ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Major League Baseball, a custom happy hour menu and the Sutter Health Park gameday atmosphere took over the 32 Brews Street restaurant at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove on July 24 for the A’s watch party against the Houston Astros.

More than 150 fans came out to watch the A’s put on a clinic against Houston, holding the Astros to zero runs until the bottom of the seventh inning and winning the game 5-2. Participants had three chances to win prizes, including Sky River Salon tickets, an A’s straw hat and bobbleheads.  

Through the A’s previously established relationship with the River Cats, Sky River Casino expanded its partnership to include the Athletics because of the club’s 81 major league games that are played at Sutter Health Park, A’s Vice-President of Sales and Business Operations Steve Fanelli said. 

Fanelli said Sky River has been a great supporter of the Athletics and the club is excited for the opportunity to engage with fans. 

“For us to get off property and come to this beautiful venue to do a watch party, it’s been super exciting for us and the fans that are showing up here are happy to be here and this is great property here,” Fanelli said. 

 

Patrons eat food and drink beer as they watch the A’s play the Houston Astros at Sky River Casino’s A’s watch party at 32 Brews Street in Elk Grove on July 24.

Fans decked out in A’s T-shirts, jerseys, hats and other apparel cheered on the A’s while watching across more than 40 televisions within the 32 Brews Street establishment. Free gear awaited patrons who RSVP’d for the event. On the tables and chairs of the restaurant, attendees found Mason Miller bobbleheads, A’s T-shirts and foam baseballs as they filed into the seating area. 

“The fans have embraced us as a team,” Fanelli said. “There’s a lot of people now with their A’s gear on and there’s a lot of cool Sacramento items in the team shop that people are buying.”

Fanelli said that talking to fans and understanding how they are enjoying their experience at the ballpark with Major League Baseball in the Sacramento area is something he does almost nightly when the team is at home. 

“People are here to see major league baseball,” Fanelli said. “There’s 30 great major league baseball teams, superstars from all over the country and to have the opportunity to do that in this really defined period of time, it’s unique and special, and it’s something that I think fans are driving or coming from distances to experience.” 

A lot of fans want to check out every ballpark, and now there’s another one to check off the list at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento with three years left to check it off, Fanelli said. 

 

The A’s four World Series trophies were on display at 32 Brews Street within the Sky River Casino, located at 1 Sky River Parkway in Elk Grove on July 24.

The addition of 81 major league games with the A’s tenure in West Sacramento is estimated to bring hundreds of thousands of baseball fans to the Sacramento region. With the A’s established connections in the Sacramento area, their temporary stay in West Sacramento could prove to set the precedent of professional baseball in Sacramento more permanently. 

The A’s organization is partnered with multiple Sacramento businesses and plans to host other watch parties throughout the season and the team’s tenure in the city.  

32 Brews Street had a curated watch-party menu for the event, extending happy hour from 3 to 8 p.m. Food items were listed at $15 and under, and alcoholic beverages saw several discounts across multiple drink choices, featuring a special drink for $10 called the Los Atleticos Margarita. The restaurant is located within Elk Grove’s Sky River Casino at 1 Sky River Parkway. 

For businesses looking to work and partner with the Athletics, any connections previously established with the River Cats will help navigate the necessary channels to establish connections with the A’s, due to the partnership between the Athletics, Sacramento Kings and River Cats. 

Fanelli said the A’s organization is all about helping to cultivate community and grow baseball. Although the club isn’t in the Sacramento area long-term, Fanelli said, they still have an obligation to the community. 

 

Balloons in the figure of an A’s baseball player stood outside the entrance to 32 Brews Street on July 24 for the A’s watch party against the Houston Astros. 

“We want people to know that we care about the West Sacramento community and local Sacramento area and region. It’s been great to us; it’s been an amazing experience playing at Sutter Health Park. The fans have been incredible,” Fanelli said.