Yesterday the Atlanta Braves announced that their annual fan festival would not happen due to construction at the park.

Chorizy sent this to me in our chat (Mr. Hand texted it to me too) and we started talking. We wondered if there was a list of what teams hold festivals and those who don’t. From what I could find it doesn’t exist and the responses to this tweet were incomplete.

JJ is 100% onto something here. I decided to do the work and put together a complete list of MLB teams that are and are not hosting a fan festival in 2025.

Teams That Do A Tour = 2

While it isn’t a traditional fan fest, 2 MLB teams tour around their state doing quick fan Interactions. Those are the Baltimore Orioles & the San Francisco Giants. Baltimore charges for tickets, the Giants do not. Both tours offer photos and autographs for the fans. So that means…

6.66% of MLB teams are hosting a fan festival tour in 2025.

Teams That AREN’T Hosting A Fan Festival In 2025 = 16

To get this info I Googled “(team name) fan fest” to see if they had page dedicated to the fan festival. Some pages were from previous years, some teams had nothing. Here are the teams that are not having a fan festival in 2025. Tigers, Yankees, Blue Jays, Nationals, Rays, Angels, Mariners, D-Backs, A’s, Reds, Brewers, Dodgers, Guardians, Braves, Phillies and Padres. So that means…

53.33% of MLB teams are NOT hosting a fan festival in 2025.

Teams that ARE Hosting A Fan Festival In 2025 = 12

Again, to get this info I Googled “(team name) fan fest” to see if they had page dedicated to the fan festival. The following teams are hosting a type of fan fest in 2025 – White Sox, Royals, Twins, Red Sox, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Mets, Rockies and Marlins. So that means…

40% of MLB teams ARE hosting a fan festival in 2025.

Here is a Jay Cuda style breakdown (I refuse to use MS Paint ’cause I have Photoshop).

While looking at all these festivals, many had some really cool stuff that fans would love. But there were also things that fans have to hate. Let’s take a look at the best and worst of the fan festivals.

The Worst

Houston Astros. It only costs $2 to get into the Astros Fan fest. Thats’s great! There are two free autograph sessions, one for adults and one for kids. BUT, you gotta wait in line to get one autograph. Players will rotate every 30 minutes. That’s pretty cool, but you won’t know who will sign your item till you get to the front of the line.

You want a particular players autograph? Well open that wallet baby! The Houston Astros are offering 3 autograph sessions. The players will be announced at FanFest that day. The same players will participate in each session. The sessions cost $80 per person for current players, $45 per person for the Legends. Included in the price is 4 FanFest commemorative baseballs. The baseballs are the ONLY THING these players will sign. Oh boy.

Years ago, after Tim Raines was inducted into the HOF, the Sox gave MVP pass holders a cheap, plastic baseball to get signed by Tim. Many, many, many collectors were pretty pissed about that. I think I gave my ball away TBH. I can only assume the Astros are doing the same thing here because if they were using official balls, they would cost about $20 each. More info here.

New York Mets. The Mets just made history signing Juan Soto to the largest contract in MLB history. Apparently they are paying for it by selling MVP passes for their Fan Fest called “Amazin’ Day”. At a mere $950 ($960 with fees, per session) you get the following.

• Reserved Parking

• VIP Entrance/Fast Pass

• Guaranteed Seating for Featured Sessions

• Reception with Players and Alumni

• And More!

Regular tickets cost $40 and you get free parking. There are two sessions. There are little to no details on the festival but there will be autographs. Will the MVP be worth the $910 extra? NO IDEA. But for the Mets sake, I hope it is. More info here.

Chicago Cubs. The Cubbies seem to be the only MLB team still offering a hotel package with their fan fest. To stay in the hotel two nights, it’s nearly $900 before taxes and parking. Weekend passes are $125 each before fees and taxes. It’s not cheap but seems doable if you have 4 people. The Cubs are also one of the last remaining teams to have a 3 day festival, starting on a Friday and ending on a Sunday. There will be autographs, but no details. One thing they do offer that is pretty sweet is the option to get your autographs certified on the spot.

The Best.

St Louis Cardinals. I am pretty impressed with the Card’s Winter Warm-Up. It’s 3 days, but it includes a Monday (MLK Day). On their website they have answered about every question you can think of. It’s $50 for all three days. What is also awesome is that you can buy autograph tickets for $10 up to $75. It’s $50 to get HOF’er and former White Sox Manager, Tony LaRussa. It’s only $35 for a photo ticket. All the money raised goes to Cardinals Care. I like the ticket set-up, I think that is the future for fan festivals and the Cardinals are ahead of the game. Learn more here.

Texas Rangers. If you miss the old SoxFest (unlimited autographs for one low price $20) this is your fest. You can upgrade to a fast pass which allows you to cut the line for $600 (sold out for 2025). You can ask the players to sign anything, but they reserve the right to reject it. My guess is they say that for legal reasons. Learn more here.

Minnesota Twins. What I like best about this festival is they really have it all for different fans.

Friday night they have TwinsFest Live! (sound familiar?) What’s that? An exclusive opportunity to interact with Twins players, coaches, alumni, and broadcasters in a unique, intimate and entertainment-filled setting. Engage with your favorite players, watch on-stage entertainment, and more! This is a non-autograph event. It’s $52 per person and includes the following –

• Photo Opportunities
• Light Snacks
• Cash Bar
• Standing Room Ticket

Signature Saturday. Very similar to the Cardinals. You pay $27 ($11 for kids) for entry and then per autograph. Usually $10 to $40 depending on the person according to info I found on the internet. They also host a Kids Clinic on Saturday for the youths. More info here.

Now, of all the fests, I think the Colorado Rockies have the most cost effective festival. You can buy admission and autograph tickets for $5 each if you are a season ticket holder (STH). Yep, FIVE DOLLARS. If you are NOT a STH, it’s $15 for both entry and per autograph. Now listen, the list of players that are scheduled to appear read like a game of “Porn Star Or MLB Player” but I assume if you are a fan of the Rockies, you know who these players are. And while $5 is still $5, that’s a pretty nice benefit to extend to your STH’s. Learn more here.

The “really cheap, but why bother” fest award goes to the Miami Marlins. It’s 100% free to go to this festival. It’s at the park, presented by ADT, and details are kinda sparse. There will be photos and meet and greets, but no players are listed. There will be some fun things for fans to do, I guess?

• Photo opportunity with Billy The Marlin and Racing Roosters
• 1997 and 2003 World Series Trophies photo opportunity
• Marlins Museum experience
• Wiffle Ball HR Derby on West Plaza
• Behind the scenes tours of Marlins Clubhouse and Dugout
• Batting Cages on West Plaza
• Live Music on the West Plaza
• Kids Arcade Trailer on West Plaza
• Activities for kids hosted on the field

Okay. But if you wanna go to the BeerFest after the fest, it’s only $25 for 2 hours of beer drinking fun! There will be 20 domestic, international and local craft brews. If I’ve learned anything about beer festivals, they shove the beed down your throat till you are nice and hammered (responsibly of course). Learn more here.

So there ya have it. I did the work no one wanted to do (or asked for) and gave you some hard numbers. Gonna be a great winter if your favorite team is one of the 12 teams hosting a fan festival.

-MSS