From FanFest, concerts and celebrity sightings, MLB All-Star Week plans big league fun for Miami

This five-day extravaganza from July 7-11 is a baseball lover’s dream. Legendary baseball greats Dave Winfield, Octavio “Cookie” Rojas, Benito Santiago, Tony Perez, Derrek Lee, Jeff Conine, Cliff Floyd and Andrew Dawson will all be making appearances. Once you’re done ogling over the kings of the diamond, spend time in the All-Star Dugout, Playground, Video Game Zone and Clubhouse. Collectors, you’ll want to bring your cards and pins for trading or you can try slugging it at the Home Run Derby section. Plus, you don’t want to miss the Marlins memorabilia and artifacts in the Hometown Heroes display.

You might catch the Major League Baseball Legends of the future at the All-Star Youth Classic Friday through Monday at both Grapeland Park and Fern Isle Park. 12 baseball and softball teams are scheduled to participate, hailing from Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, California, Michigan, Indiana, Tampa, FL and Miami.

During the All-Star week festivities, Bayfront Park will be transformed into a Ball Park, complete with baseball diamond and pitching cages. Kids can enjoy tee ball and softball hitting, running around the bases and also wind up and throw pitches. The interactive area is more than one acre and also features baseball clinics and fun interaction with mascots.

Lace up your running shoes for this evening run through Bayfront Park, the Port Bridge and down Biscayne Boulevard through colorful, glowing scenes of the rainforest and sea, rainbows and candy (as much day glo fluorescent colors as Ultra Music Fest!). The finish line leads to one big dance party celebration where rap star Lil’ John mans the decks.

Bayfront Park is the place for a full-on Zumba class led by Zumba creator Beto Perez and what better to get you moving than the sounds of Puerto Rican reggaeton star Don Omar who performs alongside DJs from Y-100 and 94.9 FM. Come hungry and thirsty because they’ll have food trucks and a mimosa bar.

The star-studded event caps off the weekend festivities with the All-Star Futures Game followed by Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. Local rapper and Miami native Flo Rida headlines the concert between the two games but at this event he’ll share the spotlight with other celebrities and sports legends.

Action on the baseball diamond kicks off with a nine-innings featuring the top minor-league prospects who could be headed to the majors at 4 p.m. Once that game concludes, celebrities including actors Jamie Foxx, Dascha Polanco, Miles Teller from the film “Whiplash,” Justin Hartley from “This is Us” and Michael Cudlitz from “The Walking Dead” head out on the field along with baseball legends former Miami Marlins players Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Al Leiter and Benito Santiago along with Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.