PirateFest Highlights for Saturday, December 12, 2015
The 26th PirateFest -- presented locally by Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh -- will get underway at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 13 from noon to 4 p.m. General admission to the event will be free to the public with all proceeds from general autograph session donations going to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Sunday's PirateFest hours will be open exclusively for Season Ticket Members who chose a PirateFest VIP experience as one of their 2015 experiences.
Tickets for the 2015 PirateFest autograph sessions were made available for a $20 donation to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at pirates.com/piratefest and a very limited number of tickets for each session will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the event. In addition to the autograph donation opportunities, there will be special FREE autograph sessions for kids ages 14 and younger throughout the entire weekend event.
The baseball carnival will be Pirates-themed with activities for the entire family featuring live events, the ability to purchase 2016 Season Ticket Memberships, prizes, games, youth baseball clinics, the Pirate Parrot and much more.
Please see below for a complete list of each day's scheduled events. **Note - all event times and participants are subject to change without notice.
Saturday, December 12, 2015 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Autograph Session Tickets: A very limited number of tickets are available on site for a $20 donation for today's autograph signings. Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Pirates KIDS ONLY Autographs: Kids 14 and under will be able to get FREE autographs from members of the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates in the special "Kids Only Line." Current Pirates Players will be available to sign autographs for kids from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pirates Autographs Sessions (with a $20.00 donation):
- Francisco Cervelli, Jared Hughes, Bob Walk (10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)
- Bill Mazeroski, Bobby LaFromboise, Jake Goebbert (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Josh Harrison, Charlie Morton, Kevin Young (1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
- Members of the 1971 World Champion Pirates (2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) - Dave Cash, Steve Blass, Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner, Bob Robertson, Dave Giusti and Al Oliver.
- Starling Marte, Dave Parker, Michael Morse (4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
- Tony Watson, Kent Tekulve, Nick Kingham (5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
Main Stage
The Best Game Ever: Fans can participate in the fun with The Best Game Ever on the Pirates main stage from 11 a.m. to noon featuring Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown and pitcher John Holdzkom.
Card Sharks: Jared Hughes will join Pirates in-game entertainer Joe Klimchak for the Bucs version of Card Sharks from Noon to 1 p.m.
1971 Pirates Q&A: Greg Brown will host a special Q&A between Pirates fans and several members of the 1971 World Champion Pirates from 1-2 p.m. on the main stage. Dave Cash, Steve Blass, Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner, Bob Robertson, Dave Giusti and Al Oliver are all scheduled to take part in the Q&A.
Cooking with the Bucs: Jameson Taillon will showcase his cooking talents in Cooking with the Bucs from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. on the main stage.
PirateFest Q&A: Greg Brown will host a special Q&A between Pirates fans and attending players and coaches on the main stage from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Ask Pirates Management: Fans will have the opportunity to ask their questions about offseason moves, the 2015 season, and more in this special Q&A with Pirates management team Frank Coonelly, Neal Huntington, and Clint Hurdle on the main stage from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Pierogy Eating Contest: Pirates fans will have the opportunity to participate in the popular Pierogy eating contest-- presented by Mrs. T's Pierogies-- hosted by Tim Neverett on the PirateFest main stage from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"Oh Say Can You Sing" Competition: Fans interested in trying out for the "Oh Say Can You Sing?" competition will sing The Star Spangled Banner a cappella for a panel of judges during auditions. The judges will then pass out 10 "golden tickets" throughout the day. Those fans will participate in the "Oh Say Can You Sing?" competition on the main stage from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. A panel of judges will select one winner to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a Pirates home game in 2016.
PirateFest Field
Photo Opportunity: From Noon to 12:30 p.m., Charlie Morton will be available and from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Chris Stewart and Keon Broxton will be available for special photo opportunities.
Coaches Q&A: Joe Klimchak will host a special Pirates Coaches Q&A from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. with coaches Brad Fischer, Ray Searage and Dave Jauss.
Kids Press Conference: Bob Walk will host a special Kids Only Press Conference from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with newest Pirates player Jake Goebbert.
Science of Baseball: The Carnegie Science Center will present the Science of Baseball from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Kids Press Conference: Bob Walk will host a special Kids Only Press Conference from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Pirates All Star and Silver Slugger Andrew McCutchen.
Coaches Corner
Batting Cages and Home to First: Get tips from the pros as the Pirates coaching staff will teach kids batting and base running in the Coach's Corner from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Heberto Andrade, Nick Leyva, Jeff Livesy and Rick Sofield will be on hand to assist with drills and batting instructions.
Alumni Photos
The following Pirates alumni will be available for photos free of charge in the Alumni Photo area.
- Noon Manny Sanguillen
- 1 p.m. Bob Walk
- 2 p.m. Richie Hebner
- 3 p.m. John Wehner
- 4 p.m. Kent Tekulve
- 5 p.m. Al Oliver
- 6 p.m. Dave Cash
Food Drive
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
Pirates Charities Raffle
Fans are encouraged to visit the Pirates Charities booth to purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win autographed jerseys, baseballs, bats and more from Pirates players, as well as autographed items from a number of other Major League Baseball teams. Tickets will be on-sale at the booth and will be one for $2 or three for $5 with all proceeds benefiting Pirates Charities. The drawing will take place on Sunday, December 13 at 4 p.m. Winner need not be present.
Season Ticket Member Phone-A-Friend Booth
The Season Ticket Member "Phone-a-Friend" area is a personalized experience for you and a friend of your choice. Attending Pirates players and celebrities will stop by the area and for lucky Pirates Season Ticket Members will talk with or leave a message for a friend. Participating players on Saturday are:
- 11:30 a.m. Francisco Cervelli
- 1 p.m. Bobby LaFromboise
- 1:30 p.m. John Holdzkom
- 2 p.m. Jeff Locke
- 4 p.m. Rob Scahill
- 5 p.m. Nick Kingham
Chick-fil-A
The Chick-fil-A Santa Cow and Elf Calf mascots will be available for photos with fans throughout the event free of charge. Chick-fil-A will also be conducting a special photo scavenger hunt for all of those in attendance as well as giving away items throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
Parking Information
Fans are encouraged to park in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center garage or the surface lot on 11th Street and Smallman Street in the Pittsburgh Strip District.
Pirates Authentics
Pirates Authentics, along with memorabilia partner Hunt Auctions, will have all your favorite player autographed and game-used items available for purchase at PirateFest. This year's premium items feature memorabilia including game-used lineup cards and game-used bats, game-used baseballs, game-used bases and postseason game-worn jerseys. Hunt Auctions will be offering appraisal services as attendees of PirateFest will have the opportunity to have their sports memorabilia and cards appraised by Hunt Auctions' nationally recognized experts. The appraisals are conducted at no charge at PirateFest with categories including autographs, cards, bats, tickets, programs, and game-used items. Fans who wish to arrange for a specific timed appointment or need assistance in the handling of their items may contact info@huntauctions.com for more details.
Bucaroos Kids Club
It's time to register the kids for the 2016 Bucaroos Kids Club, presented by Chick-fil-A, membership. The 2016 Bucaroos Kids Club is for kids ages 14 and younger, offers special member-only benefits, is valid all year long and has two great membership options with the Gold and Silver Membership choices. Membership information, registration and packages will be available at PirateFest.
BucSocial VIP Area
Followers of the Pirates social media sites were given an opportunity to win passes to the Pirates exclusive BucSocial VIP area simply by following the Pirates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. A special meet and greet with Pirates players, coaches and celebrities in our BucSocial VIP Area, a chance to create content for our social media channels, an opportunity to interview players and more!
Below are a list of the players and celebrities scheduled to appear on Saturday in the BucSocialVIP area:
- 12 p.m. Francisco Cervelli
- 1 p.m. Gregory Polanco
- 2 p.m. Chris Stewart
- 4:30 p.m. Josh Harrison
- 5 p.m. Jameson Taillon
Pirates Group Tickets
Pirates Group Ticket Packages are now available for the 2016 season. A Pirates group outing starts at just 15 tickets, and is the perfect way to entertain clients, promote teamwork, strengthen relationships, and boost morale while experiencing an unforgettable event! Companies, schools, churches, associations, and teams will all enjoy special group benefits. For more information regarding purchasing group tickets, talk with a ticket representative at the 2015 PirateFest, call 1-800-BUY-BUCS or visit pirates.com/groups.
Pirates Season Ticket Memberships
Full Season, Half Season, and 20-game season ticket Memberships are available for the 2016 season. Choose from a Full Season Plan starting, 41-Game Plan featuring every weekend game, and 20-Game Plans that are designed around the best games of the season. Fans can visit pirates.com/tickets for more information. For more information regarding purchasing a season ticket plan, talk with a ticket representative at PirateFest, call 1-800-BUY-BUCS or visit pirates.com/tickets.