Washington Nationals opening day festivities

The Washington Nationals will celebrate opening day and their first home game of the 2020 season today, Thursday, July 23. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET.

The Opening Day pregame ceremony will include:
o   Ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Receiving the ceremonial first pitch will be Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle.
o   National Anthem pre-recorded performance by D.C. Washington.
o   Play Ball! announced by  D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
o   God Bless America pre-recorded performance by Sergeant Major Bob McDonald, United States Army Chorus.

Nats Kits
o   The Nationals will be introducing Nats Kits – free, downloadable content for fans who are missing the excitement of coming out to Nats Park to watch Nationals games. Each kit will have a different theme and includes various baseball and Nats-specific components.
o   The two themes that will debut this week are:
–Nat Your Average Birthday Party: Geared towards young fans who would like to have a Nationals-themed, socially distant birthday party with their friends. This kit will include Nats-branded virtual backgrounds, recipes for baseball-themed treats, cut-out party hats, customizable birthday cards, activity packets, and a list of kid-friendly baseball movie suggestions!
–Game Time: A kit for Nats fans of all ages and perfect for watching a game from home. This kit will include more virtual backgrounds in case you’re watching the game online with friends or family, as well as a scorecard, more recipes – including for adult beverages – and information on ways you can get a taste of Nationals Park while in the comfort of your own home.

Best Ballpark Bites – Delivered
o   The Nationals want to bring the ballpark experience to you in the comfort and safety of your home! Introducing Best Ballpark Bites Delivered, featuring classic gameday meals exclusively through the Nationals!
o   The Washington Nationals and Levy are offering curated packages that include classic gameday meals, such as Nats Dogs, Enzo’s Pizza, Cracker Jack and more.
o   All packs serve 2-3 people and all deliveries are contactless with each purchase.
o   Orders with alcohol will be required to present ID upon delivery.
o   To place your order or to learn more visit here, call 1-888-8HUNGRY or email.
o   Orders can be placed up to midnight the day before the game for night games.

Summer Reading Program
o   Sean Doolittle returns as the Nationals Summer Reading Program ambassador to encourage children to read for 20 minutes a day for at least 10 days each month throughout the summer.
o   For the seventh consecutive year, the Nationals are the sponsor for D.C. Public Library’s Summer Reading program.
o   D.C. Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is the largest District-wide initiative addressing the “summer slide,” the loss of learning that occurs when students do not read during summer vacation.
o   The Nationals are partnering with the Arlington Public Library Summer Reading program for the second consecutive year in 2020.
o   Building on the success of the partnership with DC Public Library and Arlington Public Library, the Nationals are now also the Presenting Sponsor for the Prince George County’s Public Library Summer Reading program.
o   The Summer Reading Program now includes the following library systems: D.C. Public Library, Arlington County Library, Prince George’s County Memorial Public Library, Montgomery County Library, Fairfax County Library, Loudoun County Library, Alexandria City Library, and Nats On Base Military Libraries.
o   Individuals who register and successfully complete their local library program will have the chance to receive tickets to a future Nationals game.

Opening Day may look different this year, but there is no better way to celebrate than an Ice Cream Jubilee Opening Day Block Party! Neighborhoods will elect a “team captain” of their block to pick up their pints in time for Opening Day. Each block that places an order will receive 10 Nats hat ice cream bowls and spoons for free with their minimum order of 8 pints. The team captain (who picks up the block’s order) will receive a free ice cream face mask and a $10 gift card for being such a good sport. Click here for more info!

Ice Cream Jubilee will be launching the 51st State Flavor campaign to select DC’s representative flavor. “Constituents” will vote for their favorite ice cream flavor combinations to represent the District! The winning flavor will be elected as the 51st State flavor and “I voted” stickers will be given out to those who cast their ballots in person. The “elected” flavor will be announced live on Ice Cream Jubilee’s Instagram, with giveaways and other surprises.