Take Me Out to the Ballgame at West Villages’ Dazzling Diamond: CoolToday Park

Home run! When the Atlanta Braves decided to move their spring training out of Orlando, Southwest Florida stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Now the boys of summer are back at CoolToday Park.

The Atlanta Braves open their pre-season in February at the state-of-the-art ballpark in North Port in the heart of West Villages. Considered one of Major League Baseball’s most dazzling new spring-training diamonds, CoolToday Park boasts 6,200 fixed seats and 1,800 berm seats, offering everything you’d expect in a pro park—and more.

Better yet, the field, in the heart of Florida’s Grapefruit League, lies virtually steps away from West Villages’ nine high-scoring neighborhoods As CoolToday’s biggest patron and the Braves’ No. 1 spring-training fan, West Villages offers a few ideas about how to take full advantage pre-season ball our own backyard:

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. This ain’t your grandfather’s ballpark menu. At CoolToday Park, you can feast on offerings from Green Fields, Braves BBQ, Chicken Coop and Fish Camp and enjoy the Tomahawk Tiki Bar, located along the left-field concourse.

Tickets here, get your tickets!: A regular-season pro game typically costs a family of four nearly $250, which includes tickets, one hot dog each and a couple of beers and souvenir caps. Not at CoolToday Park. Tickets run just $10 for the berm and up to $35 elsewhere.

Sign ’em up: Stars’ autographs are easier to come by at spring training. That’s especially true if you’re patient and you know the players and the signatures you want. Visit the park’s six practice fields on non-game days when the team’s in town. Arrive early for batting practice. Finally, don’t forget pens—and even a backup Sharpie just in case.

Baseball’s for kids: Sure, ballparks are a paradise for children’s favorite treats—think funnel cakes—but the game’s family-bonding tradition stretches back more than 150 years. At CoolToday Park, where spring training is a great way to introduce your kids to America’s pastime, children younger than 3 are admitted free. The park also features Coca-Cola Corner, the grassy area along the left-field line. Just don’t forget to pack your children’s mitts because that foul ball will be a lifelong keeper.

More than just baseball: CoolToday Park plays host to movie nights, symphony concerts, farmers market and more.Don’t forget sunscreen: It’s Florida. It’s outdoors. It’s baseball.

To learn more about how you can enjoy West Villages’ home-field advantage in one of the nation’s leading master-planned communities, visit West Villages’ Model Home Centers, listed here, or call the Home Buyers Information Line at 941-960-7805.