Isabel Meléndez-Rivera“Béisbol en Salt Lake” is back at The Ballpark at America First Square this weekend, marking the event’s third year celebrating Hispanic culture in the Salt Lake Valley.
Two teams from the Mexican Pacific League (or La Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico) will play each other this Saturday and Sunday.
The Aguilas de Mexicali, a team based in Baja California and founded in 1976, will match up against the Jaguares de Nayarit, a brand-new team now entering its second season.
On Saturday, the first pitch is at 6:30 p.m. before a post-game drone show. That follows a free Saturday morning kids baseball clinic from 10 a.m. to noon, with players and coaches from both pro teams participating.
Sunday’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. and ends with a mariachi performance.
Both days, there will be food specials, dance performances and more to accompany the games, according to the event website.
State Sen. Luz Escamilla, who teamed up with Miller Sports + Entertainment to bring the event to life, said “Beisbol in Salt Lake” is far different from what many Utahns are used to.
“You’re actually attending a whole experience, not just a game,” she said. “The entire time you’re like musica, ‘fiesta’ — party. ... They’re trying to make it so you’re basically experiencing a game in Mexico.”
Where to get tickets
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fans sit on the berm for a Salt Lake Bees game at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Tickets are available at beisbolensaltlake.com. Standard admission starts at $18.50 for all ages.
In past years, Escamilla said, fans have traveled from out of state to attend.
“Baseball is part of our ‘la comunidad’ (community) — it’s part of who we are,” she said. “Opportunities where families get a chance to also embrace their community and their heritage is something positive.”
She added the event’s “professional teams and players” are “really also just an opportunity to highlight that Utah has what it takes to have professional teams here.”
Escamilla noted that attendees should make their own judgements and stay safe if families are concerned about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
She said she applauds “the resiliency of our community for trying to live life and provide for their families” in this “stressful” and “unpredictable” time.
“We always tell people to be cautious to have a plan, an emergency plan,” she said, “and they have to assess their situation individually.”
