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PirateFest Hosted This Weekend
By Ben Hamrick
As reported by Pirates beat writer Adam Berry, PirateFest is held this weekend, Dec. 11-12, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Hours for Saturday are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday’s admission is free to the public, though Sunday is limited to season-ticket holders who purchased the PirateFest VIP experience as part of their package.
Several members of the club including Francisco Cervelli, Starling Marte, and Tony Watson will be in attendance to sign autographs, greet fans, and participate in the festivities. Members of the 1971 championship team encompassing Steve Blass, Richie Hebner, and Manny Sanguillen will also be on hand to sign autographs, participate in a Q&A, and be part of photo sessions running all day Saturday.
Other popular events such as Ask Pirate Management, PirateFest Q&A, and Coaches Corner return all while meshing with family-friendly events such as the Pierogi Eating Contest and the “Oh Say Can You See” Competition. You can view the entire list of events here.
PirateFest usually marks the beginning of the long winter until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Bradenton. Until February, free agent signings and trade rumors dominate the baseball headlines and this year looks to be no different. Naturally, fans will have questions regarding the trade of beloved Pittsburgh native Neil Walker and the preparation for the 2016 season. In any case, there is a lot to offer for even the casual Bucco fan, so be sure to check out PirateFest if you haven’t in the past.