A traveling baseball show known for burning bats, fireworks, and letting a fan step onto the field is coming to Nomaco Park in Zebulon on Saturday, September 19, with the Lucky Llamas facing off against the Chaos Crew in a six-inning, co-ed spectacle built for speed and spectacle rather than strategy.
Boom Ball describes itself as a rule-breaking game in which every inning functions as its own mini-show, according to The News & Observer. The evening kicks off with Boom Fest from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by opening ceremonies from 6:30 to 7 p.m., before the game itself runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets start at $30 before fees and are available now at boomballtour.com, though the outlet reports many seating options have already sold out.
The show is not affiliated with the Savannah Bananas, the paper notes, despite obvious comparisons — the Bananas recently sold out two games in Chapel Hill, a demand that Boom Ball's Triangle organizers are clearly hoping to tap into. Zebulon Devil Dogz general manager Caleb Whittemore, who is hosting the event, said Boom Ball will provide fast-paced action and an engaging atmosphere for fans of all ages, per the same report.
How Boom Ball's Rules Actually Differ From Banana Ball
Unlike the choreographed showmanship associated with Banana Ball, Boom Ball uses a speed-baseball format in which pitchers throw batting-practice-style pitches to their own teammates, maximizing continuous action within a strict two-hour, six-inning limit, according to Decked Out Magazine. Game segments include timed speed innings, obstacle courses, and trick-play showcases layered into the standard flow of play. The show also reserves a dedicated Fan Roster Spot, letting one selected spectator suit up and actually compete during the live co-ed show, and the night wraps with a timed head-to-head home run derby under the lights, the magazine reports.
The News & Observer reports that Boom Ball's Zebulon festivities include dance routines, burning baseball bats, and fireworks, alongside discounted parking passes available online ahead of the game — though on-site parking also starts at $30 on game day, per a spokesperson cited by the paper. Boom Ball's website identifies September 19, 2026 as 919 Day, a nod to the local dialing code central to the Triangle's identity. September 19 is celebrated regionally as 919 Day in honor of the 919 area code, which was first introduced on January 1, 1954 and once covered central and eastern North Carolina before regional splits arrived in 1998, according to RALtoday.
A Ballpark Rebuilt for Life After the Mudcats
Nomaco Park sits about 25 miles east of downtown Raleigh at 1501 N.C. Highway 39 in Zebulon, and it carries a different name than longtime fans might remember. The venue was previously called Five County Stadium, and it was officially renamed Nomaco Park on May 21, 2026 following a naming rights deal between operator Capitol Broadcasting Company and Zebulon-based foam manufacturer Nomaco Inc., a major local employer, according to the Zebulon Devil Dogz.
The Carolina Mudcats formerly played at the ballpark now known as Nomaco Park, wrapping up a 35-year tenure in Zebulon with their final home game on August 31, 2025, before relocating to Wilson and rebranding as the Wilson Warbirds for the 2026 season. That move came after Major League Baseball introduced new facility standards for Single-A teams, according to WPTF. In November 2025, Capitol Broadcasting Company finalized a 10-year lease through December 2035 to operate the stadium, backed by a combined $9 million public investment from Wake County and Zebulon for facility modernization across 2026 and 2027, per Ballpark Digest. Planned renovations include a synthetic field, new lighting, refreshed scoreboards, and concourse upgrades.
Filling the Calendar Beyond Summer Ball
The ballpark's new anchor tenant, the Zebulon Devil Dogz, debuted in May 2026 as a Coastal Plain League summer collegiate franchise formed in partnership with Australian athletic placement organization Ozball, which connects Australian athletes with U.S. collegiate summer baseball opportunities, according to the Coastal Plain League. Under the venue's new management agreement starting in 2026, Nomaco Park also serves as the home athletic field for Wake Technical Community College's baseball, softball, and soccer programs, per Alexander Realty.
Boom Ball's Zebulon stop is part of a broader 2026 nationwide summer tour that has also booked stops at Trustmark Park in Mississippi, FirstEnergy Stadium in Pennsylvania, and Camelback Ranch in Arizona, according to a release distributed via PRWeb. Rosters across the tour mix former college stars, minor leaguers, softball players, and reality TV personalities. The appetite for this kind of show-first baseball is well established in the region: the Savannah Bananas drew more than 100,000 fans across two sold-out games at UNC's Kenan Stadium in April 2026, generating over $17.1 million in direct economic impact, according to UNC Athletics.
