Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
The doors are open to festivities leading up to Tuesday's 87th All-Star Game.
FanFest officially opened at 8:30 a.m. PT Friday at the San Diego Convention Center, and it will run through game day.
Other events on Friday included the All-Star Youth Classic at Robb Field and Play Ball Park at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel, the Wiffle Ball Series at Petco Park, the Special Stars Game at Petco Bay and the All-Star Concert Series at Embarcadero Marina Park South.
FanFest will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Monday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for senior citizens and kids 2-12. On Saturday and Sunday, military tickets are $12.
FanFest features interactive exhibits -- skill areas for running, throwing and hitting -- as well as displays from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. The history of the San Diego Padres is also chronicled.
Each day of FanFest will feature former Padres and other Major League greats signing autographs and appearing in question-and-answer sessions as well as clinics.
Trevor Hoffman, Randy Jones, Dave Winfield, Kurt Bevacqua, Steve Garvey and Orlando Cepeda are among Friday's featured guests.
Games at the All-Star Youth Classic start daily at 10:30 a.m., and they will feature eight baseball and four softball teams. The local baseball teams in the field represent the Jackie Robinson YMCA and San Diego Military, while the local softball team is from the Peninsula Youth Softball Association. Other teams are from Tijuana, Queens, N.Y., Mississippi, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Indiana, Anaheim and Texas.
The All-Star Concert Series starts at 7 p.m., featuring OneRepublic with NEEDTOBREATHE.