For a day, it's all about the fans at Lightning Fan Fest

It's still 90 degrees out, but ice hockey is the the big thing happening in downtown Tampa today.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are holding their annual Fan Fest at the newly renamed Amalie Arena in preparation for the new season. The event is free and open to families, although parking at Lightning-owned lots is $5. 

Fans can watch three sessions of practice, a 45-minute scrimmage and a high school hockey shootout. Local students from 17 Tampa Bay area high schools are participating in a shootout against two Lightning goaltenders, with each high school player getting at least one shot on a Lightning goaltender.

Lightning players are signing autographs in two 45-minute shifts beginning at 1:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Lightning season ticket holders are getting an exclusive autograph signing session on the club level concourse and a private question and answer session in the Firestick Grill (on the club level) during the autograph sessions.

Also on the schedule: the unveiling of the team's new alternate (third jersey) by captain Steven Stamkos, just before the start of the blue-white scrimmage. Fans can pre-order the jersey in the team's merchandise shops and buy ancillary alternate jersey merchandise. The jersey will not be available for pick up until the middle of November.

Other Fan Fest highlights include a used equipment sale, a broadcasters roundtable featuring Dave Andreychuk, Dave Mishkin and Bobby 'the Chief" Taylor, a special Kids' Zone adjacent the ice at section 123 that will be open all day and a select-a-seat for fans interested in purchasing Lightning tickets.

Here's the full Fan Fest schedule: