Frequently Asked Questions - Festival Night
Who can attend the festival?
The festival is open to everyone, parents, players, coaches, families and the public.
Where is the festival located?
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The festival is located at Council Bluffs Recreation Complex (2900 Richard Downing Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51501). This is right across the bridge from downtown Omaha that crosses the Missouri River which splits Iowa and Omaha. It is the very first exit and you can see the complex from Interstate I-80
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When is the Festival?
Thursday, June 17th (Session 1) and Thursday, June 24th (Session 3)
The festival takes place from 5 pm to 9 pm at the Council Bluffs Rec Complex.
The festival takes place from 5 pm to 9 pm at the Council Bluffs Rec Complex.
When should we show up to the Festival and what about parking?
Each festival will have roughly 8,000 to 10,000 attendees. We recommend you show up around 4pm or as early as you can to get a parking spot. There are three parking lots at Council Bluffs Rec Complex. Once those lots are full you can park at the mall across the street and walk down to the facility (10-15min walk). Showing up early will also allow you to “set up camp” and get a great spot for all the events.
What takes place at the festival?
Skills Challenge (additional fee): Events include Golden Arm, All In, Pass The Baton, and Bunting Challenge. You can find a description of each of these on the tournament home page under Skills Challenge.
We will also have, giant inflatables, tournament merchandise, vendor row, pin trading, 10’ wooden bat bonfire with fireworks, and the 13u/14u Pro Player Workout.
We will also have, giant inflatables, tournament merchandise, vendor row, pin trading, 10’ wooden bat bonfire with fireworks, and the 13u/14u Pro Player Workout.
When does the Bonfire take place?
This will take place on field 10 at roughly 6:25pm. The bonfire will be the headline of the evening where two 10 ft. wooden bats will be set on fire in the ritual tradition to rid players of their hitting slumps. Wooden bats are encouraged to be thrown into the fire if players are interested in busting their slump; hence, the SlumpBuster!
Will Domingo Ayala be there?
Yes, Domingo plays a big part in our festival night. He will go his live show also on field 10 around 6pm before the Bonfire. After words he will head back to the merchandise tent and have a autograph and photo session.
What is the Pro Player Workout?
All 13u and 14u players attending Session #1 and Session #3 of the Omaha SlumpBuster have an opportunity to attend the Pro Player Workout, hosted by the coaching staff at Iowa Western Community College. This national powerhouse JUCO coaching staff and Triple Crown will show you what to expect at a college exposure workout, so you’ll be prepared down the road.
Set for June 17th and June 24th, the Pro Player Workout Experience gives each athlete a chance to perform and be graded at one of four positions – outfield, pitcher, infield and catcher. Every player will also hit eight pitches and be timed from home to first after the final swing. We’ll clock you in the 60-yard dash, and all catchers will get their pop-time to second base recorded. Pitchers will be evaluated on 10-15 throws.
Iowa Western’s program is an ideal source for information about high-achieving performance. The Reivers won the National JUCO World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, including a runner up finish in the 2019 JUCO World Series, and head coach Marc Rardin has sent more than 100 players to D-I programs.
Limited spots available; no walk-ups allowed, and the session will not conflict with any SlumpBuster tournament games. This does take place during festival and does conflict with other activities.
This festival is the cornerstone of the SlumpBuster event and we recommend that all of your players, coaches and fans be an integral part of the festivities.
Will you have a parade of teams?
No, we do not offer a parade of teams for this event.
How much does the festival cost?
Entry to the festival night is included in the team's entry fee.
Will there be food available?
There will be concessions available and usually has long lines. We recommend that you visit one of our food sponsors listed on our site prior to your arrival.
