All-Star FanFest opens at Convention Center

From yoga, to throwing your arm out at the fast-pitch game, to asking questions of baseball royalty, the "world's greatest indoor baseball theme park" opened Friday morning at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Fan Fest, which runs from Friday through Tuesday at the Minneapolis Convention Center, opened its doors to a throng of fans young and old at 9 a.m.

Among the early highlights: Twins legends Rod Carew and Tony Oliva posed for pictures with fans near the entrance to the sprawling space, while Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven put on a pitching clinic for young fans.

Adult tickets are $35, but there is a buy one, get one free offer Friday and other special offers during other days of the Fan Fest.

The five-day FanFest includes artifacts from the Baseball Hall of Fame, a participatory exhibit detailing the history of baseball in Minnesota, and meet-and-greets with current Twins players and former major league greats, including 11 Hall of Famers — Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, Orlando Cepeda, Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Ozzie Smith and Dave Winfield.

Bring your checkbook, your appetite, your yoga pants, your fastball and whatever else you need to take a swing at 400,000 square feet of baseball paradise:

About 50 baseball legends and current players will be available for photos, Q&A sessions and autographs. Highlights include:

Paul Molitor: Autographs 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday; Q&A 1 to 1:30 p.m. Monday; photos 2:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Kent Hrbek: Q&A 3:30 to 4 p.m. and autographs 4 to 6 p.m. Friday.

Tom Kelly: Photos 1:30 to 2 p.m and Q&A noon to 12:30 p.m. Friday.

Bert Blyleven: Photos 10 to 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; Q&A 10:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

Joe Mauer: Photos 9 to 9:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday; Q&A 10 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday; autographs 11:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday.

Other clinics will be held on the diamond throughout the five days, by legends such as Blyleven, Kelly, Hrbek and Molitor.

Fans can swing a bat at the home run derby Monday or in the batting cages, practice their slides on the FanFest field, or test their arms at the pitching station.

Take a picture with the World Series trophy, or create your own trading card.

On Friday, buy one admission ticket and get another one free.

Daily giveaways include mini-TC Bear bobbleheads to the first 1,000 children under 12 on Friday, "Kids Day" and Twins bobbleheads to the first 1,000 fans Monday (Oliva) and Tuesday (Mauer).

The official All-Star store is packed with gifts and attire that fans can only obtain at this event or with an All-Star ticket to Target Field.

Wonder what the clubhouse and dugout will look like at Target Field on game day? FanFest will show you in spaces designed to mimic the actual thing, complete with each player's jersey hanging in the locker room.

FanFest promises a host of ballpark fare meant to reflect the many unique options served across the country.

Each day FanFest will feature a different theme. Saturday is "Family Wellness Day," during which groups will be encouraged to practice yoga on the Fan Fest Diamond

Firestone's mega monster truck will be on site, decked out in All-Star fashion.