From a press release by Entertainment and Sports International:

A midway will be set up outside the Fort Worth Cats stadium on July 3rd 2009

Fort Worth, TX — Fort Worth Cats baseball fans may want to come early to stop by the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest at LaGrave Field on July 3, 2009 when the Fort Worth Cats take on the Pensacola Pelicans. The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest is an unparalleled, and completely free, celebration of baseball visiting nearly 50 minorleague baseball ballparks all across the country during its sixth season.Created and produced by Entertainment & Sports International (ESI), the 4000square foot Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest will be set-up just outside the main gates and will be open for fans at 4:05PM. For the sixth consecutive year, the Principal Financial Group will serve as exclusive title sponsor of this unique entertainment experience.

Baseball legend and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan returns as national spokesperson. The minor leagues offer fans a great baseball experience, said Ryan. From exceptional value to a safe, family environment, fans get to see competitive professional baseball with non-stop entertainment. The Principal Financial Group FamilyFun Fest extends that excitement before the game with an event truly unique to minor league ballparks.

Started in 2004, the tour has already been visited by more than 1.5 million fans at over 250 appearances. Open three hours before the game and set up right outside the main stadium gates, the event is free to all fans and features more than 20 baseball themed attractions,including:

• A minor league baseball museum.
• A state of the art Great Clips Best Buy Mobile Video Game Arcade with the latest baseball and family games.
• Free souvenir personalized baseball cards sponsored by Days Inn.
• Free Sports Illustrated Kids personalized magazine covers.
• A midway with batting and pitching cages, giant slides, bounce houses, bungee runs.
• A special Rookie Zone for younger fans.

There has never been more pressure on families to stretch their entertainment dollar, said ESI co-founder Joe Owens. With historically low ticket and concession prices, a family of four can go to a minor league baseball game with great food and merchandise for under 50 bucks. Add to that the completely free Family Fun Fest and you have unmatched and unprecedented entertainment value. We believe minor league baseball will continue to deliver record-breaking attendance figures in 2009.

The game isscheduled to begin at 7:05PM and game tickets are available by visiting fwcats.com.

Avenue of Light, a public art project, consists of six stainless steel sculptures that incorporate energy-efficient LED lights and tower 36 feet high. They’ve been installed along the median from Lamar Street to Main/Commerce Street.

The public is invited to this free party. Speakers will include Mayor Mike Moncrief, Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks, Council Member Joel Burns and the artist, Cliff Garten.

The event begins at 8:30 p.m. at the northeast corner of Lancaster Avenue and Throckmorton Street, where light refreshments will be served. The program starts at 9:00 p.m. with remarks. The sculptures will then become a “canvas” for a color light program lasting about 30 minutes and created especially for the occasion.

Lancaster Avenue will be closed to traffic 8-10 p.m. from Throckmorton to Houston streets. Parking is available two blocks north at the new Fort Worth Convention Center Parking Garage.

The City of Fort Worth’s public art program commissioned Avenue of Light as part of Lancaster Avenue’s reconstruction. The sculptures’ contemporary design was inspired by the nearby Texas & Pacific Terminal’s Art Deco architectural details.

Lancaster Avenue’s reconstruction is a catalyst for future economic development along the corridor. Median landscaping will be part of a future phase of the project.

Avenue of Light will be illuminated nightly from dusk to dawn beginning June 26.

The Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County administers the city’s public art program. Fort Worth Public Art creates an enhanced visual environment for Fort Worth residents, commemorates the city’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity, integrates the design work of artists into the development of the City’s capital infrastructure improvements, and promotes tourism and economic vitality in the city through the artistic design of public spaces. For more information visit www.fwpublicart.org.