A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.
Location: Petco Park – 100 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101 (Downtown)
Free Hours: Saturday, February 9th from 10 AM – 4 PM
Best For: Baseball fans, the perenially optimistic, those with an affinity for brown and/or retro clothing, families
The San Diego Padres had an eventful off-season and are gearing up for spring training and the home opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, April 9th. Among the prominent off-season news was the sale of the team for $800 million on August 29th and a decision to move in the outfield fences in left-center and right-center by about 10 feet to increase the scoring in games at Petco Park.
If you can’t wait for baseball season to start or are looking for a family activity this weekend, you can check out the Padres FanFest this Saturday from 10 AM – 4 PM. Visitors to the park will be able to get autographs from players (autograph schedule here), take a tour of the clubhouse and weight room, and attend question and answer sessions with Padres management and ownership.
For children, there is the opportunity to play on the major league field (or the kid-sized version in the outfield), participate in a hitting or pitching clinic with Padres players, and generally run around the stadium and have a good time. For smaller children, there is also a playground on the north end of the park, just off of J Street.
Parking (both for automobiles and bicycles) will be free for the event. The stadium is also well-served by trolley (Blue, Green, and Orange lines).
This is also the final weekend for Clybourne Park at the San Diego Repertory Theatre so if you’re looking to make a full day downtown, head over to the underground Lyceum Stage located at Horton Plaza. The reviews I’ve seen of the play have been glowing, including this one from SDFP contributor Jim Bliesner.
John P. Anderson
Latest posts by John P. Anderson (see all)
- Plaza De Panama – A Host of People-First Changes Make a Big Impact in Balboa Park - March 17, 2016
- Some Market Thoughts on Short-Term Rentals in San Diego - February 2, 2016
- San Diego County Spends $36 Million for Free Employee Parking - November 6, 2015
The only uneventful thing about the Padres’ offseason – the roster, competing not for a pennant but to stay out of the basement. I’m sure my season ticket rep will be calling me again in the next few days to talk about the “opportunity” I let go of a couple years back…
Dave – I don’t follow the Padres closely but even as a casual observer I would bet that many fans would whole-heartedly agree with you. Maybe homegrown (farm) talent will get called up and surprise us all?