming baseball season.
As part of this special weekend, the Braves will reveal their brand-new mascot on the Georgia Power Pavilion at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The excitement starts before the weekend begins as single-game tickets for the 2018 season go on sale Friday, Jan. 26, including an opportunity to purchase a special four-game ticket pack through Chop Fest weekend only. The four-game pack will be available Friday through Sunday at the SunTrust Park ticket windows or online at www.braves.com/4game. Fans can select four-games in the grandstand infield for $40 a seat (41% savings) or four-games in the Home Run Porch for $80 a seat (46% savings).
Additionally, on Friday night, MLB Network, working in collaboration with the Braves, will premiere a new documentary, Atlanta Rules, The Story of the 90's Braves, showcasing the team's historic run in the 1990s that night.
The weekend festivities kick off with a Leadoff Chop Rally at 10 a.m. on Saturday on The Battery Atlanta Plaza steps by the giant baseball video board. Braves players will join the Heavy Hitters for an exciting pep rally before the start of various sessions and events.
The Konica Minolta Conference Center will feature various panels and Q-and-A sessions with Braves executives, players and alumni, including an exclusive one-on-one conversation with the team's new GM, Alex Anthopoulos, and a Kids' Press Conference where the youngest fans run the show.
Fans will be able to get autographs from their favorite Braves players, including some of the franchise's most beloved alumni. For $30 per person, fans get an autograph from up to five current Braves players, as well as one alumnus with all proceeds going to support the work of the Atlanta Braves Foundation. Space is limited, and it is anticipated sessions will sell out. To purchase tickets to the autograph sessions, go to www.braves.com/chopfest.
Autographs for children 14 and under will be available for free with select Braves players at the SunTrust OnUp Experience inside The Battery Atlanta. Kids also will be able to participate in a variety of games and activities throughout SunTrust Park and The Battery Atlanta, including games of stickball and a whiffle ball home run derby. Hope and Will's Sandlot, where fans can tackle the climbing tower or race along the zip line, also will be open.
Fans of all ages can participate in instructional clinics inside SunTrust Park where they can sharpen their skills with Braves players, coaches and alumni, while the ballpark will be open for various on-field activities, including a chance for fans to see if they would be fast enough to "Beat The Freeze."
The Battery Atlanta will be showcasing its new offerings as well. Fans can explore the Omni Hotel which opened earlier this month, for an art exhibit featuring Richard Sullivan, the former Braves minor league who has many of his water colors of Braves players throughout SunTrust Park, BEAM Imagination, the Braves photography company who will feature their Braves photographs and Robert Matre, owner of the Matre Gallery, who will feature his works.
The Omni will also host a display of artifacts from the ten players whose numbers are retired by the team. While reviewing the items, fans will be able to use the MLB.com Ballpark app to scan specialized triggers at each display case to unlock special video content tied to the item.
Throughout The Battery Atlanta fans will be able to access the Skignz app to help them navigate throughout the complex through augmented, virtual "signs in the sky", which will highlight locations and special events happening all weekend long.
Chop Fest also includes the Braves Hall of Fame Induction Gala, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Roxy. Tickets for this event can be purchased at www.braves.com/gala. This year's inductees include former pitcher Tim Hudson and broadcaster Joe Simpson.
Most of the weekend events are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule of events, as well as additional information on Chop Fest, go to www.braves.com/chopfest.