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Pro tip: Lot M is the place to be if you want a super chill tailgate at Citizens Bank Park.
Sometimes it’s great to revel in the sounds of bootleg t-shirt hucksters and people-watch the spillover crowd from Xfinity Live before you head into a Phillies game. But this lot is on the opposite corner, by the Jetro restaurant supply. And it’s much more relaxed, in the best way.
That’s where Billy Penn set up on Saturday to host our first event with Hittin’ Season, a podcast that’s been going for six years and became part of the WHYY fam this spring.
We were thrilled to see more than 200 people visit our little parking lot party throughout the afternoon — and there was good reason to swing by.
Evil Genius Beer set up a tent to offer free cans of the Fishtown brewery’s newest year-round release, appropriately called No Crying In Baseball.
A hazy mango IPA, it’s neither too fruity nor too bitter, but a solid refreshing swig with a 6% ABV that doesn’t creep up too quickly.
To go with the drinks, we gave away food graciously provided by restaurateurs Marlo and Jason Dilks, who sent several pies over from Slice pizzeria, one of their first food ventures.
The pizza went quickly, but it was backed up by sandwiches from the Dilks’ brand new South Philly joint, each cut in half and individually wrapped.
A favorite was the eponymous Nipotina, which takes chicken cutlet with fried red peppers, fried salami, and chipotle mayo. People could also opt for meatball parm, “The Eye” cheesesteak with Cooper Sharp, or “The Millie,” a take on a classic Italian hoagie.
“Free?” one tailgate guest asked incredulously. “What’s the catch?”
No catch, just a chance to answer BP Quizzo Phillies trivia questions and pose with the giant bat from Evil Genius.
All the food and drink was gone by the end of the day, along with lots of the swag offered by the WHYY street team.
Several podcast fans came by explicitly to meet cohosts John Stolnis, Liz Roscher, and Justin Klugh, who conducted interviews to showcase comments on an upcoming episode. (Find all the episodes at billypenn.com/hittinseason or wherever you get your podcasts.)
After the party ended, many continued inside the ballpark to watch the game. Which the home team promptly lost.
As Klugh posted on Twitter, it was a perfect day — ruined by a Phillies game.
But the baseball season is long, and there will be more to come. If you want to get involved with the next Billy Penn Hittin Season tailgate, hit us up at events@billypenn.com.
Scroll down for more pics from the day in the sun.
