As we approach the 4^th of July weekend, we also approach one of the most exciting parts of the MLB season: All-Star Week. This article will give you a summary of each event, who’s participating, and what to expect. You can tune into all of the MLB Festivities next week through ESPN.

This year’s All-Star week is being held in Progressive Field, Home of the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland is a very live city rich in sports culture, and their fans have showed a tremendous amount of excitement to be hosting the events. The last time Cleveland hosted the All-Star game was back in 1997, when the stadium was named Jacob’s Field. Indians legend Larry Doby threw out the first pitch of the game, and Cleveland’s own Sandy Alomar Jr. took home the MVP trophy. With other Cleveland greats in attendance and 3 Indians on the AL’s roster, you can expect a great reception from fans not just local to the area, but from all over the country as well.

The first major event that will take place is the Celebrity Softball Game on Sunday, July 7^th. The rosters are filled with sports stars, actors, and musicians from the local area. Some great athletes who spent time playing for Cleveland sports teams you can expect to see would be Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns, JR Smith of the 2016 champion Cavaliers team, and UFC champion Stipe Miocic. Cleveland natives Machine Gun Kelly and Drew Carey will also lace up their cleats for this star-studded softball game as well. Some other celebrities you will see not from the Cleveland area include Actor Jamie Foxx, fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, and musician Daddy Yankee.

Next on the list of activities is the much-anticipated Home Run Derby, which is going down the next night on Monday, July 8^th. Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana will be competing for his city, going up against a deep lineup of this year’s best sluggers such as Christian Yelich and Pete Alonso. A previous article by SneakerReporter also said you should look out for Pirates Josh Bell and Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. making the list, and both of them will be participating. Two more spots in the 8-man bracket remain a mystery, but you can expect both of those spots to be filled by players with an impressive resume for the event. One thing is for certain: you can expect a great show from some of the MLB’s best sluggers Monday night.

Last but not least you have the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 9th, which will not disappoint the fans in any way. This year’s lineups consist of some MLB fan favorites, as well as plenty of new names we haven’t seen on this stage before. Cleveland’s own Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, and Brad Hand will keep the local fans on their feet all night. 31 first-time All-Stars will take the field as well, showing some of the great, young talent professional baseball has to offer. While the AL’s starting pitcher has not yet been named, they will be facing Dodgers Ace Hyun-Jin Ryu to start out the game. There are plenty of excellent players who will take the field Tuesday night, so you can keep your eyes peeled for your favorites. SneakerReporter’s Instagram @sr_mlb will be posting the lineups for not just the All-Star game, but other events as well. After everyone enjoys the holiday weekend, they can double up on the All-Star fun right after.