Pirates-Curve Tix, Steamer Claus' Helicopter Entrance Set For Bazaar

CURVE, Pa. - Eager fans will have their opportunity to purchase individual Pirates-Curve Exhibition Game tickets in-person only during the Altoona Curve's Inaugural Holiday Bazaar this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.  This is the first opportunity for the general public to purchase individual tickets for the exhibition game which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 30, 2013 in Altoona.  Admission and parking for Saturday's Holiday Bazaar is free of charge. 

In addition to the first public opportunity to grab tickets for the highly-anticipated game, the Curve will have a special guest on hand to kick off the holiday season in their very own Steamer Claus.  Steamer Claus will be making a grand entrance for all fans to see at 10:30 a.m. via the STAT Medevac helicopter from Altoona Regional Health System.  Once he arrives at the ballpark, he will take photos with fans and children alike in front of the first-ever Curve Christmas Tree, which sits outside the gates of the main ticket plaza. 

Saturday morning's event also serves as the grand opening of the Curve Holiday Store, which will be housed at the ballpark this season with operating hours of Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The store will be stocked with brand new Curve apparel fit for anyone on your holiday gift-giving list including the official Pirates-Curve Exhibition Game T-shirt, which goes on sale Saturday as well. 

Patrons should also walk both the Upper and Lower Concourses of the ballpark on Saturday to experience over 100 local vendors and what they have to offer for the holiday season.  From candles and soup sales to handbags, purses and totes, there will be a gift idea for everyone on your list this holiday season. 

While parents shop the Bazaar, children can stay busy helping create ornaments for the Curve Christmas Tree at our crafts station.  Children can create their very own ornament and then proceed outside and hang it on the 25-foot tree in the ticket plaza.  The first-ever Curve Christmas Tree was donated by Jack & Marge Reed of Altoona and contains over 2,500 lights from top to bottom.  The tree was transported and placed on the ticket plaza by Beck's Maintenance of Duncansville. 

For those that need to pick up a tree of their own, the Eldorado Kiwanis Club will have Christmas Trees on hand for people to buy the day of the event. 

Visitors to the Bazaar are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Drive or a non-perishable food item for the food drive to benefit St. Vincent de Paul Society Soup Kitchen.  Patrons that donate will receive one ticket for our Pick-A-Prize Auction, which will take place during the Bazaar.  Tickets for the Pick-A-Prize auction can also be purchased for $1 during the event, with the ticket sales going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society Soup Kitchen. 

Youngsters 12 and under will also have the opportunity to sign up for the free 2013 Galliker's Curve Kids' Club at the Bazaar on Saturday.  The 2013 club features many new benefits including 10 free games instead of eight plus non-gameday events like an ice cream social with our mascots and three different read across the ballpark dates. 

For Curve fans 55 and older, the Silver Steamers Club presented by Homewood at Martinsburg will go on sale beginning Saturday as well.  For $25, Silver Steamers Club members receive one Diamond Club ticket to five different Curve games during the 2013 season.  The first 200 fans that sign up for the club will receive a 2013 Club T-shirt as well as a refillable coffee mug that will be good for $1 refills on coffee, hot chocolate and soda at the ballpark during the 2013 campaign. 

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