CLEVELAND — Guards Fest has become an annual tradition for baseball fans in Cleveland to escape the winter weather and interact with the team they cheer for every year. It's also a moment for the players to feel like the season is just around the corner.
This year, Guards Fest takes place Saturday at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland until 7:30 p.m.
The event, which is $15 dollars for general admission and free for kids 2 and under, has a little something for everyone. From a personalized baseball card station to the Field of Dreams activation for kids to run through baseball drills with Guardians players, there's no shortage of activities.
Players, like Gold Glove left fielder Steven Kwan, are more than excited to participate in the event because it feels like the primer for the season.
"I think this is kind of the primer before spring training," Kwan said. "It’s kind of monotonous when you’re going through all your training but coming here, getting a breath of fresh air, seeing all the fans, seeing all the homies, its really cool."
Kwan spent the morning hanging out with young fans, taking pictures. signing autographs and diving right into the fan base who came out for Guards Fest.
"It's super fun," Kwan said. "Just seeing the people. The interactions are super genuine. We've got Pop-A-Shot over there, we're just playing regular games and you get to see the interactions with the kids, parents and everything. That's not something you can do on the baseball field so that's really special."
For fans like Chuck Belles, a long-time season ticket holder, the day was a chance to see those players he's spent decades cheering for, and the ones one the field today.
"I’m a big Steven Kwan Fan," he said. "I’ve loved baseball since I was a kid and I like going to the park every day."
From the activations to all the personal interactions, Guards Fest has something for everyone each year it's held.
And, of course, is a reminder, that baseball is just 79 short days away from returning to Cleveland.
"Just in the middle of January reminding everyone that spring’s right around the corner that baseball’s around the corner, that Opening Day is only like 70+ days away," said Guardians assistant director of communications.
To learn more about Guards Fest, click here.
