Braves Fest has been a popular annual gathering of fans as the team prepares for the next season. It allows fans to engage with some of their favorite players and coaches. There are also different events and activities around the Truist Park campus.
Last year, the event had an attendance of 90,000 fans despite dreary weather. This proves just how important Braves Fest is to Atlanta fans.
Fans attended paid autograph sessions and Q&As with players, announcers, and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos. Kids were allowed to take swings in the Play Ball Alley, play MLB The Show/bowl with actual Braves players, and get pictures taken. There was something for the entire family.
Unfortunately, the team announced on Monday that fans will have to miss out on Braves Fest ahead of the 2025 season. Atlanta announced the event would be canceled due to ongoing construction ahead of the team hosting the 2025 MLB All-Star game.
The team stated this was decided after "much thought and discussion" and "would not be able to host the type of event that our fans deserve and have grown to love."
Our annual Braves Fest that we traditionally host in January is one of our favorite events of the year! We always enjoy providing our fans with fun and unique opportunities to meet and engage with Braves players and coaches. After much thought and discussion, we have made the…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 16, 2024
Braves Fest is cancelled this year due to construction and preparations for the All-Star Game
It's a bummer that they've canceled such a special and fun event for fans. This helps create unique experiences and access to players not provided during the regular season. Braves Fest is a ticketed event, but it is free for all fans. Most of the time, fans are expected to pay for premium experiences.
While it's very exciting for Atlanta to host the All-Star Game 25 years after it was held at Turner Field, losing a special event instead of seeing it moved elsewhere hurts.
Atlanta will hope to provide one of the best MLB All-Star experiences in recent memory. They have the facilities to make that happen with ease. MLB changed its criteria for hosting the ASG in 2015, choosing hosts based on the merits of the city and ballpark. They also decide based on which team and city can produce the best "All-Star experience."
The Braves check off every single box and the 2025 MLB All-Star Week begins on July 11th, 2025. The week ends with the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15th, 2025.