A pregame ceremony that welcomes home the 2019 St. Louis Cardinals, honors the club’s Hall of Famers and commemorates the great tradition of Opening Day in St. Louis will punctuate a day of activities celebrating the annual return of baseball to St. Louis on Thursday, April 4. The Cardinals will open the 2019 home slate against the San Diego Padres at 3:15 PM CT. The following is a schedule of official activities and information to help fans enjoy the unofficial holiday that is #OpeningDaySTL:
Pregame Schedule
9:00 a.m. Select Ballpark Village venues open
9:30 – 11:45 a.m. Opening Day Pep Rally at Ballpark Village: Join Fredbird, Team Fredbird and DJ Todd Thomas at the Ballpark Village parking lot for the Cardinals Opening Day Pep Rally. This event is free for all fans to attend and will proceed rain or shine. The pep rally includes prizes, Opening Day ticket giveaways, and a special appearance by “The Voice” contestant and St. Louis native, Kennedy Holmes. Food and drinks will be available for purchase as well.
12:00 p.m. Gates Open
2019 Cardinals Magnet Schedule: All ticketed-fans, ages 21 and older, will receive a magnet featuring the 2019 Cardinals schedule, compliments of Budweiser.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Cardinals Batting Practice (subject to change)
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Padres Batting Practice (subject to change)
2:30 p.m. Pregame ceremonies begin with an appearance by the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.
Introduction of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.
Introduction of Fredbird and Team Fredbird
2:35 p.m. Introduction of Cardinals Hall of Famers via a Ford Motorcade around the warning track. Hall of Famers will be riding in 2019 Ford GT Mustang convertibles.
Introduction of 2019 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class, Vince Coleman and Ray Lankford
Cardinals Opening Day Video
2:50 p.m. Introduction of Cardinals principal owner and CEO, Bill DeWitt Jr.
Introduction of the 2019 St. Louis Cardinals via Ford Motorcade. The players will ride in 2019 Ford F-150 Raptors.
Introduction of the San Diego Padres.
Presentations of Color Guard and American Flag in center field, courtesy of the service men and women of Scott Air Force Base.
3:05 p.m. National Anthem performed by Kennedy Holmes, St. Louis teen vocal sensation and finalist of NBC’s “The Voice.”
3:07 p.m. KC-135 Flyover (weather permitting)
3:09 p.m. Ceremonial First Pitch by former teammates and 2019 Cardinals Hall of Fame nominees Jason Isringhausen and Matt Morris in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the team’s 2004 National League Championship.
3:15 p.m. First Pitch
Telecast Coverage
Cardinals programming starts at 11 a.m. on FOX Sports Midwest. Catch the latest episode of Cardinals Insider with Ozzie Smith at 1 p.m. An extended edition of the Cardinals Live pregame show begins at 1:30 p.m. Fans can watch the pregame ceremonies beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Radio Coverage
Fans can tune into KMOX (1120 AM) or one of the 147 stations in the Cardinals Radio Network to hear Mike Shannon and John Rooney call the game. The Ameren Total Access Show starts at 1:40 p.m.
Online or On The Go
Fans may also follow the game for free on cardinals.com using the Gameday application. Fans can keep tabs on the score from their mobile device using MLB’s mobile app, At Bat. The Cardinals Home Opener, including Opening Day Ceremonies, will be streamed live on the FOX Sports GO app and at FOXSportsGo.com (available in Cardinals territory).
Getting To The Game
Per MoDOT, motorists should be aware of the following on-going road closures:
- I-44, St. Louis City, one eastbound lane closed from Murdoch to the River Des Peres through December.
- I-44, St. Louis City, one eastbound lane closed from Hampton to Grand through December.
As usual, Clark Street will be closed to vehicular traffic in between the stadium and Ballpark Village.
Fans coming to the game will notice some construction near the ballpark with the work underway to build the second phase of Ballpark Village. While some areas are closed off to vehicular traffic, pedestrian access remains open to Ballpark Village as well as Clark Street. Fans are encouraged to allow extra time and pay attention to signs as they make their way to the ballpark.
Alternative Transportation
MetroLink is a convenient alternative to driving. To avoid the traffic congestion and the cost of parking on game days, fans can use one of 21 free Park-Ride lots along the MetroLink line and take the train to Stadium Station, right across the street from the ballpark. MetroLink will have additional security and personnel located throughout the light rail system to assist passengers on Thursday. MetroLink will also monitor platforms for crowds and will add extra trains to service as need. Visit MetroStLouis.org or download the Metro On The Go app for schedules and Park-Ride lots nearest you.
There are also plenty of buses in Missouri and Illinois that will get fans to Busch Stadium including the Redbird Express that departs from the Water Tower at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois. On Opening Day, the first Redbird Express bus will leave at 10:15 a.m. and the last bus will leave at 2:35 p.m. MetroBus is another great option for getting downtown. Fans can catch the #40 Broadway or #99 Downtown Trolley, which both have stops near Busch Stadium.
Prohibited Items Policy
- Not Permitted: Backpacks, alcohol, thermoses, hard-sided coolers, aluminum or glass cans/bottles, commercial camera equipment
- Fans can visit cardinals.com/security for the complete stadium inspection policy and prohibited items list.
Busch Stadium Re-Entry
- Exit stamps will be available for guests who need to exit the stadium but plan to return. The stamps will be located at Gate 1 (southeast corner of stadium) and Gate 4 (northwest corner of stadium). Guests can re-enter the stadium at any gate with a hand stamp and a valid event ticket.
Ballpark Improvements
A number of physical improvements have been made within Busch Stadium to improve the fan experience:
- Stadium Lights: The St. Louis Cardinals in partnership with PLANLEDTM have installed a new, state-of-the-art lighting system in Busch Stadium. The new lights will improve the visual experience for players and guests as well as reduce operating and energy costs. The system will have the highest, true-to-life color rendering in an outdoor sports venue.
- Budweiser Burger Bar: The new Budweiser Burger Bar is located in Bud Terrace on the fourth level and features handmade, craft burgers with a Budweiser twist, tater tots, fries and ice-cold beverages.
- Premium Party Suites: Six existing party suites have been renovated to transform the private, climate-controlled areas with a more modern sport design. The suites feature:
o A full service bar with cocktail, wine and beer service that extends through the 9th inning.
o Exclusive one-time catering delivery of upscale menu enhancements:
- Chilled shrimp platter and assorted cheese platter delivered when guests arrive
- Basket of warm pretzels and cheese delivered in the third inning
- In-game dessert cart with assorted treats
o Upscale buffet featuring ballpark favorites
o Additional televisions so fans don’t miss a single pitch
o To reserve a Premium Party Suite for 2019, call 314-345-9000.
New Concessions
Delaware North Sportservice, the club’s concessionaire for more than 50 years, is preparing to welcome fans back to Busch Stadium. Delaware North Executive Chef Larry Johnson and his culinary team have developed a few new menu items for the 2019 season, including:
- “The Bud Burger”: Two 4 oz. Burger Patties, Budweiser Pub Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Caramelized Onions on a Signature Budweiser Kaiser Bun. Served at: Bud Burger Bar in Budweiser Terrace for $17.
- Bud BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger: Two 4 oz. Burger Patties, Budweiser Pub Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Caramelized Onions and Budweiser infused BBQ Sauce on a Signature Budweiser Kaiser Bun. Served at: Bud Burger Bar in Budweiser Terrace for $18.
- Taste of the Hill Burger: Two 4 oz. Burger Patties, Provel Cheese, Marinara Sauce and Garlic Aioli on a Signature Budweiser Kaiser Bun topped with two Toasted Beef Ravioli. Served at: Bud Burger Bar in Budweiser Terrace for $18.
- Little Buds: 8 Mini Burgers with Pickle, American Cheese and Garlic Aioli on toasted Hawaiian Mini Buns. Served with Tater Tots in a Home Plate box. Great to share with friends! Served at: Bud Burger Bar in Budweiser Terrace for $26.
- Twisted Topped Pretzel: Giant Pretzel Twists topped and baked right in front of you. Available flavors include Pepperoni and Cheese, Buffalo Chicken, Bacon and Cheese. Served with your choice of dipping sauce: Marinara, Ranch, Cheese. Served in Section 155.
- The Mega Slice: 16” Slice of Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza. Served in Sections 139 and 437.
- Country Bob’s Pulled Pork Nachos: Tostito’s Chips, Queso Blanco, Pulled Pork smoked in house, Country Bobs BBQ sauce, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers and Country Bobs BBQ Seasoning. Served in Section 109.
Ballpark App
The St. Louis Cardinals have retired the “print at home” ticket delivery option and transitioned to mobile ticket delivery via the Ballpark App. Fans can still have physical game tickets mailed to them or left to be picked up at Busch Stadium Will Call.
- The free MLB Ballpark app is the most secure and convenient way to instantly access Cardinals tickets via your mobile device.
- To enter Busch Stadium, have the Ballpark app open, pull up your ticket barcode for that day’s game and present it to the gate attendant to be scanned.
o If you’re entering with a group, you have the option to scan multiple tickets on one device
o For compatiable iOS devices, you can add tickets to your Apple Wallet before arriving.
- You can easily forward tickets to family and friends with the app via email or a text link.
o You can choose to cancel a forwarded ticket and have it reinstated as a live mobile ticket in the app.
o Once a ticket has been scanned it cannot be forwarded.
- Use the Ballpark app as your mobile companion while at the game:
o Locate your favorite ballpark food with the Fan Food Guide
o Access the A-Z Guide to answer all your Busch Stadium questions
Download MLB’s official app for mobile ticketing to your mobile device via the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Visit cardinals.com/ballparkapp for Ballpark app instructions, tutorials and frequent asked questions.
Visit cardinals.com/openingday for the latest details about Opening Day in St. Louis.
