Somewhere during the 2027 Banana Ball schedule announcement, this stopped being a baseball discussion and became a conversation about my travel budget.
Mexico. Hawaii. Notre Dame. Cooperstown.
Come on, Jesse. I have other things to do.
The challenge with this schedule is that “Which game should I go to?” has several perfectly reasonable answers. You could follow your favorite team, chase a stadium you’ve always wanted to visit or finally convince your family that a baseball trip can also be a vacation.
So I ranked the 10 stops I find most compelling.
I considered the teams, the setting, the competitive stakes and whether the destination offers enough to justify staying beyond the game. These are my picks for the best overall trips, rather than predictions about ticket availability or the cheapest places to travel.
I’m treating a series or tournament as one stop. And a necessary reminder: postseason teams still have to qualify. The Savannah Bananas appearing on a championship schedule graphic does not guarantee they will be playing for the trophy.
Let’s start with the trip that requires the least convincing.
10. Honolulu: Loco Beach Coconuts vs. Party Animals
When: April 30–May 1, 2027
Where: Les Murakami Stadium
Best for: Turning a Banana Ball weekend into an actual vacation
The Coconuts in Hawaii feels like somebody finally put the correct address into the navigation system.
Their beach personality belongs here. Add the Party Animals, and you have a matchup that makes sense before anybody throws a pitch.
This is the trip I would suggest to the family whose biggest Banana Ball fan has been negotiating with everybody else. Honolulu gives the rest of the group a pretty strong reason to say yes. Waikīkī, the city’s historic sites and time exploring Oʻahu can fill the days around the games.
Why only No. 10? Because I’m weighing the game alongside the destination, and some of the stops ahead carry greater competitive or historical significance.
But if we were ranking the easiest trips to pitch to your spouse, Hawaii might win.
My advice: Give this one enough time. Traveling to Hawaii, attending a game and immediately turning around would feel like leaving dinner after the appetizer.
9. Philadelphia: Indianapolis Clowns vs. Loco Beach Coconuts
When: August 27–28, 2027
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Best for: Fans who love the connection between traditional baseball and Banana Ball
Philadelphia gets a storyline with actual personalities attached.
During the announcement, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino helped introduce the matchup between the Clowns and Coconuts. The former Phillies teammates are associated with opposing Banana Ball teams as prime-time coaches, giving this stop a connection to the ballpark that goes beyond renting the building.
That is what pushes Philadelphia onto my list.
The Clowns bring their baseball-circus identity and connection to the historic Indianapolis Clowns. The Coconuts bring a very different personality. Put those teams in a setting associated with Howard and Victorino, and there is plenty to talk about before the game begins.
I would want to hear from Phillies fans in the stands. Are they coming because they already follow Banana Ball, because of those familiar names or because they’re curious about what is happening to their ballpark?
Those are three different routes into the same game.
My advice: Follow event announcements for appearance details. The connection is compelling, but don’t build an entire trip around an individual’s attendance without confirmation.
8. Chicago: Party Animals vs. Savannah Bananas
When: July 10–11, 2027
Where: Soldier Field
Best for: The original rivalry with a big-city summer weekend attached
I’ve experienced Banana Ball in Chicago. I haven’t experienced it at Soldier Field.
That distinction matters.
The Bananas and Party Animals already have a recognizable rivalry. Moving that matchup into a football stadium gives familiar teams a different stage and raises an interesting question about how the show reaches fans throughout the building.
During my conversation with Visit Savannah’s Supriya Christopher, I described what had impressed me at larger venues:
“They make it seem like it’s a small stadium, and that’s a very hard thing to do.”
Soldier Field is a chance to see that challenge play out again.
Chicago also earns its place because the city can carry its share of the weekend. I would leave room for the waterfront and an architecture cruise rather than spend the entire trip moving between the hotel and stadium. The city’s river and lake tours offer several ways to do that.
My advice: A football-stadium setup could be really good or really bad.
7. Dyersville, Iowa: Indianapolis Clowns vs. Firefighters
When: September 10–11, 2027
Where: This Is Iowa Ballpark at the Field of Dreams movie site
Best for: The baseball romantic in your group
This is the one I would circle for somebody who gets emotional talking about baseball with their dad.
The setting does a lot of the work. Then you add the Indianapolis Clowns, a team whose identity invites a conversation about baseball history, and the Firefighters, whose presentation includes honoring people who serve their communities.
That combination gives the weekend more substance than a novelty location.
I don’t need every sporting event to make me reflective. Sometimes I just want a hot dog and a ridiculous catch. But there are places where the setting changes how you watch, and this is a strong candidate.
The distinction to understand is that the announced venue is This Is Iowa Ballpark at the movie site. Don’t assume every photograph of the original movie diamond shows the field where your game will take place.
My advice: Treat this as a destination trip with its own transportation and lodging plan. Look at where you would actually stay and how you would reach the venue before committing.
6. Orlando: Banana Ball Open at Walt Disney World
When: April 15–18, 2027
Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Teams: The announcement says all six teams will attend, with four competing
Best for: Families who want a tournament with meaningful stakes
This one could produce a very expensive sentence:
“While we’re there, we might as well…”
Still, the sporting reason to go is strong. The announced prize for winning the Banana Ball Open is a playoff berth. That gives the event consequences well beyond April.
It also creates a different viewing experience from a standalone series. A tournament invites you to follow what happens across multiple games, learn about teams you don’t usually watch and see how the pressure changes as the field narrows.
The Disney setting will be the attraction for some families. For me, the early playoff opportunity is what earns this stop its ranking.
There is a practical distinction here, too: all six teams attending does not mean all six are competing in the tournament.
My advice: Wait for the detailed event and ticket information before deciding how many days to attend. Price any theme-park visits separately; don’t assume they come with a Banana Ball ticket.
5. Cooperstown: Indianapolis Clowns vs. Texas Tailgaters
When: May 29–30, 2027
Where: Doubleday Field
Best for: Baseball fans who want the most meaningful connection between past and present
Cooperstown has a strong argument for No. 1 if your ideal trip involves baseball from breakfast until bedtime.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is there. Doubleday Field has its own long history of hosting games connected with the Hall. You can spend part of a day examining baseball’s past and another part watching a sport test what comes next.
The announced matchup makes it better: the Indianapolis Clowns against the defending Banana Bowl champion Texas Tailgaters.
The Hall has also announced plans for a new exhibit featuring all six Banana Ball teams in spring 2027. That puts this visit at the intersection of a game, a museum experience and an evolving baseball story.
I would happily spend a weekend asking people whether Banana Ball changes how they think about baseball.
Cooperstown seems like a pretty good place to ask.
My advice: Set aside actual museum time. Trying to squeeze it in between everything else would miss much of what makes this trip special.
4. Monterrey, Mexico: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters
When: February 5–6, 2027
Where: Walmart Park
Best for: Fans who want to witness a milestone
A rematch of the inaugural Banana Bowl, in Mexico, at the beginning of Banana Ball’s international expansion.
That is a lot of story in two games.
The Tailgaters enter 2027 as the defending champions. The Bananas provide the name many new fans will recognize first. Monterrey gives both teams a setting outside the United States, where the response to the show becomes part of the story.
Jesse Cole put the significance plainly during the announcement:
“Since 2021, we’ve called this a world tour, but we’ve only played in one country until now.”
What interests me is how the experience travels. Which moments connect immediately? What do local fans respond to? How does the presentation evolve for a different audience?
Those questions make this more than another stop on the schedule.
And, yes, February 5 is my birthday. I’m trying not to let that influence the rankings. I’m not sure I’m succeeding.
My advice: Give the international logistics the same attention as the tickets. Build a complete plan for flights, lodging, transportation and the time you want to spend in Monterrey.
3. Notre Dame: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters
When: June 24 and June 26, 2027
Where: Frank Eck Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium
Special attraction: Banana Ball 360 at Notre Dame Stadium on June 26
Best for: People who want to see the experiment everyone will discuss afterward
This is the stop I am most curious about.
The announced Banana Ball 360 concept puts two fields in opposite corners of a football stadium, with teams switching fields each inning.
I have questions. Quite a few, actually.
How will the change affect the pace? What will the experience feel like from different sections? How much will players have to adjust? Will the movement become part of the entertainment?
Those questions are the appeal.
Cole framed the idea around improving the experience at larger venues. Notre Dame becomes the place where fans get to see how that idea works in practice.
The Bananas-Tailgaters matchup adds competitive interest, but the format is what moves this stop so high on my list.
The two dates matter: the schedule lists June 24 and June 26, across two venues. The 360 game is June 26; don’t treat the listing as three consecutive days of games.
My advice: Pick the date that matches the experience you want. If your reason for going is Banana Ball 360, make sure that is the event on your ticket.
2. Savannah: Banana Ball Playoffs
When: September 16–19, 2027
Where: Grayson Stadium
Teams: To be determined through qualification
Best for: The strongest combination of hometown atmosphere, competition and a city worth exploring
Savannah almost took the top spot.
The playoffs bring meaningful competition to Banana Ball’s home. They also give visitors a reason to spend several days in a city rather than fly in, watch a game and disappear.
Christopher described Grayson Stadium to me this way:
“It’s also a smaller stadium. So you feel this intimate feeling.”
That is particularly appealing for postseason games. I want to see what happens when the familiar entertainment shares the evening with the pressure of advancing.
And Savannah deserves time outside the stadium. Christopher’s recommendation for my first visit was to stay in the historic district and arrange transportation to Grayson, which sits outside that downtown area. Her advice was to experience the city along with the game.
The historic district’s squares, walking tours and restored buildings give visitors plenty to explore between events.
For somebody who wants to understand the place behind the team, this is my pick.
My advice: Choose Savannah because you want the playoff experience and the city. Don’t book on the assumption that your favorite team will qualify.
1. Nashville: The 2027 Banana Bowl
When: September 25, 2027
Where: New Nissan Stadium
Teams: Championship participants to be determined
Best for: The biggest occasion on the calendar
For me, the championship wins.
You get the end of the competitive story, a major stadium setting and a city where entertainment already occupies a large part of the itinerary. Nashville’s live-music scene gives the trip something to offer before and after the game.
After the inaugural Banana Bowl, I described it this way:
“The inaugural Banana Bowl went off exactly how Jesse Cole would want—as an entertainment spectacle.”
The question for 2027 is what happens next.
How does the second championship build on the first? Will the Tailgaters return to defend their title? Will another team force its way into the biggest game? How does the presentation change in the new Nashville venue?
We don’t know the finalists. We shouldn’t pretend we know the performers or surprises, either.
What we do know is that the season is scheduled to lead here. Every result before it will help determine who gets the chance to finish the job.
That makes Nashville my No. 1 choice for a fan who wants one trip with the highest stakes.
My advice: Go because you want to see the championship, whoever earns the right to play. If seeing one particular team is essential, choose one of its announced regular-season matchups instead.
Which 2027 Banana Ball trip should you choose?
If you asked me to pick one without knowing anything about your preferences, I’d say Nashville for the occasion or Savannah for the fuller Banana Ball experience.
If you told me you love baseball history, I’d move Cooperstown to the top. If your family wants a vacation with a game in the middle, Hawaii makes a compelling case. If you want to see something nobody has experienced before, I’d point you toward Notre Dame.
And if you live near one of the other stops, don’t let a ranking convince you that your local game is somehow less worthwhile. A great evening close to home can beat a complicated trip that leaves everybody exhausted.
My own problem remains unresolved.
I was supposed to narrow the schedule down.
Now I have 10 trips to explain to Kristin.
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