Pickleball at Fenway for the Pickle4 Ballpark Series

The pickleball craze has officially entered MLB Ballparks with the first of the Pickle4 Ballpark Series events happening this weekend at historic Fenway Park. I had the chance to attend this event, talk with some athletes and watch professional pickleball in Boston.

I arrived in the morning and enjoyed watching some of the amateur competitions throughout the day. There were some exhibitor booths so I had the chance to learn about FlexCar, a local Boston company that is like Netflix for cars, Designer Wellness, a protein company from CA that has a new squeezable smoothie in a pouch packed with protein and and no artificial sweeteners, SportCourt, so you can build a pickleball court in your backyard and Franklin Sports, one of my favorite local companies for years that has been making batting gloves and other family friendly sporting goods, now has a pickleball line and I love using their items!

One of my favorite things to do is to walk around Fenway when there aren't baseball games happening - it's the same Fenway but a totally different experience that I have been lucky to enjoy. 

I have just started on my pickleball journey having played two pickup games in town and really enjoyed it but also have learned that I have a long way to go before I can consider myself good at the game.

I spent some time watching Seth and Amy, a couple from New Hampshire, play in the Bronze competition in the 30-39 age bracket. I enjoyed watching them play and the communication between them. I had the opportunity to talk with them after their match and learn about their pickleball journey and I also learned that the wife was playing as she was well into her third trimester. Way to go, Seth and Amy, not only making history by playing pickleball at Fenway but also being pregnant while playing pickleball at Fenway! So fun and best of luck to you both!

There is a kids clinic happening tomorrow morning that I'll be taking the little guy to and you can still reserve tickets to attend. I hear it will be run by some of the professional athletes. I'll be honest - I wish I could attend it and learn from them as well!

Pickleball is here until Sunday and you can get spectator tickets for only $10. You also get the chance to enjoy Fenway Concessions from Aramark as well while you're here!

NOTE: I was provided with a press pass to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own!

Baseballism is a great shop for fans near Fenway for fun gear! Enter to win a t-shirt now!

If you're reading this blog, then you can quickly tell things I'm interested in... Family, Sports, Tech, New England and Art (not in that particular order, of course!) and from time to time I find out about some really fun places to check out when you're in Boston. One of them is a great baseball store named Baseballism, right on Landsdowne Street in the shadow of the Green Monster! If you mention my blog, Parental Ideas, you'll get 10% off your entire order!

As a brand, Baseballism started in 2012 after a successful Kickstarter campaign to sell t-shirts based on a design that the founders created for a youth summer baseball camp they created back in 2006. They came together because they "had a passion to teach the game the right way." From the moment I stepped into the store it reminded me of coaching my daughter for softball and learning from my fellow coaches about how to teach the game. I'm on the board of our local youth Softball and Baseball association and immediately was drawn to everything I was seeing on each shirt.

The Baseballism Cap Giveaway
before every home game at Fenway!

As a softball coach, I felt right at home, and as a dad, I just fell in love with all of the fun puns!

They opened last summer, right during the historic 2018 season. I recently went in to pick up some gear, and had a hard time not buying everything in the store I just love all of fun designs they have. What's really nice is that the clothes are so comfortable. The staff lets you browse the store at your own pace and can help with any questions you may have.

If you are walking down Landsdowne Street roughly 25 minutes before the start of a home game, you may see Katy, the store manager, standing on top of the store speaking into a megaphone and tossing some limited-edition baseball caps that you can only get from the "cap toss" - the hats aren't available for purchase!

Here are some of my favorite t-shirt designs that you will most likely see me wearing. The folks at Baseballism are so great, they are offering a 10% discount if you mention my blog, Parental Ideas, when you're in the store and they also offered to have me host a giveaway and all you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

With every purchase they give you
a great reusable drawstring bag!

NOTE: I was provided with some neat Baseballism swag to facilitate this review. Baseballism will also be providing the t-shirt to the winner of the giveaway. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own!

My 12 minutes on the Monstah on the weirdest day at Fenway!

Finally saw some baseball atop the Green Monster!

Yesterday, I had the chance to watch something that hasn't happened to the Boston Red Sox in 51 years: a suspended game that didn't continue the next day. The Red Sox didn't know how long the resumed game would last and realized they could use this unique opportunity to create a fun atmosphere for the next generation of baseball enthusiasts and they absolutely hit a home run! There were activities all around the park from a pre-game walk on the warning track to running the bases after the game and everything in between. A perfect day to enjoy baseball in Boston.

The team opened up the park to all kids 18 and under for free, and all other fans were admitted for a $5 general admission ticket with all proceeds from the tickets going to the Jimmy Fund to supplement fundraising efforts from the 18th Annual Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon that just concluded yesterday.

I could not believe how crowded it was
on the concourse after the game!

I arrived at the park around noon, and it was the day to watch some baseball atop the Green Monster (or Monstah as we say here in Boston)! As a kid, I never imagined that I'd be able to watch a game where the nets used to catch homeruns, but I got to live out that dream today as the team let fans choose any available seat that they wanted and I was surprised to find out that the Monster seats were fair game. I couldn't believe it. For a whole 12 minutes, I was able to watch the Red Sox win from one of the most coveted seats at the old ball park! It was truly magical and I hope to be able to do again at some point.

“We haven’t had a suspended game that wasn’t played the following day in over 50 years,” said Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy. “This is a unique opportunity to open up the ballpark to kids this summer and also help raise money for our friends at the Jimmy Fund who will be concluding their annual telethon just hours before the makeup game takes place.”

The food lines were so long, and the food was so delicious!

There was a special kid-friendly $1 food menu including Kayem Fenway Franks, cotton candy, popcorn, chips, cracker jacks, candy, and Hood sports bars. The lines were so long, but so worth it!

The gates opened at 11 a.m. with fans being able to walk along the warning track prior to the game and then various activities on the kids concourse in center field. Even though it was quite hot, there were a lot of young fans at the ballpark and many parents pushing strollers on the concourses. After the game, kids were invited to run the bases, thanks to Marshall's sponsorship, and the line was so long it stretched from the center field kids concourse entrance to the field all of the way back to the oldest Red Sox logo (1908) on the first base line.

I kept walking around wondering how many hot dogs would be sold throughout the day as every line I went to was 40 people deep. One vendor I asked after the game said he sold 150 hot dogs himself, and that one of the stands probably sold over 2,000. Surprisingly the shortest lines were for coffee - I guess everyone had their iced coffee fix prior to coming to Fenway.

The baseball portion of the day only lasted 12 minutes when Brock Holt (#12!) hit a walk off single to end the game - more on that later. Maybe I'm the only one that found it interesting that the game lasted 12 minutes and ended on a play by a player who wears #12. As I was watching the video highlights of the game a broadcaster said it could be 12 minutes or 12 innings. Quite foretelling!

I found my answer on hot dogs after reading some recaps of the day. According to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald: "The Sox had 16,441 scanned tickets at the gate on Thursday afternoon, 15,140 of which were new tickets. More than 6,000 of them were given away free to children while adults made a $5 donation to the Jimmy Fund.  With discounted food prices including $1 hot dogs, more than 11,000 hot dogs were sold.  Kids were allowed on the warning track before the game and ran the bases afterward. Nearly 4,000 children participated." (source: https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/08/22/red-sox-win-suspended-game-vs-royals-in-12-minutes/)

On August 7, the Red Sox were playing the Kansas City Royals and were tied 4-4 in the top of the 10th inning with catcher Meibrys Viloria facing a 2-1 count against Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor and the game was suspended due to unrelenting rainfall. The two teams wouldn't meet up until a mutual off-day, when Kansas City was traveling to Cleveland after a series in Baltimore and the Sox had finished a series against the Phillies and were preparing to head out west to play the San Diego Padres. When play resumed today at 1:05 pm, Taylor was pitching to Nick Dini, who was pinch hitting for Viloria. The Royals went in order, 1-2-3, and then the Sox came up to bat. Benintendi struck out, Vasquez doubled and then Chris Owings went to pinch run for him. Sam Travis was intentionally walked. The game ended when Holt singled on a line drive to left field and Chris Owings scored.

According to Elias, the last time the Red Sox played a game that was suspended and did not resume the following day was June 13, 1968 – the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park against the Angels. That game was suspended in the sixth inning with a 1-1 score. The game resumed on August 4 with the Red Sox winning 5-1 on a walk-off grand slam by Ken Harrelson.

Have you ever seen the food prices at Fenway
so good, so good, so good?

The "run the bases" line seemed to go forever!

Tessie, one of the two mascots, was on hand for photos!

DISCLOSURE: I am providing this recap of the day for your enjoyment. I donated money for admission to the continuation game in support of The Jimmy Fund and all of the amazing work they do. As part of the #RedSoxParents program, I was provided with tickets to a Red Sox Game earlier this week for promotional purposes. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

Baseball promotions in August at Friendly Fenway and a flash giveaway for a Jerry Garcia Red Sox Shirt

Picnic in the Park benefitting
the Red Sox Foundation. Photo from RedSox.com

The Red Sox keep the fun promotions and activities heating up during August with giveaways and special theme nights! We are excited to offer a quick giveaway for a limited-edition Jerry Garcia Red Sox shirt, keep on reading for details on how to enter. A few dates to note:

8/1: Margaritaville Night
This special night will include a pre-game concert on Jersey St. by The Island Castaways Band and a limited-edition Margaritaville Red Sox towel.

8/3: Picnic in the Park benefitting the Red Sox Foundation
Picnic in the Park, benefitting Red Sox Foundation, allows families to watch the Red Sox/Yankees gamefrom Fenway Park's outfield. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, BBQ dinner and can meet Red Sox alumni.

8/6: Brock Holt ALDS Hitting for the Cycle Bobblehead
Brock Holt ALDS Hitting for the Cycle Bobblehead Presented by New Balance for the first 7,500 fans in attendance!
8/6: Jerry Day
This special night celebrates iconic rock legend Jerry Garcia with a pre-game concert on Jersey Street by Terrapin and a limited-edition Jerry Garcia Red Sox shirt using this special link to buy tickets. A portion of proceeds benefit the Red Foundation.

8/13: Movie Night at Fenway - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Red Sox will feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on the centerfield videoboard

Wally's Math Academy
“Wally’s Math Academy” replaces generic word problems with actual game data and is free to educators with the goal of enriching and empowering young students.

Student 9's Ticket Offer for High School, College and Graduate Students
Student 9's offers high school, college and graduate students the opportunity to purchase $9 Red Sox tickets and to receive special offers for student promotions and events.

Here's the details on the quick giveaway for a limited-edition Jerry Garcia Red Sox shirt. Enter using the rafflecopter below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway
NOTE: We are proud to be part of #RedSoxParents and are providing you with this great information. No compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

What's happening at Fenway and Gillette in May

Here's a few things not to miss at Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium during the month of May:

Sunday, May 12
Kids Run the Bases at Fenway #SoxPromos

Tuesday, May 14
J.D. Home Run Bobblehead #SoxPromos
This giveaway will be distributed to the first 7,500 fans in attendance.

Tuesday, May 14
Red Sox College Series: UMASS Amherst
The Red Sox will celebrate alumni, students, fans and friends of UMass Amherst. Fans who purchase tickets through this special offer will receive a limited edition UMass Amherst Red Sox Knit Hat.

Wednesday, May 15
NE Revolution vs. Chelsea "Final Whistle on Hate" Match at Gillette Stadium
The New England Revolution and Chelsea FC will play a charity match for the “Final Whistle on Hate” at Gillette Stadium.

Saturday, May 18 - Lynnfield, MA
Sunday, May 19 - Franklin, MA
Red Sox Showcase
The Red Sox Showcase, will bring Red Sox baseball and Fenway Park to towns across New England all summer long. The truck will carry a batting cage, pitching stations, giant jenga, and a virtual reality experience.

Sunday, May 19
Wally's Birthday VIP Package
The Red Sox will celebrate Wally's Birthday with a special VIP package including a food and beverage buffet pre-game in the Champions Club and the opportunity to take a photo with Wally.

Sunday, May 19
Wally's Comic Book #SoxPromos
This giveaway will be distributed to all kids in attendance.

May 25
Star Wars Night at the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium

Tuesday, May 28
2013 Commemorative World Series Ring #SoxPromos
This giveaway will be distributed to the first 7,500 fans in attendance.

Wednesday, May 29
Red Sox Emergency Medical Services Night
Join the Red Sox and National EMS Memorial Foundation for EMS Appreciation Night. $5 from every ticket sold will be donated to the EMS Memorial Foundation.

For a full list of the Red Sox 2019 Game Day Events and #SoxPromos giveaways, please visit redsox.com/gamedaysevents and redsox.com/promos.

#SoxPromos: Red Sox promos are distributed to the first 7,500 fans in attendance unless otherwise noted on the Sox Promos website. Game Day Events: Red Sox Game-Day events require the purchase of a special ticket through the Game Day Events website. Only fans who purchase the special ticket will receive giveaway items associated with the theme night.

NOTE: We are proud to be part of #RedSoxParents and are providing you with this great information. No compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

Fun April Vacation Ideas: Red Sox, Blue Man Group, GOT at Primark & Baseball Beanpot

Looking for something to do this April vacation?

Here are some fun highlights with more details below:

• ALL WEEK: Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse
• 4/17: Watch the Baseball Beanpot at Fenway!
• 4/19-20: Game of Thrones' Iron Throne at Primark in Downtown Crossing
• April 22-25 and 26-28: Catch a Sox game with the Fenway 4-pax, and score 4 Red Sox Tickets, 4 Fenway Franks and 4 Fountain drinks for $99
  

ALL WEEK: Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is bringing more family fun to school vacation week this April. In addition to the unique show experience, kids and parents alike can get creative before the show with free art-inspired activities. And, new this year, patrons can take advantage of a special discount: 25% off a Family Four Pack of tickets.

With an expanded scheduled of 18 shows between April 15 to 21, there’s plenty of opportunities to see the boys in blue including added matinees throughout the week.

From April 15-17, prepare to enter the Blue Man Group tribe when the theater staff offers glow-in-the-dark face painting in the Charles Playhouse Lounge before the show. Kids and adults can pick out tribal-inspired designs and glow during the performance!

From April 18-21, roll up your sleeve and channel your inner Picasso when you “decorate-a-mask” using various materials like feathers, gems and special black light markers.

All activities are free for ticketholders. Children under the age of 3 are not permitted in the theatre.

After all performances, guests are invited to stay and meet the Blue Men and take the ultimate selfie to add to their collection. Doors open one hour before each performance, and, in addition to the school vacation week special activities, there is also a full bar and interactive music and light installation created by Blue Man Group called the “Lounge-U-Lum.”

WEDNESDAY April 17
Baseball Beanpot at Fenway Park
The college baseball doubleheader will feature teams from Boston College, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Tickets are general admission and priced at $10 each.

Net proceeds will benefit the Pete Frates #3 Fund, named after the former Division 1 college athlete who was Captain of the Boston College Baseball team and diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

FRIDAY April 19
Game of Thrones at Primark Boston
On Friday April 19th and Saturday, April 20th, Primark Downtown Crossing will host the Iron Throne from HBO®’s mega-hit series, Game of Thrones. Friday, April 19th, 9:00 a.m. Fans are encouraged to don their best Game of Thrones garb and be ready to snap and share pics with the Throne just as the store opens. The first 50 who arrive on the 19th in costume and get a picture with the throne will win Game of Thrones collectibles. See store for details.

SATURDAY April 20
Saturday, April 20th, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Fans can capture themselves with the Throne in a dynamic, shareable format using Primark's GifGif booth. We will have props from their collection to add to the fun! Lastly, Primark will be running a social media competition on April 19th and 20th.

Fans who share a static post (not just a story) with a picture of them in the throne using the official #PrimarkGoTSweeps and #PrimarkUSA tags will be entered into a competition with the chance to win Primark’s GoT season premiere survival kit. Entrants must be 17 years or older and need to follow @primark.usa to qualify. One winner will be notified on Monday, April 22nd. No purchase necessary. See store for full terms.

April 22-25
April 26-28
Fenway 4-pax
Score 4 Red Sox Tickets, 4 Fenway Franks and 4 Fountain drinks for $99. To purchase tickets please visit www.mlb.com/redsox/tickets/packs/family-4-pax.

NOTE: We are providing this information for our readers! As with all of our Red Sox posts, we are providing this information as we are Red Sox Parents. No compensation was provided in exchange for this post and our opinions, as always, are our own.

Red Sox incorporate baseball and math with Wally's Math Academy

As the Red Sox are continuing their franchise-record-setting run of 107 games won in a season, our friends at Fenway have created a way for kids to improve their math skills and educators to incorporate real-time statistics into the classroom with Wally's Math Academy.

The new program, “Wally’s Math Academy” replaces generic word problems with actual game data, incorporating video recaps of Red Sox games and photos of players. The program is free to educators and available by visiting redsox.com/wallysmathacademy.

With the goal of enriching and empowering young students with tools that keep them engaged, “Wally’s Math Academy” makes it easy for teachers and students to generate math exercises that use statistics from actual Red Sox games.

Currently serving students from 2nd to 4th grade, the program will soon expand to additional grades. Part of the team’s Calling All Kids initiative designed to enhance kids experiences at Fenway Park, “Wally’s Math Academy” is designed to reach elementary and middle school-aged audiences across the country.

We've been fortunate enough to get a sample worksheet to share with our readers so you can get a sense of what Wally's Math Academy is all about! A few of you reading this are educators, so you can sign up for free at redsox.com/wallysmathacademy

Please Note: The “Single Digit Multiplication” worksheet is provided solely as an example of the “Wally’s Math Academy” program and is to be used by educators with students within the 2nd to 4th grade phase.

Program Overview PDF

Sample Worksheet PDF

NOTE: We are proud members of the Red Sox Parents. We are provided with tickets to Sox games and events in exchange for sharing this great information with you. All opinions, as always, are our own.

Visit Fenway today for Mother's Day

The Red Sox will be hosting a “Walk in the Park” for Mother’s Day Today, Sunday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, moms can enjoy free tours of Fenway Park on Mother’s Day, which take place every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The annual celebration of Mother’s Day at Fenway Park gives fans the opportunity to walk around the warning track, sit inside the home and visitor’s dugout, take photos with a Red Sox alumnus, and participate in other family-friendly activities. The event is free.

Fans can enter the ballpark through Gate B/K, located near the corner of Van Ness and Ipswich Streets. Games will be activated in the Kids Concourse, including speed pitch, the virtual reality dugout, and homerun challenge experience. Red Sox alumnus Sam Horn will take photos and meet fans outside of the Red Sox dugout, and the 2004 and 2013 World Series Trophies will be placed behind home plate for photos.

Wally the Green Monster and his sister, Tessie, will be on hand, accompanied by a balloon artist, face painter, caricature artist, juggler, stilt walker, and magician.

Ballpark concessions will be available at a discounted price. The event will take place rain or shine.

NOTE: We're pleased to partner once again with the Red Sox as Red Sox Parents this season to provide our readers with family friendly events at Fenway! All opinions, as always, are our own.

Movie Night and Billy Joel Night at Fenway Coming Up!

Hey guys! There's two theme nights I'm excited to tell you about coming up at Fenway: Movie Night on 7/26 and Billy Joel Night on 8/1!

On Wednesday, July 26, Red Sox fans of all ages are invited into the ballpark to watch the iconic movie, A League of Their Own, on the videoboard in center field to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film. Prior to the start of the movie, fans will have the chance to walk the warning track where they will have the opportunity to meet and greet with former All American Girls Professional Baseball players Maybelle Blair (All the Way Mae), Shirley Burkovich (Hustle), and actress Tracy Reiner, who played Betty Spaghetti in the film.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and are available at redsox.com/movienight. The event is free for Red Sox Season Ticket Holders.

On Tuesday, August 1, the Red Sox celebrate Billy Joel and his unprecedented 4th consecutive sold out show at Fenway Park! Billy Joel Night, will include a pre-game concert on Yawkey Way by Heart Attack Ack Ack Ack Ack Ack, a Billy Joel cover band. Additionally, all tickets ordered through this link, http://www.redsox.com/billyjoelnight,  will receive a limited-edition Billy Joel bobblehead commemorating his performances at Fenway Park.

Peanuts Night on 6/29 & some July Events from the Red Sox

The Red Sox are having a night commemorating the 50th anniversary of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and the Peanuts gang on 6/29 and you can get your own limited edition Charlie Brown Red Sox Bobblehead by purchasing tickets through this special theme night link at http://redsox.com/peanuts.

They are also having some great events coming up in July that I would love to tell you about...

Game of Thrones Night 7/18
On Tuesday, July 18 to help the Red Sox Defend The Wall against the Toronto Blue Jays, they will celebrate the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning series, Game of Thrones®. Fans who purchase the special ticket package will receive a Ser Andrew Benintendi bobblehead and have a private session to sit on the Iron Throne for a photo opportunity from 5 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. The Iron Throne photo opportunity will then be available to all fans through the game following the private session reserved for purchasers of this special ticket package. More information can be found at redsox.com/gameofthrones

Movie Night at Fenway 7/26
A League of Their Own, the popular Penny Marshall-directed 90’s movie about two sisters who join the first female professional baseball league during World War II, will be featured on the Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision® videoboard in center field at Fenway Park on Wednesday, July 26. To ensure the best viewing on the 40 by 100-foot Diamond Vision® videoboard, fans in attendance will be seated in the lower seating bowl and down the first base line. Fenway Park gates will open at 6:45 p.m. and the movie will begin at 8 p.m. Attendees will be invited to walk the warning track from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., weather permitting. Concessions will be available. Former All American Girls Professional Baseball players Maybelle Blair (All the Way Mae), Shirley Burkovich (Hustle), and actress Tracy Reiner, who played Betty Spaghetti in the film, will greet fans as they make their way around the warning track before the movie.

A League of Their Own is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its 1992 release. The PG-rated film stars Gena Davis (Dottie Hinson), Lori Petty (Kit Keller), Madonna (All the Way Mae), Rosie O’Donnell (Doris Murphy), and Tom Hanks (manager Jimmy Dugan). Tickets for “Movie Night at Fenway Park,” presented by Mitsubishi Electric, are available now at redsox.com/movienight or by calling (877) REDSOX-9. General admission tickets for the public are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. The event is free for Red Sox Season Ticket Holders.

I'm very thankful to be a part of the Red Sox Parents program, which lets me share this information with my readers!

NOTE: I was provided with a Charlie Brown bobblehead for promotional purposes as part of the #RedSoxParents program. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

Red Sox Jedi Mookie Star Wars Bobblehead Night and Flash giveaway - ends 5/4 at 12am

The Boston Red Sox are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Episode IV: A New Hope this year with a Star Wars Night on May 4th. May the Fourth be with you, Red Sox fans!

You can still get a special ticket at http://www.redsox.com/starwars which will get you a ticket for the game as well as an awesome Jedi Mookie bobblehead which includes his very own lightsaber bat!

All fans in attendance will have the chance to see Star Wars characters walking around Fenway Park as part of the fun

In honor of the Star Wars themed night, I am giving away one Jedi Mookie bobblehead to one of my blog readers! Hurry up, though, this giveaway ends at 12:00 am on 5/4/17.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
NOTE: I'm providing this information and giveaway as I'm a proud member of #RedSoxParents 

New Kid-friendly initiatives from the Red Sox!

Here's a few new kid-friendly initiatives from the Red Sox that I want to let you guys know about...

Virtual Reality: 
There is a new Virtual Reality Home Run Challenge in the Kid’s Concourse where you can test your hitting skills. By putting on the VR goggles, you can step up to the plate at Fenway Park and have batting practice at the park. Don't worry, there is still the Virtual Reality Dugout right next to the Home Run Challenge, which has behind-the-scenes videos of spring training and the players.

Kid Nation:
The Kid Nation program is back and is available now for kids to sign up. In Mid-May, there will be a new Kid Nation booth coming to the Kid’s Concourse that will allow families to sign up for the program via iPads inside the ballpark. With each membership, each child will receive a free ticket code (one per email) with the purchase of an adult ticket (limited quantity available, so be sure to redeem it soon)!

Student 9’s: Student 9’s tickets are offered again this season for both high school and college students. Students can subscribe to get Student 9 game-day alerts, and will be notified with an alert sent to their cellphone on the day of a home game when $9 tickets are available. Students can sign-up online or by texting Students to 23215.

Red Sox Showcase:
The mobile Red Sox Showcase will be touring New England again this summer and will kick-off in Faneuil Hall this coming weekend, Saturday, May 6. The Truck has planned stops so far in the following cities and more to be announced later on this year...
Massachusetts: Boston, Franklin, Hopkinton, Hanover, Danvers, Springfield, Worcester, Wrentham
Rhode Island: Pawtucket
New Hampshire: Laconia

New Food Concessions:
The concession stands have some new, kid and healthy food options at Fenway this season:

• Fresh fruit cups and a customizable salad bar will be offered and feature select product from Fenway Farms.
• Lobster Poutine which just sounds amazing.
• New kids meals give a choice of mini hot dog, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a grilled cheese and are served in a Wally and Tessie brown lunch bags.
• Pretzel bites with cheesy dipping sauce are available. I found the sauce to be a little on the spicy side, just to be forewarned.
• One thing that was pretty innovative was a bowl that fits on the top of a souvenir soda so you can have a drink and each nachos at the same time! Genius!
• Back again this year was the Cheetos Popcorn which was a fan-favorite from last season.

NOTE: We were invited to Fenway for a game at the beginning of the season to learn about all of the new kid-friendly initiatives from the Red Sox! All opinions are our own.

New things at Fenway for 2017!

I'm excited to be able to tell you all about the new things when you come to Fenway Park to catch a Sox game this year! You will notice new concession offerings, a new Pesky Pole, Virtual Reality Batting Cage, a Right Field Terrace Video Board (where Cumby's sign used to be), a larger dugout and more items!

I had a chance to try the new VR Batting Cage and it's pretty amazing what they have been able to do with this technology.

Virtual Reality Batting Cage

The club will expand the virtual reality station in the Kids Concourse by introducing a VR batting cage experience where fans can feel what it’s like to take swings against Major League players at Fenway Park. The club first introduced VR during the 2016 season with the Virtual Dugout station that shows behind-the-scenes, 360 videos with players. The VR Dugout will return in 2017 with new content. 

Concessions
Aramark, Fenway Park’s concessionaire, will introduce new and locally inspired items to the Fenway Park concession menu in 2017. Regina Pizzeria is now the official pizzeria of the Boston Red Sox and will be serving their renowned pizza at the ballpark, and Strega’s new creation, a baseball-inspired meatball-in-a-bread-cone will be available at pizza stands throughout the concourses.

Yankee Lobster, the popular seafood restaurant in the Seaport neighborhood of Boston, will showcase their signature New England lobster rolls and other new lobster-themed offerings at the Fish Shack on Yawkey Way, and at seasonal locations throughout the ballpark. Fans can also try new signature items on Yawkey Way from Savenor’s Market, Fenway Park’s official butcher and meat supplier. The Cambridge-based company will offer a short-rib grilled cheese sandwich and will also feature turkey and steak tip sandwiches at other Savenor’s locations throughout the ballpark.

Fenway Park’s Big Concourse will feature several new items this season. The area now includes a new build-your-own-salad and fruit bar in the lower level featuring select produce from Fenway Farms, and new kids meals will be served in the Kids Concourse area in Wally and Tessie commemorative brown lunch bags. The kids meals offer a choice of a mini kids hot dog, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a grilled cheese, and are served with Lay’s chips and a mini Poland Spring water.

Aramark will continue its test kitchen concept by introducing monthly rotating items at a stand in the Big Concourse located across from the Champions Club. Featured items for the month of April include lobster melts with steamed lobster, melted Muenster cheese, and sliced tomatoes; or surf & turf kebabs with skewered shrimp and/or marinated steak tips.

Fans with a sweet tooth will have more dessert options to choose from in 2017. In addition to the popular Hood soft serve ice cream locations throughout the ballpark, the newly added “Cookies n’ Creamery” stands will be located at gates A and C offering ice cream sundaes, creamsicles, ice cream sandwiches, hard ice cream, and freshly baked warm cookies.

The popular Tasty Burger restaurant added a third location at Fenway Park in the Right Field Concourse to complement existing stands at the 3rd Base Deck and at Gate C. And to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Impossible Dream team, Aramark will feature five different souvenir cups throughout the season celebrating memorable moments from that special year for fans to collect throughout 2017.

A refurbished Pesky Pole

The Right Field Foul Pole, “Pesky Pole,” underwent extensive structural repairs this offseason to reinforce areas that were impacted by general wear and tear over the years.   

Right Field Terrace Video Board

A new video board in right field, installed by ANC, has replaced the Cumberland Farms sign that previously occupied that space. The new 16mm Mitsubishi Diamond Vision LED display measures 14’ high by 46’ wide and will provide improved access to game information, replays, and video content, particularly for those seated on the Green Monster and in Bleacher sections where viewing the main video board is challenging.   

NOTE: As a Red Sox Parent, I was invited to a game at the beginning of the season to see all of the new improvements to Fenway Park and learn about the new initiatives for kids and families! All opinions are my own.