Wednesday, March 26, 2008

$5 Grandstand Seats Available--Opening Night


Many Fans of Our Washington Nationals wanted to know this specific information.

Here it comes:

Our Washington Nationals announced this morning that $5 Grandstand Seats are available for Opening Night. The same seats to be sold on a WALK UP BASIS ONLY for each and every Home Game at New Nationals Park. Understand--there are a number of stipulations for purchasing these tickets--read the following carefully.

1) These Grandstand Seats will go on sale at The Nationals Main Box Office (Corner of Half and N Streets SE) at 3:30PM on Sunday, March 30th.

2) NO ONE will be allowed to camp out overnight to purchase these tickets. Beginning at 3:00PM fans can begin the queue (Good Luck With That?).

3) Only ONE TICKET PER PERSON--And YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY ENTER THE BALLPARK through the Centerfield Gate. Apparently an effort to limit--not only scalping--but the ticket hawks buying everything up.

Throughout the remainder of The Regular Season--these $5 Grandstand Seats will be available for purchase two and one/half hours before first pitch.


Also included in The Press Release--The Nats Express will also begin running from RFK Stadium--Lot 8 at 3:00PM. The Free Park and Shuttle Service for any fan looking to drive to New Nationals Park and does not have a guaranteed parking spot near the new South Capitol Street Ballpark.

Complete Details of The Nats Express Here.

Of course--there will be alot of Pomp and Circumstance this coming Sunday Night when The President of The United States throws out The Ceremonial First Pitch. The Complete Details of the planned festivities are including in the release.

Here is The Complete Press Release:

WASHINGTON NATIONALS HOST INAUGURAL GAME AT NATIONALS PARK ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30 AT 8:15 PM
The Washington Nationals will host the Atlanta Braves at 8:15 pm in the Inaugural Game at Nationals Park, their new home on South Capitol Street, SE in the Capitol Riverfront District. The Nationals open the 2008 Major League Baseball season with this true “home opener”, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Nationals Park gates will open four and a half hours prior to the first pitch at 3:30pm. All guests will receive a red Curly “W” lanyard and a “Welcome Home” rally towel as they enter the ballpark. Fans are encouraged to enter early and enjoy the various amenities and entertainment options available at Major League Baseball’s most spectacular new venue, including the Red Porch Restaurant and Strike Zone kids area, located in the Center Field Plaza. As spectators exit the Navy Yard Metro Station onto Half Street, they will be greeted by the music of the Sheiks of Dixie, a local Dixieland jazz band. The Ringers, a Washington, DC barbershop quartet, will entertain guests as they make their way to the Center Field Gate. Face painters, balloon artists and stilt walkers will welcome fans at the entrance to the Center Field Plaza. Additional Opening Night entertainment may be found inside the ballpark, including the Mambo Combo, a regional zydeco band, Washington, DC guitarist Brian Gross staged in the Lexus Presidents Club, and face painters, caricaturists and balloon artists throughout the Main Concourse. Fans will have the opportunity to view the both the Braves and the Nationals batting practice as Atlanta takes the field at approximately 4:30 pm followed by Washington at 5:45 pm. The Nats Express, the free shuttle for fans who choose to park for free at RFK Stadium, will depart from RFK beginning at 3:00 pm and run continuously until one and a half hours after the final out.

Pre-game ceremonies, led by Nationals Television Broadcaster and Hall-of-Fame Pitcher Don Sutton, will begin at approximately 7:45 pm with the Nationals “Welcome Home” video, shown on the 102’ X 47’ HDTV scoreboard. Following the video, two giant American Flags will be unfurled in the outfield by the DC National Guard. The American Flag unfurling will be followed by with a flyover by four F-16s from the 121st Fighter Squadron of the DC Air National Guard. The Washington Nationals 2008 roster will then be introduced, followed by the presentation of the colors by the Joint Services Color Guard. The National Anthem will be performed by Denyce Graves, recognized worldwide as one of today’s most exciting vocal stars. Denyce is a native Washingtonian and Duke Ellington School for Performing Arts graduate. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, for the first time since 2005, when baseball returned to the District and he held the honor at RFK Stadium. The President will be escorted to the pitchers mound by Nationals Managing Principal Owner Theodore N. Lerner, Nationals Manager Manny Acta and Nationals Third Baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Following the ceremonial first pitch, Washington, DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will start the game and a new Nationals tradition with “Washington….Let’s Play Ball”. American Idol finalist Elliot Yamin, a Richmond, Virginia native, will perform “God Bless America” prior to the Seventh Inning Stretch.

Grandstand tickets for Opening Night, in Sections 401 and 402, may be purchased for $5 at the Nationals Park Main Box Office, located on Half and N Streets, beginning at 3:30 pm on March 30. Fans may not camp out on Nationals Park grounds or line up for tickets prior to 3:00 pm. Fans may purchase only one ticket per person and must immediately enter the ballpark through the Center Field gates, located next to the Main Box Office. Please note, fans may not re-enter the ballpark once they exit through the gates at any time. The Grandstand seats are available for purchase only on day of game when gates open at Nationals Park, normally two and a half hours prior to first pitch.

"The Washington Nationals are excited to offer these affordable seats for the Inaugural Game at Nationals Park," said Nationals Team President Stan Kasten. "Fans who purchase these tickets will be asked to enter the ballpark immediately to ensure these tickets remain in the hands of the loyal fans who have anxiously awaited the opening of the ballpark."

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Flyover!!!!

Screech's Best Friend said...

Anybody sitting in the Upper Deck with line of sight to The U.S. Capitol--The Money Shot will be The Ballpark, Capitol Dome and Four F-16's Flying Over.

Tremendous Picture Possibility with a Wide Angle Lens

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if the Nats Express will be running for the exhibition game on Saturday?

Anonymous said...

Obviously it's been a few days since I've read the blog. I found my answer a few posts down!

asnowballschance said...

True fans go the the exhibition game b/c the Opening Night tickets were difficult to come by and loathed the "Virtual Waiting Room" process one had to endure to even attempt to get said tickets. Also entered in the Opening Night raffle to no avail.

GO NATS.

Unknown said...

I'm not sure if this has been covered in a separate post, but does anyone have a sense for approximately how many buses will be running for the Nats Express, as well as how close to the stadium they'll be dropping off passengers?

Screech's Best Friend said...

The Nats Express Bus will drop passengers off Between 1st and Half on M Street, SE--near the Navy Yard Metro. The Buses are full length motor coaches-running every 10 minutes.

Unknown said...

Only every 10 minutes? Yikes. I'd been leaning towards that option for getting to the game, but I'd hate to be at the end of a 500-person line waiting to get back to RFK after a game!

Sam R said...

SBF,

Any idea of what time the prepaid lots are scheduled to open up on Sunday?

Chuck B. said...

Man, this OD ticket process has been a complete Cluster F.
That line forming at 3:00 could get ugly, in length and in shortness of tempers.

Unknown said...

i should think that SBF knows more than me, but...

the shutrtles should be much more frequent than every 10 minutes. if it's 10 minutes on a 15 minute roundtrip, that means they only have 3 shuttles whhich is not the case. i think they have 50 shuttles.

also, the drop is at 3rd and M. not half and M. It's a 5 (easy) block walk from the drop.

Anonymous said...

Second the fact that the Nats Express drops at 200 M street, not at half street. If you go to

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ballpark/directions_planner.jsp

...and choose Bike, Bus, and Walk on the bottom, then choose Nats Exress, you can see the drop off AND the suggeted walking path (which as of this afternoon is ALMOST all paved)

The parking lots (STH permit) all have "ABSOLUTELY NO TAILGATING" signs. Anyone know if that means just no grills, or are they going to go nuts if I want to sit outside my car and have a soda and a sandwich before walking in to the stadium? No tailgating before a game seems unAmerican!

Anonymous said...

We were at the Park tonight, and the home dugout IS painted now, very nicely too. They were painting the Opening Week signs n the grass, and a big white curly W. Vendors were practicing cooking and stocking up, things look much farther along than Saturday!

Anonymous said...

how many grandstand tickets will be available?

dmm said...

if you buy a $5 seat, are you allowed to go anywhere in the ballpark?