Due to impending snowstorm, Pirates announce changes to 2026 PiratesFest

As the city prepares for a massive weekend snowstorm, the Pirates announced changes to the upcoming 2026 PiratesFest, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday. 

The team announced that the player appearances and event times will change as a result of the weather. 

PiratesFest will now conclude one hour earlier at 5 p.m. rather than the originally scheduled ending of 6 p.m. 

Meanwhile, the Pirates said that all autograph sessions will still take place as originally scheduled, but several players have been impacted by the impending storm and will not be able to make it to Pittsburgh. 

Those players include Joey Bart, Jhostynxon Garcia, Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Bryan Reynolds, and Dennis Santana. 

Fans who donated money for an autograph session will be fully refunded. The Pirates said that fans can still keep their tickets and take part in autographs. 

"We understand this is disappointing to many of our fans attending on Saturday, especially those planning to see certain players, but the safety and well-being of everyone involved is our top priority, and these decisions were made with that in mind," the team said in a news release. 

To that end, the team also said they came to the decision to make the changes to PiratesFest after consulting with local weather services. 

Updates on player autograph sessions will be announced, and fans will be notified once the new information becomes available, according to the team. 

2026 PiratesFest is scheduled to take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, January 24, beginning at 10 a.m.