Community Invited to 2026 Little League Softball® World Series Opening Ceremony & Celebration

 

The Little League Softball® World Series returns for the sixth year from August 2 – 9, 2026 to Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park in Greenville! To kick off this year’s tournament the public is invited to come out to the Opening Ceremony & Celebration on Saturday, August 1 from 6pm – 8pm. Please join our community to help us welcome the players, coaches, umpires, families, media, and more to Greenville-Pitt County!

LLSWS 2026 Opening Ceremony & Celebration Schedule:

5pm - 8pm: The Fan Zone featuring sponsors and supporter booths will be open early, as well as the Little League Softball World Series Souvenir Shop where you can purchase all your official and branded swag!

5:15pm- Athletes will arrive at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park- fans should line up along Elm Street to welcome athletes and teams in the Parade of Champions as they walk into the stadium

5:45pm- Athletes will line up for walk-up songs and introductions (Stallings Stadium Field)

6:00pm- Opening Ceremonies- Emcee will be Troy Dreyfus, Executive Director of the Downtown Greenville Partnership

6:00pm – 6:30pm- Team & Athlete Introductions on the Field

Umpire Introductions

Local Dignitaries will Speak

Amanda Lorenz (Volts) and Kinzie Hansen-McKinzie (Spark) from the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)  will throw out the 2026 LLSWS Ceremonial First Pitch

6:00pm – 8:00pm- Enjoy Photo Booth, Games, Activities, Music from DJ Cutty Styles, Friendship Bracelet Station, Fairy Hair & Face Painting from The Painted Pixies, Nulook Inflatable Air Hockey, and Watermelon Slice Station provided by Stokes Farm in the designated Fan Zone in and around Elm Street Park. All activities are free to the public!

Several food trucks will be on-site.

**Free parking for the public will be available in the ECU College Hill parking lot with shuttle service running along the Greenville Greenway to Stallings Stadium and back beginning at 5pm until the end of the event.

This year's tournament will feature 12 teams from across the United States, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe-Africa, and Latin America. Admission is free, and all games will be broadcast on the ESPN and ESPN2 platforms, with the final championship game on August 9 being shown on ABC again this year. 

This year’s event will also feature the return of AU Pro Game at the LLSWS, bringing Athletes Unlimited Softball players to Greenville to meet and interact with LLSWS participants, and play on Wednesday, August 5 at 7pm at the ECU Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.

This international and televised tournament is estimated to bring nearly $1.6 million in economic impact to the Greenville-Pitt County community this August. 

Find the full schedule of games here: https://www.littleleague.org/world-series/2026/llsws/tournaments/world-series/   

To learn more, visit https://www.littleleague.org/world-series/2026/llsws/