The main event may be on Tuesday, but the days leading up to the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game are guaranteed to hit a home run with fans.

MLB has several events to get Kansas City stoked for the game, but the biggest is the All-Star FanFest, which kicks off Friday and runs through Tuesday.

“I guess the best way to describe it is if MLB and Walt Disney had a marriage, their lovechild would be FanFest,” says Ron Watermon, director of public relations for the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis set an attendance record for FanFest when the All-Star Game was there in 2009.

FanFest will be at the Kansas City Convention Center, 301 W. 13th St., from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday through Monday and until 6 p.m. Tuesday. Find a complete schedule at AllStarGame.com. Here are some highlights.

The Diamond

Fans can grab a bit of the All-Star glory on the 10,500-square- foot FanFest Diamond, with clinics by former players. Instructors include former Royals pitcher and Fox Sports Kansas City analyst Jeff Montgomery on Friday and former MLB player, coach and manger Cookie Rojas on Tuesday.

Mascot derby

Fans will get to see their favorite team mascots try to knock one out of the park at 11:30 a.m. Friday through Monday. The No. 1 slugger will be crowned at the Monday championship.

Negro League Legends

Celebrate Kansas City’s deep connection to baseball history when former Negro Leaguers share their stories from the past. Guests include last living league umpire Bob Motley as well as Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Famer Minnie Miñoso.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum

History buffs will enjoy seeing 83 artifacts usually enshrined at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Pieces in this traveling exhibit include a ball signed by Negro Leagues legend Satchel Paige, a jersey worn by Babe Ruth and the cap worn by Bret Saberhagen during his 1991 no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox.

To the cages

Fans can practice how the pros hit in state-of-the-art batting cages and test their skills against ground balls, fly balls and line drives at the fielding cages.

Steal a base, score a taco

Inch away, sprint and slide in to win a Taco Bell taco. Fans have the chance to put their sneaking skills to the test stealing bases from digital simulations of current MLB pitchers.

Trophy envy

See the lights glinting off 16 official Major League awards and trophies that will be on display, including the 1985 Royals World Series trophy, State Farm Home Run Derby trophy and All-Star MVP award.

Women in baseball

Meet the women who inspired the movie “A League of Their Own.” Players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League will sign autographs, and there will be merchandise for sale.

Tire tryout

Practice throwing and bunting by aiming at upright tire targets.

World’s largest baseball

What would a larger-than-life game be without a larger-than-life ball? The world’s largest baseball has been traveling with the All-Star Game since 1992. It measures 12.5 feet in diameter and weighs almost 1,300 pounds. By the time it reaches Kansas City, the ball will have traveled 48,159 miles. It features signatures from greats such as Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Ozzie Smith and Ted Williams.

Auctions and appraisals

Fans who want to own their slice of baseball history can bid on any of the 700 pieces in a collection provided by Hunt Auctions. There will be daily silent auctions tand a live auction on the last day of the festival.

Highlights from the collection include a 1928 Lou Gehrig World Series home run baseball and a bat used by Ty Cobb with an autographed letter from Cobb himself, both valued between $100,000 and $200,000.

There will also be an appraisal fair running throughout FanFest, where fans can bring in their own items and have them priced.

Special days

Each day of FanFest has a theme.

Friday: Military Appreciation Day — Fans can honor the men and women of the military by sending thank you notes and videos to troops overseas. The first 1,000 eligible fans will receive a military patch.

Saturday: Kids Day — The little ones will enjoy face painters, making their own baseball cards, balloon animals and a magic show. Families can view the giant World Series Trophy or take a photo with their favorite MLB mascot. First 1,000 fans between the ages of 4 and 18 will receive a Sluggerrr figurine.

Sunday: Kansas City Tribute Day will feature live music by local musicians, including electro-pop band Antennas Up at 11:30 a.m. and the Good Foot at 7 p.m. First 1,000 eligible fans receive a FanFest commemorative coin.

Monday: Legacy Day — Former Negro Leaguers will be doing Q-and-A’s all day, and artifacts from the league will be on display with the Hall of Fame Museum exhibits. First 1,000 eligible fans get a Legacy Day tumbler.

Tuesday: All-Star Legends Day with appearances from 1960 and 1973 All-Stars. The first 1,000 eligible fans will get a bobblehead of Royals Hall of Famer George Brett.

Catch the main event at 7 p.m. at KC Live. All ages welcome, under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

More events

POWER & LIGHT FREE EVENTS

1330 Grand Blvd.

Starting tonight, the Power & Light district is hosting a number of free events that are open to all ages throughout All-Star weekend. All

July 5: Free concert featuring Kyle Park - 7 p.m.

Up-and-coming country star Kyle Park performs tonight. Anyone under 21 must be accompanied by a legal guardian and must arrive before 9 p.m.

July 6: Free concert featuring Young the Giant - 8 p.m.

California alt-rock band known for their single “Cough Syrup” which was featured on a season three episode of Glee. Open to ages 21 and up.

July 7: Free concert featuring David Nail - 8 p.m.

Nail is a Missouri native who received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his song “Turning Home.” Open to ages 21 and up.

July 9: Free watch party at KC Live - 7 p.m.

Check out the 2012 Home Run Derby on two high-definition video screens at KC Live! All ages welcome, under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

Free concert featuring Little Big Town 9 p.m.

A country music group known for their four-part vocal harmonies, Little Big Town has charted 12 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Show is open to 21 and up.

July 10: Free watch party at KC Live 7p.m.

Catch the main event at KC Live! at the Biggest Baseball Watch Party in Kansas City. All ages welcome, under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

All-star exhibits

• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St., is opening its doors Tuesday for a free day of activities.

The museum’s special exhibition, “Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939” will be free. There will be lawn games for children in the Kansas City Sculpture Park and a self-guided scavenger hunt for sports-related art inside the museum.

• The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, 100 W. 26th St., is also stepping up to the plate with its special exhibition, “World War I All-Stars: Sports and the Inter-Allied Games.” The exhibit highlights the pro baseball players who became soldiers in the Great War and tells the story of the Inter-Allied Games of 1919.

Families of active-duty military and retired career military (20+ years of service) receive $2 off regular admission on Friday. Active-duty military personnel receive the standard half-off admission price. The first 750 visitors on Friday will get a free museum tote bag.

The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

• The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, 1616 E. 18th St., will host several special exhibits until Labor Day. The first is “Baseball: America’s Game,” which has several original radio recordings of important baseball game broadcasts.

The second exhibit is “They Were All-Stars,” which highlights Negro Leagues players who were integrated into the major leagues and went on to play for All-Star teams.

Finally, there will be several displays of baseball artwork by pop artist Charles Fazzino and 110 baseballs painted by Monty Sheldon. The exhibit will be free; donations are accepted.

The museum is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

• The Kansas City Museum will have two bus tours on Saturday that will visit the site of Municipal Stadium and the grave of legendary pitcher Satchel Paige. The tours are at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The buses leave from Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road. Reserve a spot at kansascitymuseum.org, or call 816-483-8300.

More information

“Take Me Out to the Museum” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art – Tuesday, July 10

4525 Oak Street

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is opening its doors for a free day of activities in honor of the legendary All-Star game returning to Kansas City.

The museum’s special exhibition, “Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939” will be free to all visitors. There will be lawn games for children in the Kansas City Sculpture Park and a self-guided scavenger hunt for sports-related art inside the museum.

The Rozzelle Court Restaurant inside the museum will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and beverages and desserts will be served from 2 to 4 p.m.