It’s time for the annual Gay Community Night down at Citizens Bank Park and tickets are still (believably) available. Might be because the Phillies usually lose on Gay Night (their record is 2-10), with their second win being just last year. Or maybe it’s because there’s so much going on in the summer that people haven’t had a free minute to buy their tickets for the 7:04 p.m. July 30 game against the Colorado Rockies.
As for me, my money is on the stat that the Phillies have a 29-62 record leading up to the All-Star break. Maybe after a breather, they’ll come back on fire!
All that aside, there’s a lot to be said for a night out at the ballpark with hundreds of your gayest friends. The game is just the start of the fun — the people and the atmosphere are the rest. It’s lucky 13 also, so it might be a good night to get a 50-50 ticket. Even with reduced attendance, it’s several-thousand dollars more than you’ve got now!
Tickets are only $20 for sections 201-205 and $30 for sections 301-305. (They’re set aside in blocks so you know you’ll be around others of your kind.) If there are 500-plus tickets sold through the online site (the link is on the Gay Community Night Facebook wall) and phone combined (Colleen at 215-463-5000), then a member of the LGBT community gets to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. A portion of every ticket purchased goes to the Sean Halpin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Take me out to a ballgame and let’s get out and play!
Serving it up in Manayunk
If you are a tennis fan, then you undoubtedly spent some time before the tube recently with the world-famous tournament played on those grass courts at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Players and friends of players got into the swing of things at the annual Breakfast at Wimbledon fundraiser held by the Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association (philadelphialibertytennis.org) July 12 at Boxers PHL.
Money raised during the breakfast party will be used for this year’s tournament coming up in a couple of weeks. PLTA is serving up the annual Philadelphia Open July 24-26 at Legacy Youth Tennis and Education Center, 4842 Ridge Ave. Registration is still open for that weekend’s singles and doubles competitions and the weather looks promising.
This is the fourth year for the tournament and organizer Dave Killian said he hopes it will be the biggest one yet and that the weather patterns are looking good for the end of the month. Spectators are welcome as well, so if you’re into watching some heated competition, head out and enjoy the volley and the folly.
Short stops
• The Stonewall Kickball season championship games are July 26 at FDR Park and July 30 at the Cruz Recreation Center, 1431 N. Sixth St. Bring a cooler and some friends. Registration is also going on for the fall season. More info at stonewallkickballphilly.org.
• Don’t forget to put Aug. 17 on your travel calendar for the first drag pitch when the Reading Fightin Phils take on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (huh?) as part of Reading Pride Celebration. Tickets start at $11 and the first 2,000 people get a Fightins game cap!
• Those soccer-playing Falcons are still welcoming new and used players for their summer pick-ups and teaching camps. See Falcon-soccer.org for details.
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