The upcoming homestand celebrates our nation's independence with postgame fireworks and the third game of the Patriotic Series. Taste of the World returns after an exciting debut last year, and Nationals Park will host the second installment of the 2017 College Day Series, featuring the University of Maryland.
 
Nationals fans are invited to make a contribution to protect, preserve, and provide public access to the rich history of America's Executive Mansion by purchasing a White House Historical Association membership. Memberships will be on sale at whha.org/Nats and in the Main Team Store for $39.95 from July 3-9. Anyone who becomes a new member during the month of July will receive the 2017 White House Christmas Ornament, a voucher for two Nationals tickets and an invitation to play baseball at Nationals Park during a private, member-exclusive event on Monday, August 21. At the event, members can bat from home plate, throw a bullpen session and take cuts in the home team batting cage.
 
MONDAY, JULY 3
·         Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets: Please note that the game against the Mets begins at 6:05 p.m. on Monday.
 
·         Postgame Freedom Fireworks Presented By Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.: Following the game, fans can watch a special patriotic fireworks display to kick off the Independence Day festivities!
 
·         2017-18 Nationals Pet Calendar: See the softer side of your favorite Nationals players with their family pets and adoptable animals from the Humane Rescue Alliance. The Nationals 2017-18 Pet Calendar will be available in the Main Team Store and at nationals.com/PetCalendar starting on July 1. The calendar covers July 2017-December 2018 and proceeds benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance of Washington, D.C. Available while supplies last.
 
·         Team Store Specials: Special on-field 4th of July merchandise, including caps and jerseys, can be found at the Main Team Store and other ballpark store locations. During the series against the Mets, exclusive Nationals/Mets Rivalry T-shirts will be available in the Main Team Store. In addition, the Main Team Store will offer pins featuring SS Trea Turner as July's "Pin of the Month." All offers available while supplies last.
 
TUESDAY, JULY 4
·         Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets: Please note that the Independence Day game against the Mets begins at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday.
 
·         Patriotic Series Presented by SAIC - Independence Day: In celebration of our nation's independence, the Nationals will host the third game of the 2017 Patriotic Series presented by SAIC against the New York Mets. The final game of the Patriotic Series is Heroes Day on Sunday, September 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Nationals offer active duty military, veterans and first responders exclusive discounts all season long. For more information on the Patriotic Series or to purchase tickets, visit nationals.com/Military. Highlights for Independence Day include:
o   For almost a century, the legendary Rockettes have represented America through dance, and the Nationals are thrilled to welcome them to Nationals Park! The Rockettes will perform in Center Field Plaza before the game, and will also be performing for fans on top of the dugouts after the second inning.
o   The U.S. Army Parachute Team, known as the Golden Knights, will perform in the air and parachute onto the field prior to the game. The Golden Knights are one of only three Department of Defense-sanctioned aerial demonstration teams.
o   Vice Admiral Luke McCollum, Chief of Navy Reserve, Commander, Navy Reserve Force, will deliver the game ball to the starting pitcher.
o   The U.S. Air Force Band will perform the National Anthem and God Bless America.
 
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5
·         Budweiser Terrace Entertainment: District Trivia, LLC. will host Trivia Night at the Budweiser Terrace starting at 5:00 p.m.
 
THURSDAY, JULY 6
·         Neighborhood Day: The Nationals will dedicate Thursday's game to residents of the communities around the ballpark. The team worked closely with local community partners to provide discounted ticket offers and participation in pregame festivities for Thursday's game. Every month, community leaders and Nationals staff meet to discuss issues and citizen engagement plans to ensure that professional baseball is an asset to Southwest and nearby Southeast D.C. communities.
 
·         Budweiser Terrace Entertainment: DJ Stylus Chris will perform at the Budweiser Terrace starting at 5:00 p.m. 
 
FRIDAY, JULY 7
·         Youth Baseball Uniform Program Complimentary Ticket Day: As part of the Nationals Youth Baseball Uniform Program, D.C. Little League, Virginia District 4 Little League and Virginia District 7 Cal Ripken Babe Ruth league players are offered complimentary tickets to the game on Friday. The Nationals provide, at no cost to the leagues, a Nationals T-shirt or jersey and cap to EVERY child playing baseball or softball in these leagues. The program was launched in D.C. in 2015 in an effort to support and promote kids playing baseball and softball in the area. With the addition this year of 4,500 kids in Northern Virginia, there are more than 8,300 youth players in the metro area wearing Nationals-branded uniforms during the 2017 spring season.
 
·         Salvation Army Day: The Salvation Army will host kids from D.C.-area camps at the ballpark, including children from their musical program at Camp HappyLand in Richardsville, Va. Campers will perform pregame in Center Field Plaza, and also will sing the National Anthem before the game. Specially discounted tickets can be purchased at nationals.com/VIP with the code SAA. A portion of all ticket sales purchased through that link will benefit The Salvation Army.
 
·         Budweiser Terrace Entertainment: Jeff From Accounting will perform at the Budweiser Terrace starting at 5:00 p.m. 
 
SATURDAY, JULY 8
·         Taste of the World: The Nationals will celebrate Washington, D.C.'s international community with the second annual culinary event heard 'round the world. With the purchase of a special ticket, fans can enjoy a pregame international food and drink festival under the large blue tent on 1st St. and take home a set of Nationals salt & pepper shakers. For more information or tickets, visit nationals.com/Taste.
 
·         DC Public Library Player Visits: Two DC Public Library locations will host special visits by Nationals players in support of the DCPL Summer Reading program. The visits will take place at the Tenley-Friendship (4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW) and Woodridge (1801 Hamlin St. NE) Library locations from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 2017 marks the Nationals' fourth year sponsoring DCPL Summer Reading, the largest program in the District that addresses the "summer slide," or the loss of learning children and teens experience when they do not read during summer vacation. Since the Nationals became involved in the program in 2013, the number of participants and completion rates have nearly doubled. Earlier this month, 1B Ryan Zimmerman visited with more than 150 students at Capital City Public Charter School to kick off this year's program.
 
·         Budweiser Terrace Entertainment: Karaoke Night, featuring DJ Stylus Chris and JCC International Talent Agency, LLC., will take place at the Budweiser Terrace starting at 2:00 p.m. 
 
SUNDAY, JULY 9
·         College Day - University of Maryland: Come out and show your Terrapin pride as the Nationals host University of Maryland Day at the Ballpark. Join other UMD students, faculty, alumni and fans as the Terrapins take over the ballpark for a day. With the purchase of a special ticket, you will receive a discounted game ticket which includes a New Era UMD/Nationals co-branded hat. For additional information and tickets, visit nationals.com/UM. The next College Day, featuring Virginia Tech University, will take place on Tuesday, August 8.
 
·         DC Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: The nine new members of the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame will be honored during a pregame ceremony. The inductees were selected based on their outstanding contributions to the world of sports, thereby bringing honor and recognition to the nation's capital. This year's inductees are Juan Dixon, Brenda Frese, Glenn Harris, Tony Kornheiser, Katie Ledecky, Tom McMillen, Mike Nelms, Paul Tagliabue and Ron Weber. If interested in covering this event, please RSVP to Chris Browne at [email protected]. More information on the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame can be found at dcsportshall.com.  
 
·         Kids Run the Bases: All kids ages 4 through 12 will have the opportunity to run the bases after Sunday home games, weather permitting. Jr. Nationals MVP members will have access to an exclusive line that will go onto the field first. For more information on the Jr. Nationals Kids Club, visit nationals.com/JrNats.
 
CURLY W LIVE
Want to see more photos, videos and fun features about your favorite Nationals players? Want to learn more about what is happening at Nationals Park and what the team is doing in the community? Nationals fans are encouraged to check out Curly W Live, the official blog of the Washington Nationals, by visitingcurlyw.mlblogs.com. Be sure to create a Medium account and follow Curly W Live in order to receive notifications when new content is published!
 
GETTING TO THE BALLPARK
Parking options for Nationals fans start at $20 and are available online at nationals.com/Parking. Fans are encouraged to purchase parking in advance to ensure a space in their desired zone.
 
Fans can also get a ride to and from the ballpark at the tap of a button using Uber, the official ride-share partner of the Washington Nationals. New users can get their first ride free (up to $15) with the promo code NATIONALS17 by signing up at http://get.uber.com/new-signup/nationals17. When exiting the ballpark, fans are encouraged to head to one of Uber's suggested pickup locations shown at nationals.mlb.com/promo/map:
o   N St. SE and New Jersey Ave. SE
o   L St. SE between First St. SE and New Jersey Ave. SE
o   M St. SW and Half St. SW
On June 25, new permanent hours went into effect for the entire Metrorail system. Fans are encouraged to review the new Metro schedule at https://wmata.com/service/status/details/june-25-changes.cfm.
 
Fans should also consider alternate forms of travel to and from the ballpark, including the D.C. Circulator from Union Station, biking to the ballpark or the baseball boat from Alexandria. Visit nationals.com/WayToGo for information on parking and transportation options to Nationals Park. To receive up-to-date WMATA service notifications on a mobile device, fans are encouraged to register for Alert DC athttp://hsema.dc.gov/page/alertdc.
 
Fans traveling to the ballpark should be aware that there are construction projects underway in the surrounding area. To ensure safe crossings, please be mindful of signage and directions given by public safety officers. 
 
BALLPARK SAFETY
Nationals Park is a completely non-smoking and tobacco-free facility per District of Columbia law. There is no exception for electronic cigarettes or any other type of smoking device, or for smokeless tobacco or any other type of tobacco product. Guests wishing to smoke or use tobacco products must go to the designated smoking area at the First Base Gate. Guests wishing to exit Nationals Park to smoke or use tobacco products must present a valid ticket and receive a wristband before exiting Nationals Park. Guests wishing to reenter Nationals Park must return through the metal detectors with a valid ticket and assigned wristband.
 
MLB and the Nationals require that all people entering Nationals Park walk through a metal detector or be screened with handheld metal detectors to search for prohibited items. This includes a thorough inspection of all jackets, coats, packages, bags, backpacks, purses and any other containers brought to any of the Nationals Park entry gates.
 
For game tickets and more information, call 202.675.NATS(6287) or visit nationals.com/tickets.
 
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