For the Pre-Opening Day “Rains on the Cardinals” Podcast: CLICK HERE
————
Stadium workers are working long hours to get Busch ready for opening day on Thursday. Media outlets including STL Sports Page were treated to a tour of the stadium to see all the team has in store for the upcoming Cardinals season.
On Monday we observed as the stadium field workers were sprucing the grass up for Opening Day. On a nice, sunny, and warm day we were able to leisurely walk throughout the stadium and see all the preparations being made.
Our food/travel editor Suzanne Corbett was on that tour and will have an article about the food coming soon. She is shown with Busch Stadium Executive Sous Chef, Norman Taylor Jr. who is showing her some of the newest food available in the various areas of the ballpark. Be looking for that article.
All over the field you can see tractors and workers making sure the grass is ready. Did you know they use large grow lights to help get that bright green look? The giant grow lights are on wheels and are moved around to be sure the lawn of Busch Stadium is uniform.
Inside the stadium, Stephanie Spargur and her team are setting out the new items in the team store.
She is shown, left with the new Fredbird deely boppers and another item she says will be popular– Fredbird on your shoulder. There were many new items including some with the Peanuts theme.
The Peanuts comic strip theme is a new one for the Cardinals and as shown in the photo they have Snoopy dolls and other characters.
In other parts of the stadium employees are working on things like “fan engagement,” post-game concerts, special promotion days, and give-aways.
They will have a lot of fun give-aways throughout the season.
Megan Eberhart, Director, Promotions and Events showed us the promotions the Cardinals have for the 2025 season.
“This year we are able to have some of the items with the City Connect logos on them,” she said.
Katie Brandenberg of Game Day Experiences with the Cardinals said there are many new additions for the 2025 season. She said they will be renaming and rebranding the parking lots. She said there will be more music on the concourse.
“We realized that when a player is being interviewed on the big screen in the stadium, those walking outside can’t see the video boards so why would they want to hear the interviews?” she said. “We are adding more music for those in areas like the Budweiser Terrace.”
She also said there is new furniture in the Budweiser Terrace and a DJ will be playing music and Friday and Saturday nights.
“We’ll have $5 draft beers in the Crown Bar in the Budweiser Terrace area,” she said. This will last the whole game.”
They are also adding a few post-game concerts. On June 20 Cole Swindell will play and July 25 Flo-Rida will perform for those who bought tickets to the game.There will also be special VIP tickets available.
Bethany White is in charge of the theme nights and she is shown, left with some of the items.
The Cardinals are also working on programs for the upcoming year and Gabe Kiley talked about the Cardinals Kids Clinics.
“We are excited to add softball clinics this year,” he said. “People with daughters, like I have, will appreciate this. It’s the 20th year of the Kids Clinics but the first year we’ve had softball.”
Former Cardinals player Scott Terry has been there the entire 20 years the Kids Clinics have been going. Other players include John Costello, Brad Thompson, Tom Pagnozzi and they plan to have some current players involved including Michael Siani, Pedro Pages, Alec Burleson, and Masyn Winn.
There are still tickets available but Carson Shipley, shown left talking to STL Sports Page’s Suzanne Corbett has a warning to fans.
“People are thinking there will be less fans downtown this year and that’s not the case,” he said. “The fans should know to get to the stadium area early because the lines will be long.”
On opening day, the Cardinals are giving away 2025 magnet schedules to all fans 21 and older Presented by Budweiser.
To find out about the Pep Rallies and other activities surrounding opening day, check back for our upcoming article.
To read about the food they will be having at the ballpark, be watching for Suzanne Corbett’s article.
From the Cardinals: New for 2025
- Budweiser Terrace Updates: Budweiser Terrace, the social gathering area located on the fourth level in right field, has been refreshed with updated turf and new seating options in front of the stage along with new stage branding to enhance the look and feel of the area. The area will feature new activations including:
- Crown Bar $5 Beers: Visit the highest bar at the top of the stadium for a great ballpark view and $5 draft beer, every game, all game long!
- DJ Deks spinning music for Bud Terrace and the full ballpark, every Friday and Saturday game.
- Sunday Funday: Live acoustic music and drink specials every Sunday game.
- Food Specials: $5 hot dogs at the grill every Friday game.
- Drink Specials: $6 Margaritas at all night games and $6 Bloody Marys at all day games.
- Photo Ops: two new Ivy Wall/Neon Sign style photo walls will be installed opposite the stage later this month for fans to snap the perfect selfie or group shot.
- Postgame Concert Series: Summer nights just got hotter! Fans are invited to stay after the games on Friday, June 20 and Friday, July 25 for Postgame Concerts by Cole Swindell and Flo Rida. No additional ticket is necessary, your game ticket is your concert ticket! A limited number of VIP Field Access Packages are available to enjoy the show on the field at cardinals.com/postgame. Presented by SIUE.
- Cardinals Conversations: The club has launched a new Q&A event series with five different Cardinals Alumni and fan favorites: Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Ted Simmons, Cardinals Hall of Famer Ray Lankford, and World Series MVPs David Eckstein and David Freese. Emceed by Cardinals TV announcers Chip Caray and Brad Thompson, Cardinals Conversations presented by Edward Jones will be held in the intimate setting of Cunningham Corner inside Busch Stadium and will feature a limited number of tickets for each pre- or post-game event. Tickets are available now at cardinals.com/conversations.
- Cardinal Museum Featured Exhibit: Growing Up Cardinal will explore the childhood baseball experience as a Cardinals fan through the lens of the three St. Louis Cardinals’ stadiums. Topics include early to current-day team branding/retail marketing, player endorsements, mascots, bat boys, and the Knot Hole Gang. Visitors will have an opportunity to share their personal and favorite Cardinals stadium memories as part of the exhibit experience. Museum tickets can be purchased at cardinals.com/museum.
- Scoreboard Redesign & Enhancements: Introducing more data-driven graphics, animations and dynamic elements. Fans can look forward to a more engaging view of how plays develop in real-time. The new design features dedicated offensive and defensive boards, showcasing more stats in a fresh, eye-catching format.
2025 Official Team Media Guide
The St. Louis Cardinals Media Guide is the official resource used daily by sportswriters, broadcasters and Cardinals front office staff. Featuring Lars Nootbaar, Willson Contreras, Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan and Sonny Gray on the cover, the Cardinals Media Guide contains stats and biographies of every player and coach in the organization and is the best and most comprehensive book about the Cardinals anywhere.
Printed copies of the 2025 Media Guide are available for $20 at the Official Cardinals Team Store at Busch Stadium, inside Cardinals Authentics Shops, or online at cardinals.com/mediaguide.
Opening Weekend 50/50 Raffle
Ticket sales for the Cardinals Care 2025 Opening Weekend 50/50 Raffle, presented by Draft Kings at Casino Queen, are on sale now, and remain open until the end of the 7th inning on Sunday, March 30. Tickets can also be purchased at Busch Stadium when gates open until the end of the 7th inning during games played between March 27-30.
The winning number will be drawn on Sunday, March 30, at the end of the 7th inning. One lucky winner will take home half of the total pot, while the other half will go to Cardinals Care to help support the Redbird Rookies youth softball and baseball programs, youth ballfields and grant programs that provide much needed funding to area non-profits that support kids.
Raffle tickets are 10 for $10, 60 for $20, and 200 for $50. Fans must be 18 years of age or older and be located in the state of Missouri at the time of purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cardinals.com/5050.
Cardinals Care Silent Auctions
Cardinals Care will conduct a Silent Auction throughout the first home series featuring autographed jerseys, baseballs, bats and more beginning on Thursday, March 27, at 9:00 AM CT through Sunday, March 30, at 9:00 PM CT. Fans can bid online at cardinals.com/ccauctions.
