WooSox and City Officials Cut Ribbon Today to Open Summit Street at Polar Park

Duck Boat, Diner, Wormtown Summit, A Taste of Worcester, Cap Car,

Summit Street Ticket Office, and Canal District Mural provide festive elements;

Fans can now circumnavigate ballpark’s 0.4 mile “WooSox Loop.”

WORCESTER, MA -- The Worcester Red Sox and City of Worcester officials today cut the ribbon on Summit Street, the final piece of the Polar Park design. Set to open this Wednesday, September 22, when the team plays its final homestand of the Inaugural Season, the street fair includes an assortment of elements intended to add to the festivity of the Polar Park experience.

Restored to its 1940s health is the Sherwood Diner, thanks to a generous donation from the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation. Pronounced “Sheerwood,” the diner will be the headquarters of the WooSox Foundation, and will serve as a meeting spot and gathering place during games as well as when the team is not playing. While it will not function as a “ham and egg” restaurant, it will serve Table Talk Pies, coffee, and Polar Beverages, among other treats. From time to time, WooSox and former Boston Red Sox players may be meeting fans and signing autographs; pre-game shows and post-game shows may be broadcast; mascots may meet children; and the WooSox Foundation’s many community partners will disseminate information. The WooSox purchased the diner from the American Diner Heritage, led by Daniel Zilka.

“Beantown Betty,” the famed Boston Duck Boat, has chosen to retire to Worcester. Fans will be able to board the boat once occupied by Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, and a host of stars from all four major sports during World Championship celebrations. Adults can toast the World Series champs with a beverage from Wormtown Brewery, provided on the side of the boat. The WooSox received the amphibious craft from Cindy Brown and Tony Cerulle of Boston Duck Tours.

Wormtown Brewery will also have its own tap bar right at Gold and Summit—the Wormtown Summit, at Gate B. Fans can enjoy the local brewery’s popular refreshments at “the summit of the summit.”

“A Taste of Worcester,” presented by Masis Staffing Solutions, is another element that adds Worcester flavor to Summit Street and the ballpark. Local restauranteurs will have a home from which they can provide their culinary delights at games.

A “Cap Car” will have its parking space on Summit Street as well. The ornately adorned drivable vehicle is a WooSox and Polar Park merchandise outpost.

The Summit Street Ticket Office, at Gate A—on the corner of Summit Street and Plymouth Street— will provide fans with a second Will Call area, in addition to the ticket office at Gate D on Madison Street. This new office, which will be presented by Fallon Health, will allow the

many fans who walk through the neighborhood from the Worcester Common and Union Station to conveniently enter on Plymouth Street without having to walk around to Madison Street.

On game days, a “Summit Street Fair” will typically have music, magicians, face painters, and other family fun elements. Mascots Smiley Ball and Woofster the WonderDog are also expected to be frequent visitors.

The opening of Summit Street introduces “The WooSox Loop,” a 0.4 mile route that allows fans to circumnavigate the park. Fans can leave their seats, wander around the ballpark, and complete the circuit. Signage will provide mile markers along the way. In the future, the WooSox Loop will be open for the public to walk around the park, whether the team is home or on the road, in-season or off-season.

“We are proud to complete this last portion of Polar Park in time for fans to enjoy it during this Inaugural Season,” said WooSox Chairman and Principal Owner Larry Lucchino. “We think fans will enjoy the WooSox Loop, whether to stretch their legs, see various features of the ballpark, or enjoy the new amenities that Summit Street offers. We are also eager to showcase these new additions at the many events that will take place after the baseball season, including the “EBW Classic,” the inaugural college football game on October 23 featuring Holy Cross versus Colgate.”

While most of the elements will be between Gold Street and Plymouth Street, a beautiful new Summit Street mural will connect Gold Street to Ash Street. The mural depicts a host of Canal District personalities, including Babe Ruth, and was painted by local artist Ryan Gardell of Artifakt Studios, with Ferlay Jean-Baptiste, Ferdinand Nazario, and Ghrimm Xavier participating as assistant artists. Canal District resident and leader Allen Fletcher helped provide the historical context for the subjects.

The Babe was known to quench his ample thirst at the Canal District’s Hotel Vernon on Kelley Square while visiting a mentor of his, the legendary Jack Barry. The mural also pays tribute to Theodore Tonna, a founder of Table Talk Pies; Emma Goldman, a political activist and pioneer in women’s rights; Tobias Boland, the contractor for the construction of the Blackstone Canal; Jaki Byard, an internationally renowned jazz pianist; Stanley Kunitz, Poet Laureate of the United States; and Mary Jane Mack, who for 55 years was a teacher and principal in the Ash Street School, the building that stands today at Ash and Summit streets.

--WOOSOX ’21--