North Port, Fla., will hold a rally Saturday afternoon to celebrate the arrival of the Braves for spring training.

“The city of North Port is throwing out the welcome mat for the Braves,” North Port Mayor Debbie McDowell said.

The free rally will be held from 1-4 p.m. on the City Center Front Green, featuring live music and various activities.

>> RELATED: Getting to know North Port

CoolToday Park, the Braves’ new spring training stadium, also will throw out a welcome mat for dignitaries this weekend, hosting a dinner event Sunday night that will draw MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and representatives of all 15 teams that hold spring training in Florida.

The ticketed event, known as the “Governor’s Baseball Dinner,” is held annually at varying locations around the Grapefruit League to mark the start of spring training. It’ll be held on CoolToday Park’s concourse, Braves President and CEO Derek Schiller said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Danny Young, 31, was with the Braves organization in 2022 and 2023, making eight major-league appearances. (Jason Getz/AJC 2023)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo