Three straight Astros games at Citi Field is a good late-August set on its own, but the giveaway calendar is the reason to pick a day. The opener ends with postgame fireworks over Flushing Bay and runs Irish Heritage Night with Shilelagh Law playing pregame, and the finale hands out a Mr. Met light-up bobblehead posed at the Unisphere, the 1964 World's Fair globe a few hundred yards away. If you only get to one Queens game, make it a giveaway day.
What to expect
You come out of the Mets-Willets Point station at the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and into a ballpark whose outfield concourse doubles as a food hall. Giveaway items go to the first fans through the gates, so lines form early on those days. The Home Run Apple rises beyond centre field after every Mets home run.
Good to know
- The 7 train to Mets-Willets Point drops you at the gate, and the LIRR serves the same station
- US Open crowds share that station all weekend, so allow far more travel time than usual
- Giveaways go to the first fans through the gates, so arrive well before first pitch for one
- Parking around the ballpark is diverted on tennis conflict dates, so transit is the safer bet
- The outfield concourse holds the best food, including Queens-specific vendors
- Afternoon starts leave much of the bowl in full sun, so bring a hat
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Common questions
Are the Mets home this weekend?
Yes. They host the Houston Astros at Citi Field for all three games, with an evening first pitch to open the series and afternoon starts across the rest of it.
What are the giveaways?
Peanuts Day covers the first 15,000 fans at the middle game, and the finale gives the first 18,000 a Mr. Met at the Unisphere light-up bobblehead. The opener has postgame fireworks.
Will the US Open affect my trip?
Yes. The tennis centre is across the street and shares the same station, so trains and the surrounding roads will be far busier than for a normal home game.
More this weekend
