December 15, 2023

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

The 2024 edition of the Montreal autograph festival known as Expos Fest sold out in less than five hours Thursday.

It was a tremendous response from Expos fans as the event on April 20 pays homage to the 1994 Expos.

Expos Fest operator Perry Giannias said 970 tickets at $200 per pop were sold.

"This is a record time sellout for us,'' Giannias said in an interview. "I believe it shows the love affair this city has with not only the Expos but with the 1994 team specifically. We had a dynasty that was destroyed by the strike and then the ownership group at the time.''

Fans from the Montreal area, other parts of Quebec, Ontario, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Las Vegas purchased tickets. Proceeds will support the Kat Demes Pavilion at the Montreal Children's Hospital in honour of Catherine Demes, a niece of Giannias, who died in 2015 at the age of five due to brain cancer.

"We're selling out as fast as a Taylor Swift show,'' the Expos Fest Twitter (X) feed said.

A ticket includes autographs from the players involved, a four-course dinner with beer and wine and $100 tax receipt.

Making his first appearance at an Expos Fest event is Pedro Martinez. Also coming are manager Felipe Alou and his son Moises, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, bullpen coordinator Pierre Arsenault, Ken Hill, Cliff Floyd, Rondell White, Darrin Fletcher, Wil Cordero, Mel Rojas, Lou Frazier, Tim Spehr, Jeff Fassero, Sean Berry, Gil Heredia, Mike Lansing and Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.).

To date, Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Marquis Grissom and Lenny Webster are unable to come but that may change.

"We are hopeful their schedules may clear up but for the time being, they can't commit,'' Giannias said.

"I'm very excited to get tickets,'' Tom Buttafarro of Jamestown, N.Y. told me. "For the last 10 years, I've seen Expos Fest grow and I'd said this was the year. Well, this year is the year. On top of that, I get to celebrate the 1994 team.

"I had tickets to see Tim Raines (White Sox) play in Toronto on Aug. 12, 1994 (day strike started). So 1994 has a lot of hidden resentment with me and Expos Fest is helping to give me closure,'' said Buttafarro, who is bringing along his fiance Heather Kiniry.

"I've been a lifelong Expos fan. I have somewhere a photo of nine-year-old me in Expos pyjamas with a 1984 Expos calendar in the background. I made the trip to Montreal twice, in 1991 and 2001. By the time I was old enough and made enough money, the team was gone. One of my biggest regrets was not going to the last game.''

Danny Gallagher's Expos books are available at Amazon for Christmas gifts.