September 2004

You know how hard it can be to get to Shea some days. The traffic is often miserable, and if you arrive after the main lot is full then you have to park at the Tennis Center or points beyond. So you pack up the family, leave yourself plenty of time, avoid the truly horrific traffic, and arrive at Shea two hours or so before game time. Now what are you going to do to pass the time until the game begins?

Fortunately, Shea earlybirds have the option of visiting Fan Fest. Located next to the subway exit at Gate E, behind right field, Fan Fest provides a variety of activities and a carnival type atmosphere. There are things to do for fans of all ages -- youngsters love the Mr. Met slide and the obstacle course, while teens and adults enjoy the speed pitch and batting cages. There's a broadcast booth where fans can simulate calling an inning of a ballgame, and a wonder wheel where participants win prizes. And there is a special treat for Mets fans -- the one and only Mr. Met appears at Fan Fest's dugout to greet his fans and pose for pictures.

Fan Fest is open approximately two and a half hours before gametime every Friday, Saturday and Sunday that the Mets are in town. The atmosphere is appropriate for youngsters, with family friendly music and no smoking allowed. And perhaps the best thing about Fan Fest is that all of the abovementioned activities are free!

Josh Golden, the entertainment coordinator for the Mets, tells Fan's Voice, "Fan Fest started out in 2002 during the Yankees series in a smaller version of what we have now. We started with some inflatables and a disc jockey, and it's grown from there." Although it's hard to get an exact number of Fan Fest visitors, Golden and Scott Margulies, Fan Fest's supervisor, each estimate that several hundred people visit Fan Fest prior to every weekend game. Golden is very pleased with how Fan Fest has evolved in a relatively short time. "It's satisfying that this is completely free for our fans," says Golden. "This provides rides and attractions for the kids, and it's equally enjoyable for adults. What I enjoy most is seeing the joy that it has brought to our fans."

And the fans are definitely getting joy out of the availability of Fan Fest as a pregame activity. Jeff Becker of Manalapan, New Jersey brings 6-year-old Jessica to Fan Fest prior to every Saturday game. Jessica's favorite thing is the giant slide, while Jeff is pleased that "she gets to play before the game."

Older kids also take advantage of the Fan Fest options. 12-year-old Mitch Seidman of Ridgefield, Connecticut likes to see how fast he can throw in the speed pitch area, while his mother, Gala, says that "I like Fan Fest because he's happy here."

The Woodley family of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania recently visited Fan Fest for the first time. 10-year-old Tyler and 7-year-old Kyle were especially amused by the dunk tank, where a Fan Fest employee is dressed in the jersey of the Mets' opponent-du-jour and fans line up to throw balls at a target and try to dump the "enemy" into a tank of water. After the long drive to Shea, parents Brian and Janice Woodley appreciated that their boys were able to relax and have some fun before going into the stadium.

Something else of interest to the early arriving Shea crowd is that there is a bank of port-a-sans near Fan Fest's entrance. Those who tailgate at Shea often have to deal with the dilemma of staying with their friends while they are in discomfort, or abandoning their gatherings in order to enter the stadium turnstiles to use the restrooms. Now there is another option, and fans can use the facilities and still be able to return to their friends for a while before the game starts.

Another benefit for Mets fans is that the Mets Alumni Association often organizes autograph sessions at Fan Fest. On a recent weekend, Darryl Strawberry made his long awaited return to Shea for a Fan Fest signing session, and other Mets alumni are frequently on hand for such events. So if you get to Shea early enough it's worth checking out the festivities to see whether a Mets idol of times past is in the house.

Any way you slice it, Fan Fest is a positive addition to the Shea Stadium experience. As John Gencarello of Staten Island, whose 13-year-old son Nickolas was participating in Fan Fest events, observed, "My son is having a ball. This is a great thing for the kids." Amelia Anastasia of Bergen County, New Jersey was more focused on the bottom line -- "It's free. I like the free stuff!"

So beat the traffic and show up at Shea early. Don't worry about what to do with those restless kids before the game -- Fan Fest is your key to having a good time at the stadium even before it's time to go through those turnstiles.