2015 Piratefest autograph ticket onsale dates and details

Tickets for group autograph sessions at the 2015 PirateFest, presented by Chick-fil-A, go on sale this week at pirates.com/Piratefest with six total groups available. Each group, featuring a mix of three current and/or former Pirates players as well as Pirates minor league prospects, are scheduled to appear during the Saturday general public event. Sunday's PirateFest hours will be open exclusively for Season Ticket Members who chose a PirateFest VIP experience as one of their 2015 experiences.

Admission to PirateFest is FREE to the general public on Saturday, December 12, with tickets to each autograph session/group available for a $20 donation to support Pirates Charities and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Each session will be limited to 200 fans per 90-minute session and each $20 donation will assure fans a chance to meet and receive autographs from up to three Pirates celebrities. There will be a special session, open to the first 150 fans, with up to seven members of the 1971 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pirates Season Ticket Members will receive the first opportunity to purchase passes to each general public session starting tomorrow, Thursday, December 3 at 10 a.m. Members will receive a morning email with instructions to log on to their personal "My Pirates Tickets" account to purchase sessions. All remaining tickets will be available starting Friday, December 4 at 10 a.m. at pirates.com/PirateFest. All fans who purchase autograph tickets will be guaranteed autographs for their specific session/group as fans will have the opportunity to pick and choose the sessions they wish to attend.

In addition, special autograph sessions for all kids 14-and-under do not require a donation and will be available throughout the event. These "Kids Only" PirateFest sessions will take place continuously throughout the event and will be announced on site at PirateFest.

All proceeds from the autograph sessions at the 2015 PirateFest will benefit Pirates Charities and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to feed people in need and mobilize the community to eliminate hunger, with a vision for a hunger-free southwestern Pennsylvania. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and their network of more than 400 member agencies provides 29 million meals annually to people in need in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Hours for PirateFest, presented by Chick-fil-A, and general public autograph sessions are as follows:

Saturday, December 12

Open to the General Public: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

• 10 - 11:30 a.m.: Francisco Cervelli/ Jared Hughes/ Bob Walk  
• 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Bill Mazeroski/ Bobby LaFromboise/ Jake Goebbert  
• 1 - 2:30 p.m.: Josh Harrison/ Charlie Morton/ Kevin Young  
• 2:30 - 4 p.m.: Members of the 1971 World Champion Pirates Dave Cash, Steve Blass, Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner, Bob Robertson, Dave Giusti and Al Oliver.
• 4 - 5:30 p.m.: Starling Marte/ Dave Parker/ Michael Morse
• 5:30-7 p.m.: Tony Watson/ Kent Tekulve/ Nick Kingham

Sunday, December 13

Open to select Season Ticket Members only: 10 a.m. to 4. p.m.

In addition to the autograph donations, there will be many additional opportunities to donate to Pirates Charities to assist the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Fans are encouraged to bring a bag of non-perishable food and/or other items to the Pirates Charities booth to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. For every bag of food donated, fans will receive a specially designed Pirates Charities reusable grocery/freezer bag.

Below is a list of items needed for the "Bring a Bag, Get a Bag" PirateFest donation drive.*  

• Cereal (low sugar, high fiber preferred)  
• Tuna or salmon (packed in water)  
• Fruit (packed in 100% juice or water)  
• Canned beans  
• Canned vegetables (no or low sodium preferred)  
• Peanut butter  
• Hand soap/toiletries  
• Toilet/facial tissue  
• Laundry detergent  
• Diapers (infant and adult)

*please no glass containers

The popular Piratefest weekend includes activities for the entire family such as live events, autograph sessions with current and former Pirates players, prizes, games, youth baseball clinics and visits with the Pirate Parrot. Also fans will have the ability to purchase Season Ticket Memberships, 2016 Holiday Six Pack ticket plans, and more.

Fans can visit pirates.com/piratefest for more information on the full schedule of events leading up to and throughout the event.