Thursday saw big news in the Phillies offseason, and the end of an era at Citizens Bank Park.
No, we’re not talking about Nick Castellanos being released. We’re talking about none other than Sam the Popcorn Girl.
Samantha DiMarco, as she is known to her family, announced that she is not going to be selling ballpark concessions for much of this upcoming season.
The 30-year-old Delco native has become famous as one of the popcorn vendors at Phillies home games, particularly due to her social media posts and her impressive ability to balance the popcorn tub on her head.
But this summer, DiMarco will be headed for the high seas with a new gig on a Carnival Cruise Line ship.
Making her announcement the same day the news broke of a major player departing wasn’t ideal, but DiMarco had already been putting off for a while what she knew was going to be an emotional announcement.
“I tried not to cry,” she recalled “I had been rehearsing in my car for months on end, because I’ve known this day has been coming for a couple months now.”
To protect her privacy, DiMarco didn’t give any details about what her exact role will be, or which ship and specific line she’ll be on. The only hints she gave were that the weather will be warm and her experience working with the public will come in handy.
“Just meeting new people and traveling are two of my favorite things to do,” she said. “I want to know people’s stories and just interact, find new cultures, new foods to try, new activities.”
Ten years of selling popcorn and building up a social media following have made her a recognizable face in the Philly sports world and around the city. In her new gig, she says, the cruise-goers most likely to recognize her will be the children, because of her cameo on the kids show Blippi.
DiMarco said she would miss almost everything about selling popcorn at the ballpark — except for the cold April games when her fingers freeze, windy games and the balmy Saturday 4 p.m. games.
Everything else, she’ll miss: Interacting with fans, the pregame video on Phanavision, the extra money, even the fans of the opposing teams — “except maybe Mets fans.”
What will sting the most is missing July’s MLB All-Star game.
“I have been waiting my entire life as a fan to see an All-Star game and a Home Run Derby in person,” she said. “Then two years ago they announced it for Philly and now I don’t get to be there. I was so looking forward to it, and now I’m very sad to miss that.”
One silver lining is that the cruise ship DiMarco will be on will have a sports bar. She said that when she’s not working or tanning, she’ll likely be there. She also will be getting all the in-depth updates from her dad Joe and her friend Amelia.
“I want full fan updates. Like, this is what we would talk about if we were in person,” she said. “Like, who’s doing good? Who’s slumping right now? Who needs a firm kick in the ass … I want that stuff. I want the fan stuff.”
DiMarco was quick to assure everyone that this is not a goodbye; it’s more of a “see you later.” Her cruise ship contract ends in August, setting her up for a return to the ballpark on Aug. 19 for the last game of a home series against the Florida Marlins.
“You bet your asses, come hell or high water, I’ll be at that stadium,” she said in her announcement video.
She said she plans to stay throughout September — and, as all Phillies fans surely hope, October. After that, she said, if she enjoys this cruise gig, she’ll plan to set sail on another contract.
DiMarco has given other vendors her blessing to sell popcorn while she’s at sea. When she gets back, though, it’s all hers again.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she said. “No matter where I am in the world, I will still be a Phillies fan, and I will always try and come back.”
