The Nationals are set to play their first home game of the 2016 season tomorrow afternoon.
If you didn’t snag a ticket to the 4:05 p.m. ballgame or are looking for something to do before you see the first pitch from Nationals Park, Hill Now has some Nats-centric events you can check out in Navy Yard Thursday.
Bluejacket Opening Day Fest
300 Tingey St. SE
Noon to 4 p.m.
The brewery will have corn hole, music and beer. Admission is free.
Chefs Play Ball
Osteria Morini (301 Water St. SE)
Noon to 3 p.m.
The restaurant is serving up meatballs from various D.C. chefs, including Mike Isabella of Kapnos, Patrick Curran of Momofuku CCDC and Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto and Toki Underground. Tickets, which include food and two drinks, are $55 for adults and $20 for kids.
106.7 The Fan Opening Day Block Party
Canal Park (200 M St. SE)
1-4 p.m.
Nats fans can grab some booze and food truck fare in celebration of the District’s baseball team. Admission is free.
Photo via Flickr/Cathy T
The Washington Nationals are on the lookout for locals who can belt out or play a tune before a baseball game.
D.C.’s major league baseball team has put out the call for soloists, groups and instrumentalists who can perform the national anthem.
Fans interested in singing or performing are asked to send a YouTube video, an MP3 or a CDs of their best performance to the team via email or snail mail.
More information from the Washington Nationals:
All material becomes the property of the Washington Nationals upon arrival. Due to the number of demos received you will only be contacted if you are selected.
The deadline for Anthem submissions is May 16.
Photo via Washington Nationals
D.C. Olympics Supporters Eye Future Events, Including 2028 Olympics — Washington 2024, the group that unsuccessfully vied to make D.C. the host of the 2024 Olympics, hopes to bring similar international events to the Capitol Hill area, including a possible bid to host the 2028 Olympics. [Washington Business Journal]
Tickets Available for Yoga in the Outfield — Residents can work off the stress of the Nationals’ disappearing playoff chances with Yoga in the Outfield at Nationals Park after the Nationals play the Phillies on Sept. 27. [The Hill is Home]
Developers Plan Another Large Mixed-Use Building for NoMa — Developers Trammell Crow are planning for apartments, condos, retail and a hotel at a 2.5 acre plot near the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro Station. [Washington Business Journal]
Southwest Waterfront Houseboats to Open for Visitors — Several houseboat owners at the Gangplank Marina in Southwest will open their floating homes to visitors during a ticketed tour in October. [The Southwester]
(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) Mayor Muriel Bowser is slated to join in an afternoon of baseball, softball and other activities for children in Southwest this weekend.
The “Play Ball” festivities are scheduled for the King Greenleaf Recreation Center at 201 N St. SW Saturday, according to the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, which is hosting the event with the mayor’s office. The day will include baseball and softball drills, Nationals ticket giveaways, food and possibly a dunk tank.
DPR is trying to find someone to go in the dunk tank, said Jennifer Moore, an agency director. But if it doesn’t locate a person in advance of the event, the dunk tank won’t happen, she said.
The mayor is unlikely to come to DPR’s aid, however.
“I doubt she will volunteer for that,” said Seth Shapiro, a Ward 6 liaison for Bowser.
The activities, which are set to run from noon to 4 p.m., are intended for children who are 4 to 14 years old.
Photo via Facebook/Muriel Bowser
Fireworks will shoot up along the Anacostia River in Navy Yard tonight.
The “Freedom Fireworks,” which are in support of the U.S. military, are scheduled to go off near Nationals Park after the D.C. baseball team’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
The show likely will happen about 10 p.m., when the game is slated to conclude.
Residents can see the display without attending the game. But tickets can be purchased online or at the ballpark.
Photo via Flickr/Rudi Riet
All Time High — Capitol Hill police and paramedics are treating more patients for synthetic cannabinoids, which are fake drugs sold under names like K2, Spice and Scooby Snax. District officials report that synthetic drug use reached an all-time high last month. Before May, less than 30 cases were reported per month. Last month, 439 cases were reported. [Washington Post]
Stabbing Suspect Summoned — The suspect in a fatal stabbing on a Metro train on July 4 faced court Friday for a previous assault charge. Jasper Spires, 18, was charged with assaulting a man in Friendship Heights with a wine bottle two days before the stabbing aboard a train at the NoMa-Gallaudet University Metro station. [NBC Washington]
You’re Out! — Friday night’s Nationals baseball game was suspended after the stadium lights went dark three times. A Nationals spokesperson said the failure was caused by a faulty circuit breaker. The game resumed on Saturday afternoon. [WTOP]
No Average Lemonade Stand — The Metropolitan Wellness Center on Barracks Row is selling cannabis-infused pomegranate lemonade. It costs $32 per 12-ounce bottle and a prescription is required. [Washington City Paper]
A New Challenger Approaches — Former president Calvin Coolidge will be joining over-sized depictions of George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt as the Washington Nationals’ newest Racing President. His character is expected to make his first fourth-inning dash tomorrow. [WTOP]
Ben’s H Street Opener — Ben’s Chili Bowl’s new location on H Street NE are planning an ambitious rollout when they open on July 8th. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton and the Chuck Brown Band will be in attendance.
[Hill Now]
Safe July 4th Transport — The nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program will offer free cab rides from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on the night of July 4th. The group hopes to curb drunk driving. [Capital Community News]
Council Gets Closer Goal — Recent legislation leaves only two more acres, currently owned the real-estate developer Akridge, that need to be secured before construction of the new D.C. United stadium can start. The city needs to acquire the land, either through sale or eminent domain, before Sept. 30. [WTOP]
Buy Me Zucchini and Crackerjacks — The Washington Nationals are adding a unique twist to ballpark concessions — fresh vegetables from a new rooftop garden at the stadium. In a new pilot program, 180 plants have been added to grow tomatoes, herbs, zucchini and squash. [WTOP]
False Alarm — “U.S. Capitol Police shut down a Capitol Hill intersection while they investigated an unattended backpack that they eventually found contained ‘food and stuff,’ a police spokeswoman said.” [Washington Post]
The Week Ahead — A roundup of upcoming ANC meetings in the area, with agenda items including a DC Streetcar update, a Belga Café summer rooftop garden and a new restaurant liquor license for &Pizza on Barracks Row. [Capitol Hill Corner]
Mass overdose — At least seven people in the District’s largest homeless shelter overdosed on synthetic marijuana on Friday, according to the D.C. Fire Department. Community for Creative Nonviolence shelter is located on the 400 block of 2nd Street NW. [Washington Post]
Mendelson Downplays Possible D.C. United Departure — Speaking on WAMU’s The Politics Hour Friday, D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson shrugged off the possibility of Virginia luring the soccer team from D.C. [WAMU]
Photo via Twitter/U.S. Capitol
A major sports magazine has given props to The Arsenal for their work during Nationals games.
Sporting News readers sent in their nominations to the magazine. The publication praised the bar’s extensive draft list and unique food menu.
The Arsenal is a restaurant and bar owned by the Blue Jacket Brewery. It’s located on 300 Tingey Street SE, two blocks away from Nationals Park.
Nationals fans are paying more money to attend a baseball game this year in D.C. than fans do in most cities nationwide.
Nationals Park is the seventh most expensive stadium to see a Major League Baseball game, according to a new District, Measured analysis of Team Marketing Report data. To find the cost of attending a game, Team Marketing Report determines the amount a family of four people pays for four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking and two adult-size hats.
The cost of a regular ticket was $30.63 in 2010 and is now $36.02, according to the data.
At Nationals Park, a family of four can expect to spend $232.08. That sum puts the Nationals between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins.
The most expensive team to see is the Boston Red Sox, at $350.86. The least expensive team is the Arizona Diamondbacks, at $126.89. A family pays $211.68 on average to see an MLB game. The league has 30 teams.
(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) The sounds of hot dog vendors, street musicians and thousands of baseball fans filled the air around Navy Yard this afternoon as the Nationals prepared to take on the New York Mets.
A sea of red and white filled Half Street SE in the hour before the 4:05 p.m. game. But some fans arrived in Navy Yard even earlier to take advantage of Bluejacket’s Opening Day Fest at 4th and Tingey streets SE and 106.7 The Fan’s Baseball Block Party at Canal Park.
Here are a few photos from Opening Day. Want us to publish your photos, too? Send them to us on Twitter, Facebook or to [email protected].
Washington Nationals fans have another reason to celebrate on Opening Day — the All-Star Game is coming to Nationals Park.
D.C. will host the Midsummer Classic in 2018, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced this afternoon.
Left fielder Jayson Werth told MASN Sports that MLB’s decision is a vote of confidence for Nationals Park.
“That’s a sign to the world and to baseball that this place is for real,” he said. “I think that’s a big deal for the organization and especially for the Lerner family … It’s quite an accomplishment for what they’ve [the owners] tried to do here.”
The District last held an All-Star Game in 1969, although the Nationals have made bids to host it previously.
The Nationals launched a campaign last month asking fans to “show MLB that there is no better place in America to host the national pastime’s All-Star Game than in the nation’s capital,” as Hill Now reported.
Photo via Nationals
Nationals fans can celebrate the team’s opening day with food, craft beer and live music in Navy Yard before catching the game Monday afternoon.
Bluejacket and 106.7 The Fan will host outdoor parties within blocks of each other before the Nationals take on the Mets at 4:05 p.m.
The Fan’s Baseball Block Party at Canal Park will feature performances by For the Win and Jeff from Accounting, along with food trucks and drinks. The sports radio station also will have its Nationals pre-game show at the park. The festivities start at 1 p.m.
Bluejacket will take over Lot O at 4th and Tingey streets SE for its Opening Day Fest. The party, which starts at 11 a.m., will include GBD fried chicken sandwiches, Red Apron Butcher hot dogs and at least eight of Bluejacket’s beers. The brewery also will have batting cages and corn hole on hand.
Admission to the fest is free. But Bluejacket encourages Nationals fans to buy food and drink tickets online to guarantee entry to the party.
Fans also can take advantage of food and drinks specials before the game at TaKorean, The Big Stick and Willie’s Brew & Que, among other restaurants, according to the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District.
TaKorean at 1212 4th St. SE will charge $2 less for its tacos and rice and slaw bowls, starting at 2 p.m. Willie’s at 300 Tingey St. SE will offer $5 draft pints and $20 beer pitchers from 3 to 7 p.m. The Big Stick at 20 M St. SE will take $2 off its wine, rail drinks and draft beer from 3 to 7 p.m.
Photo via Flickr/Cathy T
Height Limit on Pop-ups Approved — The D.C. Zoning Commission voted last night to drop the height limit for new pop-ups from 40 to 35 feet. The limit applies to areas with R-4 residential zoning, which applies to large sections of Capitol Hill and Hill East. The commission also voted to allow developers to convert single-family homes in R-4 zones into four-unit condo buildings, with some restrictions. [Washington Post]
‘Please Refrain From Molesting the Garbage Cans’ — A note with that message was spotted on Capitol Hill. [PoPville]
Free Chick-fil-A at Nationals Park — The chicken chain Chick-fil-A will give Nats fans free sandwiches every time the team makes a save during a home game. [Washington Post]
Playground Construction in Southwest — The blog Southwest, The Little Quadrant That Could checked in on the construction of two playgrounds in the neighborhood. [SWTLQTC]
The Nationals, which start their 10th season in D.C. next month, are calling on fans to help bring Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game to Nationals Park.
“Show MLB that there is no better place in America to host the national pastime’s All-Star Game than in the nation’s capital,” the Nationals said in a blog post. They’re asking fans to share on social media “why you think #DCisREADY” for the Midsummer Classic.
The District last held an All-Star Game in 1969, although the Nationals have made bids for it prior to this year.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who became the league’s top executive this year, has kept mum on the likelihood of the game coming to D.C. in 2018 or later, MASN reported. But Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell wrote that the game “almost certainly will come to Nationals Park” in 2018.
The league already has decided to hold the All-Star Game at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park this year, San Diego’s Petco Park in 2016 and Miami’s Marlins Park in 2017.
Manfred will be at Nationals Park on Opening Day, April 6, to throw the first pitch. The Nationals blog says the team is excited he’ll go to the stadium. But they’re “even more excited about the opportunity to host an MLB All-Star Game” and the events that come with it.
“D.C. is ready for Fan Fest. D.C. is ready for the Home Run Derby,” the Nationals said. “DC. IS. READY.”
Photo via Nationals
