All-Star Week 2015

For one night in July, Major League Baseball’s best players will gather at Great American Ball Park as the Cincinnati Reds host the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. It should be a fun week that showcases the city of Cincinnati and the surrounding area to rest of the nation. After for what seemed like an eternity of waiting and skyrocketing hype, All-Star week is upon us, and in this post, I will discuss the various events that will be happening in Cincinnati for the Midsummer Classic.

The week of baseball festivities kicks off on Friday, July 10, at the Duke Energy Convention Center. This will be the site of the T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, a big five-day festival in which baseball fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from some of the sport’s greatest legends, participate in various activities, and win tickets to some of the other events happening throughout the week. The FanFest will run from Friday, July 10, to Tuesday, July 14, and the first 2000 guests each day will receive a free giveaway item. The giveaway items vary depending on the day and range from a plush toy of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former Cincinnati Red Barry Larkin to a mini bobblehead of a player from the Big Red Machine.

On Saturday, July 11, the Color Run MLB All-Star 5K will take place with the race starting at 9 a.m. Also on Saturday is the Budweiser MLB All-Star Concert. The concert will feature pop star Ariana Grande and will take place at Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, July 12, the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which features the best players in the minor leagues, will take place at Great American Ball Park at 3 p.m. Following the Futures game will be the All-Star Legends and Celebrity softball game. The softball game will feature singer Jordin Sparks, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton among others. Also on Sunday is the MLB All-Star Summer Pepsi Block Party. This will take place from noon to 8 p.m. and be on East Freedom Way.

On Monday, July 13, the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day will happen at Great American Ball Park, which will feature the Gillette Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. There are new rules for the home run derby this year and with Great American Ball Park being considered a hitter friendly ballpark, it should be a fun event to watch.

Tuesday, July 14, will be the conclusion of the MLB All-Star festivities. The All-Star Game Red Carpet Show will start at 1 p.m. with the 86^th MLB All-Star Game starting at 7 p.m. The entire baseball world will be watching as the best of the American League take on the best of the National League in a game in which the winning league will ensure home field advantage for the 2015 World Series.

If you are a baseball fan, Cincinnati is the place to be from July 10 to July 14. Major League Baseball will take over the city as the MLB All-Star game makes it triumphant return to Cincinnati for the first time since 1988. Hopefully I can snag some tickets to a few events and the All-Star game. If anybody is willing to hook me up, leave a comment!