2026 Home Opener at Target Field

It's an Opening Day Party! April 3. $2 Beers, $2 Hot Dogs, $2 Snacks. Fabulous Armadillos Concert & Happy Hour Deals Pregame

Highlights

Breakfast on the Plaza (6:00-9:00 a.m.): Fans can drive, walk or bike down 7th Street (adjacent to the Twins New Era Team Store) to pick up a complimentary ballpark-inspired breakfast, enjoy live music and enter giveaways for Opening Weekend tickets.
- Free Food!: Complimentary items include breakfast sandwiches (drive-thru), hot dogs, brats, chips and snacks (including a special ice cream treat for dogs), coffee and Pepsi – provided by Delaware North, Caribou Coffee, Egg on a Roll, Frito-Lay, GIANT Snacks, J&J Snack Foods, Kwik Trip, McDonalds, Pan-O-Gold Baking Company, Pepsi and Sheboygan Sausage Company.
- Live Entertainment: DJ Angel will be spinning live on Target Plaza, while fans can also hear a live broadcast of The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar on Audacy’s 830 WCCO.
Open the Gates (1:00 p.m.): Twins legends Rod Carew (Gate 29), Tony Oliva (Gate 6) and Kent Hrbek (Gate 14) will open their namesake ballpark entrances at 1:00 p.m.; current Twins pitcher Pablo López (Gate 3); franchise icons Dan Gladden (Gate 6.5), and Kirby Puckett Jr. and Catherine Puckett (Gate 34); and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (Gate 34) will also officially open the Target Field gates and welcome fans home for the 2026 season.

Home Opener Gate Giveaway (1:00 p.m.): The first 10,000 fans through the gates on April 3 will receive a Twins Beanie, courtesy of U.S. Bank.
Pregame Happy Hour (1:00-3:10 p.m.): Debuting this year, the Twins’ pregame happy hour features food and beverage deals and live music from the time gates open through scheduled first pitch.
- $2 Beers & $2 Food: Fans 21+ with valid ID can enjoy $2 beers (12-ounce cans of Bud, Bud Light and Summit Twins Pils); all fans can take advantage of $2 hot dogs and $2 ballpark snacks. All $2 food and beverage items are available at select concession stands located throughout Target Field from 1:00-3:10 p.m.
- Come Out of Your Shell: Beloved Minnesota band the Fabulous Armadillos perform from a stage inside Gate 34 beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Olympic Rings (Pregame): Home Opener pregame festivities will celebrate some of the many athletes with Minnesota ties that thrilled us all with their heart, skill and performance during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Additional recognitions are planned later in the season.
- Cory, Korey and Mike: Ceremonial first pitches will be thrown by the historic silver medal-winning mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse – the first American woman to win an Olympic curling medal – and Korey Dropkin. They will be joined on the mound by Mike Schultz, three-time Paralympian snowboarder and four-time Paralympian medalist (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), who is retiring from competition to continue life-changing work at the prosthetic manufacturer he founded, BioDapt.
- Special Olympics: Cory, Korey and Mike will receive their ceremonial baseballs from three Minnesota athletes headed to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, set for June 20-26 in the Twin Cities.
- Drop the Puck: The Twins will also recognize the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team and U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Representatives from the women’s team include Minnesota Frost players Kendall Coyne Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme, Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein and Grace Zumwinkle; Liam Cunningham and Landon Uthke will represent the sled team.
National Anthem and Flag Raisers:
- “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be performed by Aniya Bostick and Harriet Spencer, who alternate in the role of Dorothy in the Children’s Theatre Company production of The Wizard of Oz, running April 21 through June 14.
- The American flag will be raised by retired Army Col. Eduardo Suarez, an alternate for the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games who joined the Army in 1989, the Minnesota National Guard in 1993 and served 37 years for our state and nation – including deployments to the Balkans, Iraq and Kuwait.
- The Twins Territory flag will be raised by Adam Hjerpe and his son, Steven. In addition to his roles as dad to Special Olympics athlete Steven, coach and Unified partner, Adam serves as the dedicated Board Chair of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

Complete Schedule

City Lighting: Multiple local buildings will be lit in Twins colors, including Target Plaza South, the IDS Building, the Lowry Avenue Bridge, the 35W Bridge, U.S. Bank Stadium and Allianz Field.
Breakfast on the Plaza (6:00 to 9:00 a.m.): Fans can drive, walk or bike down 7th Street to grab a complementary ballpark breakfast; possibly win Twins Opening Weekend tickets; and hear live music from DJ Angel, plus a live broadcast of The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar on Audacy’s 830 WCCO.
Gates Open (1:00 p.m.): Pablo López (Gate 3), Tony Oliva (Gate 6), Dan Gladden (Gate 6.5), Kent Hrbek (Gate 14), Rod Carew (Gate 29), and Kirby Puckett Jr., Catherine Puckett and Mayor Jacob Frey (Gate 34) will welcome Twins fans back to Target Field for the 2026 season.
Gate Giveaway (1:00 p.m.): The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Twins Beanie courtesy of U.S. Bank.
Pregame Happy Hour (1:00 to 3:10 p.m.): Enjoy $2 beers (21+), $2 hot dogs and $2 snacks at select stands, plus the Fabulous Armadillos live inside Gate 34.
Pregame Introductions: Both teams will be introduced along the foul lines, with red-and-blue “smoke mines” on-field pyrotechnics accompanying the Twins’ Home Opener starting lineup.
In Memoriam: A video and moment of silence to honor members of the Twins family and our servicemembers lost during the offseason.
Flag Ceremony: The American flag will be raised by retired Army Col. Eduardo Suarez, an alternate on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team and a servicemember of 37 years; a giant American flag will be unfurled in the outfield by MyTwins Members and retired Master Sgt. Richard Krivanek of the Minnesota National Guard’s 133rd Airlift Wing.
National Anthem: Sung by Aniya Bostick and Harriet Spencer, alternating in the role of Dorothy in the Children’s Theatre Company production of The Wizard of Oz, running April 21 through June 14.
2026 Winter Games Procession: Minnesota-connected Olympians and Paralympians celebrated on the field.
Ceremonial First Pitches: Thrown by the silver medal-winning U.S. mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, along with four-time Paralympic snowboarding medalist Mike Schultz.
Twins Territory Flag: Raised by Adam Hjerpe and his son, Special Olympics athlete Steven, representing the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
First Pitch (3:10 p.m.): Twins face the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 Home Opener.
God Bless America (7th Inning Stretch): Performed by Staff Sgt. Matthew Stubstad of the Minnesota National Guard.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (7th Inning Stretch): Led by 2026 Minnesota-connected Olympians and Paralympians.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry (All game): Fans can enjoy an extensive menu of new food and beverage options and returning favorites, including the Twins Value Menu with all items under $6.

Baseball Is Back Auction

Benefitting the Minnesota Twins Community Fund

The Minnesota Twins Community Fund, proudly celebrating its 35^th anniversary in 2026, invites fans to join in the fun of a new season and help change the game for kids. The Baseball Is Back Auction is open from 10:00 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 26 (Opening Day) through 8:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 5 (end of Home Opening Weekend), with all proceeds benefitting the nonprofit’s work throughout Twins Territory.

Items up for bid include unique memorabilia and items signed by National Baseball Hall of Famers, Twins legends, and current Twins players; and exclusive experiences such as broadcast booth visits, meet-and-greets and the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

Special Thanks to Twins Partners

The Twins extend special thanks to 2026 Home Opener presenting sponsor U.S. Bank, along with partners Anheuser-Busch, Audacy’s 830 WCCO, Caribou Coffee, Delaware North, Egg on a Roll, Frito-Lay, GIANT Snacks, J&J Snack Foods, Kwik Trip, McDonalds, Pan-O-Gold Baking Company, Pepsi, Sheboygan Sausage Company and Summit Brewing Company, for their contributions to the day’s festivities.