The 24th annual PirateFest– presented by T-Mobile– will get underway at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, December 14 with a Season Ticket Holders only event from 9 a.m. to noon, and open to the general public from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 from noon to 5 p.m.
The annual baseball carnival will be Pirates-themed with activities for the entire family featuring live events, free autograph sessions with current and former Pirates players, the ability to purchase tickets for the 2014 season, 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 14, 2013 (12 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
Tickets: The Will Call ticket window at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Blood Drive: The Pirates and Central Blood Bank will host a blood drive today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the concourse. All participating donors will receive FREE tickets to one 2014 Pirates game.
Pirates Autographs: Neil Walker, Justin Wilson and Jeff Banister (noon to 1:30 p.m.); Dave Parker, Jeff Locke and John Candelaria (1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.); Omar Moreno, Grant Jackson and Kent Tekulve (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.); Clint Hurdle, Gaby Sanchez and Chris Stewart (4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.); Jaff Decker, Stolmy Pimentel and Jose Tabata (5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.).
We Are Family Q&A: Greg Brown will host a special Q&A between Pirates fans and several members of the 1979 World Champion Pirates from noon to 1 p.m. on the main stage. Dave Parker, Rennie Stennett, John Candelaria, Omar Moreno, Manny Sanguillen, Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson are all scheduled to take part in the Q&A.
Deal or No Deal: Fans can participate in the fun as a Pirates broadcaster will host Deal or No Deal on the Pirates main stage from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. featuring Pirates broadcaster Tim Neverett and closer Jason Grilli.
PirateFest Q&A: Greg Brown will host a special Q&A between Pirates fans and all 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 2014 season, and more in this special Q&A session with Pirates management team Frank Coonelly, Neal Huntington, and Clint Hurdle on the main stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Card Sharks: Pirates play-by-play announcer Greg Brown will be on the main stage for the Bucs version of Card Sharks from 2 p.m. to 3 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 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A panel of judges including Pirates Jason Grilli, Jeff Locke, Charlie Morton and broadcaster Tim Neverett, will select one winner to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a Pirates home game in 2014.
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 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 15, 2013 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
Tickets: The Will Call ticket window at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
Blood Drive: The Pirates and Central Blood Bank will host a blood drive today from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the concourse. All participating donors will receive FREE tickets to one 2014 Pirates game.
Pirates Autographs: Starling Marte, Charlie Morton, Bryan Morris and Tony Sanchez (noon to 1:30 p.m.); Chris Stewart, Jaff Decker, Tony Watson and Grant Jackson (1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.); Neil Walker, Josh Harrison and Dave Parker (3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
Card Sharks: Bob Walk will host the Bucs version of Card Sharks from noon to 1 p.m. on the main stage.
Ask Pirates Management: Fans will have the opportunity to ask their questions about offseason moves, the 2014 season, and more in this special Q&A session with Pirates management team Frank Coonelly, Neal Huntington, and Clint Hurdle on the main stage from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Beat the Parrot: Fans will have the opportunity to compete against the Pirate Parrot in a series of one minute challenges to win Pirates prizes.
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 Steve Blass on the PirateFest main stage from 3 p.m. to 3:30 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 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. A panel of judges including Pirates Tony Watson and Gaby Sanchez and Pirates alumni Kent Tekulve and Steve Blass, will select one winner to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a Pirates home game in 2014.
Toy Drive
Fans attending PirateFest are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Pirates Charities booth to support the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Holliday Project. The Holiday Project supports thousands of youth throughout the Allegheny County child welfare system and it annually benefits nearly 5,000 children. All fans who donate a new toy at PirateFest will receive a special Pirates Charities mug (while supplies last). Limit of one item per adult, ages 14 and older, donating a toy.
T-Mobile Phone-A-Friend Booth
The T-Mobile “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 the lucky winners will talk with or leave a message for a friend. Participating players are:
Saturday
11 a.m. Tony Sanchez
12:30 p.m. Jared Hughes
1:30 p.m. Justin Wilson
2:30 p.m. Tony Watson
4:30 p.m. Jeff Locke
Sunday
11:30 a.m. Chris Stewart
12:30 a.m. Josh Harrison
1 p.m. Jeff Banister
2 p.m. Bryan Morris
3 p.m. Gaby Sanchez
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 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 15 at 4 p.m. Winner need not be present.
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 Pirates postseason memorabilia including champagne bottles and corks, 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 upon paid admission to 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 presented by Chick-Fil-A ®
It’s time to register the kids for the 2014 Bucaroos Kids Club. The 2014 Bucaroos Kids Club presented by Chick-Fil-A® 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 in the BucSocialVIP area:
Saturday
12 p.m. Chris Stewart
2 p.m. Tony Sanchez
4 p.m. Jose Tabata
5 p.m. Bryan Morris
Sunday
12:30 p.m. Jeff Locke
1:30 p.m. Jeff Banister
2 p.m. Gaby Sanchez
2:30 p.m. Neil Walker
(Photo Credit: MLB – Pittsburgh Pirates)
