It won't be back to party as usual for Detroit Tigers Opening Day on Thursday.
While a reduced crowd of 8,200 watches the game inside Comerica Park, thousands of people will likely be filing into Ford Field across the street to get vaccinated. The point being, there's still a COVID-19 pandemic, and the Detroit Police Department will be on patrol downtown to keep people moving.
"There is no tailgating allowed," said Cpl. Dan Donakowski, spokesman for Detroit police. "We'll be looking everywhere around the ballpark."
That includes monitoring bars to ensure they follow rules regarding face masks and limited capacity. Under guidelines issued earlier this month, indoor capacity is reduced to 50 percent with a 100-person cap. Outdoor gatherings of up to 300 people are permitted, although what constitutes an outdoor gathering is not so clear cut.
Donakowski said police will be "monitoring the flow" of foot traffic around the ballpark, dispersing crowds and making sure people follow federal and local health guidelines.
"Just making sure that everybody is safe," he said.
Donakowski declined to say how many officers will be on patrol the day baseball returns to Detroit, citing security reasons. He said he was unsure about the volume of people the police are preparing for on Opening Day.
The Tigers are also discouraging tailgating and crowd gathering.
"Tailgating is not encouraged for obvious health and safety reasons," a team spokesman said. "It will not be permitted around the perimeter of the ballpark."
In a typical year, thousands of people would flood the streets to celebrate the home opener for the Tigers — rain or shine, regardless of what "rebuild" phase the team might be in. Last year, the stands and streets were virtually empty. The Tigers started a shortened season with no fans in late July after the pandemic pushed back the MLB season.
Downtown restaurants and bars would normally cash in on the action, but last year at this time they were closed. By summer, many were open at reduced capacity but had little business because few had any business downtown with offices and entertainment venues closed.
At Nemo's Bar — a Corktown institution known for hydrating Opening Day revelers — not much has changed, longtime manager Pat Osman said.
"It's not pretty," he said in a brief phone call this week. "There's nobody downtown."
While the holiday-like hype is dialed down again this year, there are still plenty of places looking to take advantage of the expected surge in downtown activity.
Across the street from the ballpark, Tin Roof is advertising an all-day party with live music from 9 a.m. until closing time — the curfew is 11 p.m. for bars, per Michigan health orders. Elwood Bar and Grill will host "one of the best parties in Detroit" with radio station WCSX, according to its website. Recently reopened Anchor Bar on Fort Street will be open early with drink and hot dog specials and a live DJ.
"All Michigan COVID guidelines will be followed," Tin Roof said on its website. "Please respect the rules and the staff and help us follow them."
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March 27, 2021 at 12:20AM
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Officials: No tailgating allowed downtown for Detroit Tigers Opening Day - Crain's Detroit Business
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