A Virginia Minor League Baseball team becomes ‘The Norfolk Lumpia’ for a day

Morgan McSweeney (left), Cadyn Grenier (middle) and Drew Rom (right) sporting the Tides’ temporary Norfolk Lumpia jerseys in celebration of Hampton Roads’ huge Filipino American community. NORFOLK TIDES

Norfolk, Virginia’s Minor League Baseball team, The Norfolk Tides, will temporary become the Norfolk Lumpia for its game on Saturday, April 8 at Harbor Park to celebrate the region’s vibrant Filipino American culture, the team announced.

The Norfolk Tides are a Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Its Filipino American Heritage Day will also feature a special pre-game ceremony showcasing Filipino culture, food vendors on the concourse, and a special first pitch by Songwriting Hall of Fame Inductee Chad Hugo of The Neptunes/N.E.R.D.! Hugo is also a Grammy Award winner and a multi-platinum Filipino American record producer.

“We’re very excited to launch this unique team identity at Harbor Park” said Tides General Manager Joe Gregory in a release. “Hampton Roads has a rich Filipino American culture. Filipino cuisine is on featured menus throughout the area from sports bars to seafood restaurants. Lumpia is etched into the core of the Hampton Roads food scene.”

Gregory said further: “We are fortunate to work with members of the Filipino American National Historical Society – Hampton Roads Chapter to bring this identity to life. We look forward to continuing this partnership for seasons to come.”

The Hampton Roads community, comprising the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and surrounding areas, is home to some 40,000 Filipinos, one of the largest Filipino American populations in the country.

Many Filipinos immigrated to the area via the U.S. military, particularly the United States Navy, as well as health professions and teachers.

Songwriting Hall of Fame Inductee Chad Hugo of The Neptunes/N.E.R.D. will throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Filipino American Heritage Day game. WEBSITE

On Saturday, April 8, Harbor Park will feature local Filipino food vendors, showcasing a wide-variety of Filipino cuisine, including lumpia, which will become a permanent offering at the park, the team said.

The vendors include It’s All Good Food, Flippin’ Hangry and Andie’s Bakery. Lumpia will also be available for all Tides games at Harbor Park at the new 757 Comfort Food stand on the First Base concourse.

A specialty New Era cap has been created for the night. The blue cap with a brim inspired by the Flag of the Philippines features lumpia logo on the front of the cap and the Flag of the Philippines stars and sun on the brim. The customized jersey features the Norfolk Lumpia word mark, lumpia logo on the left sleeve.

Limited-edition custom merchandise is also available, including the 59fifty New Era cap, adjustable caps, and jerseys. All of the Norfolk Lumpia merchandise is available for purchase now at Tides.milbstore.com and will be available for purchase, while supplies last, at the Tides Team Store starting Saturday, April 8 for Filipino American Heritage Night.

Ticketing Information

Fans can purchase tickets in person at the Harbor Park box office or online at NorfolkTides.com/Tickets. The Harbor Park box office is currently open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday each week. The box office also opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays when the team is at home, and is open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturdays with no home game.