For those of you have been following Spring Training you already know that it will be wrapping up in the next two weeks and that Opening Day is almost here. The final Spring Training game will be Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 12:05 p.m. at home versus Milwaukee.

The Padres first “official” game of the season will be away, facing St. Louis for a 3-game series starting on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 1:15 p.m. Opening Day at Petco Park will be Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 3:35 p.m. where they will face last year’s World Series Champions the San Francisco Giants for a 2-game series. The Padres will celebrate the first home game of the season by giving away Padres Opening Day t-shirts.

Following the San Francisco Giants, the Padres will host the LA Dodgers for a 3-game series starting on Friday, April 8 at 7:05 and this game will feature Friday Night Fireworks, Fiesta Mexican and Rally Towels! On Saturday they’ll be giving away Padres mesh caps, and Sunday is Military Opening Day.

Looking to put a few games on the calendar? Check out the schedule and buy your tickets today!  There’s even a Promotional Schedule  showing all of the home games with cool give-aways and events! A few notable give-away days: Sat., April 9 – Padres mesh caps; Sat., June 11 – Padres Vintage caps; Sat., June 25 – Padres beach towels; and Sat., September 17 – Padres long-sleeve t-shirts and pet bandanas.

Fridays at the park are going to be AWESOME! Friday Night Fireworks will be held at the following games: May 20, June 24, July 15, August 19, September 2 and 23. And Friday Party at the Park will be held on the following dates: April 22 “Wine & Food Festival” and College Night, May 6 “Beerfest,” June 3 “Taste of Downtown,” June 10 “Margarita Park,” July 29 “Country Night,” September 16 “Oktoberfest” and College Night.

Looking for a fun family day that will be great for the kids? On several Sundays they will have “Kids Run the Bases” as well as cool promotional give-aways. Here’s a few things your kids might like: April 24- fielding gloves, May 22 – caps for kids, August 21 – backpacks, and September 18 – toy airplanes. They will be giving away a lot of other fun things too, so check the schedule for more information.

Flex-10 Packs are back! This is a great way to get 10 or more tickets and save up to 20% and these packs are more flexible than ever. You can buy online, by phone or at the box office. Bleacher seats and Park passes are an economical way to go and still have a fabulous experience (these are especially good for those of us with little ones who are more interested in playing in the center field sandbox, running around the grassy hill by Tony Gwynn’s statue or playing at the playground)!

There are so many reasons to come out and support the San Diego Padres this season! We are so excited for the season and are going to go to as many games as possible – don’t miss out on the fun!