Your fan guide to this weekend’s Steelers Fest
Just three days after a training camp first for the Steelers, another one is on the horizon.
After welcoming fans inside Heinz Field for the opening day of training camp on Wednesday, the team will host Steelers Fest at the stadium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Since the NFL denied the Steelers’ plan to return to Saint Vincent College due to COVID-19 concerns, all team training camp operations this year are taking place in front of fans on the North Shore for the first time.
Here are the details:
Where
There will be three locations for interactive fan experiences. One that is open to the public is on Art Rooney Avenue, running parallel to the east side of Heinz Field. The other two will be at the FedEx Great Hall and the Ford Fan Zone underneath the scoreboard, both of which are inside Heinz Field.
Admission
Steelers Fest is free; however, the free training camp practice, which starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, is full. The entrance gates for the practice will open at 12:30 p.m.
Games
Those who have not secured tickets for the practice will still find plenty to do on-site for Steelers Fest. There will be in-stadium and out-of-stadium nine-hole mini golf courses, giant corn hole, Ninja Warrior obstacle courses and food and beverage stands.
The experiences inside Heinz Field at the Ford Fan Zone and FedEx Great Hall, as well as on Art Rooney Avenue, are expected to mirrorone another to some degree.
Prizes
While the Steelers may not be practicing in Latrobe this
summer as in the 54 years before 2020, one recurring element of training camp remains:
The Steelers will give away signed practice jerseys throughout the day in two separate rounds for select fans in attendance.
Other sponsors will be onsite with giveaways, but those will not be Steelers-operated giveaways.
Drumline
The Steel Line Drumline will perform. The independent and professional level drumline will be playing before and throughout practice.
Open mic
Before training camp begins at 1:30 p.m., coach Mike Tomlin will speak to the crowd at Heinz Field. Via a stadium-wide microphone, Mr. Tomlin will address the fans, thanking them for attendingand welcoming them back to watching the Steelers in person, according to the Steelers.
Around 4 p.m. when practice concludes, cornerback Joe Haden will make a live address as well. Similar to Mr. Tomlin, Mr. Haden will thank fans for attending practice.
2021 Hall of Honor class announcement
The Steelers’ 2021 Hall of Honor class will be announced at 12:30 p.m. inside Heinz Field, roughly an hour before practice is set to start. The announcement, which will be broadcast live on the stadium’s scoreboard, will also be available for viewing via livestream on the Steelers’ website and app, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The Hall of Honor was created in 2017 to commemorate former players and coaches among other team personnel who have been key to bringing success to the Steelers’ franchise. New members are announced every year.
To qualify, a player must have been retired for at least three seasons and played for the Steelers for a minimum of three seasons. Meanwhile, coaches and other team personnel must have been significant contributors to the team and community.
Hall of Honor inductees receive a plaque and a steel football in a display located inside the FedEx Great Hall at Heinz Field.
Parking
The Steelers are recommending that fans park in the Carnegie Science Center North Lot during Steelers Fest. Normal parking fees for this lot will be in effect.