Talk about a beautiful day to catch the Rockies’ season opener at home at Coors Field against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Denver7 Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo said if you’re headed to a patio around downtown, it’ll be in the 60s by 10 a.m. and warming up into the mid-70s by first pitch. Friday’s afternoon high will reach 75 degrees, but it will be a little windy.
Early this morning, the sweepers and stadium crews were already inside getting everything ready for fans.
Home opener festivities:
- 9 a.m.: Opening day fest at McGregor Square with tons of giveaways
- Noon: Gates open at Coors Field
- 1:30 p.m.: Pre-game ceremonies start including the flyover from the Colorado National Guard
- 2:10 p.m: First pitch
Fans know just how packed downtown can get on opening day. Today, around 90,000 people are expected to roll into the ballpark district and surrounding downtown area.
On a normal day, you’d see around 10,000 to 14,000 people in the area.
If you’re traveling to Coors Field, Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber reminds fans Blake Street will be shut down and 20th off I-25 will be very busy. Market Street will be open as well as Park Avenue West.
But bring your patience as baseball fans pack downtown.
RTD says more train cars will be available to help you get to the game, and you can type “rockies” into their app to plan your trip. RTD staff will be in orange vests to answer questions. Last year, Rockies opening day saw foot traffic numbers at 88,983, which was ranked number 4 for a single baseball game day coming in behind the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.
Today's Forecast
High Wind Warning continues for extreme winds on the plains and foothills
Keep in mind, Coors Field holds around 50,000 fans so many of those fans will be hanging out at neighboring bars and restaurants.
If you’re looking to score hot merchandise, one popular item will be the t-shirt celebrating Todd Helton being chosen into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He worked with the team to create an exclusive design.
The fan-favorite “city connect” uniforms will return every Saturday.
Tickets this season range from $15 to $255 depending on where you sit, cheapest seats in the Rock Pile, which are the outfield seats. Prices range from $4 for adults to $1 for kids and seniors and they go on sale 2 hours before game time at the Rock Pile ticket office near gate A.
If you're curious how Rockies ticket costs compare to other Denver professional sports teams, the Common Sense Institute compared the average prices, which includes the super-high priced tickets. Rockies come in (by far) at the cheapest averaging $102. Nuggets ticket averaged $240, then Avalanche at $247 with the Broncos busting the bank at $465.
There are two different food deals this season. If the team scores 7 runs or more you can go to Taco Bell the next day to get 4 regular tacos for 2 bucks. And when the Rockies hit a double, you can score a free double cheeseburger at McDonalds the next day using the app.
Coors Field is serving up several new, tasty food items this season including a cheeseburger topped with plenty of green chili with fries, wrapped up in a tortilla. We've got a list of what you can sample this year.
Coors Field reminds fans that alcohol cannot be brought into the gates and tailgating is not allowed at Rockies operated parking lots. There are bicycle parking areas near Wynkoop Walkway near Gate E as well as near Gate B at 22nd and Blake Streets.
We've linked to all the rules and regulations you need to know at Coors Field.
The team announced new broadcast TV options, just in time for opening day.
Rockies
Rockies announce new broadcast options for their games. Here's how you can watch
Rockies games will now be available in Colorado on DirecTV, Xfinity/Comcast, Spectrum and Fubo, in addition to its streaming service, Rockies.TV.
Here's more on how to watch.