What you need to know about 2019 Royals FanFest

The weather is cold, but perhaps thinking of summer baseball will warm your heart. You can get a taste of baseball this weekend at Royals FanFest, to be held Friday and Saturday, January 25-26 at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City.

The annual event gives fans a chance to meet some of their favorite Royals and get their autograph. Fans can get their first look at new Royals Billy Hamilton and Chris Owings as well as old friends like Alex Gordon, Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez, and Adalberto Mondesi. You can also meet former Royals like Bo Jackson, Brian McRae, and Kevin Seitzer. You can see a complete list of those making appearances here. Autographs will be on a first-come, first-served basis to the first 150 fans for each session. No photographs with participants will be allowed during the autograph sessions, and fans will be limited to one item per participant.

There will be many activities for kids, including batting cages, drills for speed and accuracy in pitches, and fittingly, a bunting challenge. There are stages set up for question-and-answer segments with Royals players, coaches, and broadcasters. You can see a schedule of events here. You can always count on a fan or two telling Ned Yost how to set his lineup.

Of course, you will find many opportunities to spend money on Royals swag. There will be game-used merchandise, leftover giveaways from past promotions, and plenty of new Royals gear and memorabilia.

Attendees will also get a chance to purchase an exclusive Bo Jackson bobblehead with a $35 donation to Royals Charities.

It all kicks off today at noon for exclusive season ticket holders. The event opens to the general public at 2 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. for season ticket holders on Saturday and 11 a.m. for the general public, with the event closing at 7 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for kids. You can purchase tickets here.

There are numerous places to park downtown, and the convention center is right along the route of the free downtown streetcar. Here are some photos of last year’s event and Gross(est) review of the 2017 event.

Are you planning on attending FanFest this weekend?