Part of the lucky, eager mass of fans headed for Tuesday night's Major League Baseball All-Star Game? Here are some hot tips for a chilly evening: Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes, and arrive plenty early for the 7 p.m. game.
The estimated 39,000 fans attending the game must pass through metal detectors and present their bags and backpacks for inspection before entering Target Field. The requirements are standard for games this season — but beleaguered Minnesota Twins fans may have forgotten the extra logistics needed for a sold-out game.
"Get here early to soak it all in," Twins spokesman Kevin Smith advised fans Monday.
The series of All-Star events that began Friday ran smoothly through the weekend leading into the Home Run Derby on Monday night, the Red Carpet show Tuesday afternoon, and of course Tuesday night's main event, when baseball's freshest stars trot onto the field.
Fans will find a freshly cleaned Target Field and a downtown area flooded with police officers, including more corners with traffic cops to help pedestrians stay safe.
Access-wise, the trickiest event probably won't be the game itself, but the Red Carpet show, during which players walk and ride up Nicollet Mall to Target Field. The mall and its cross streets will be closed for a couple of hours at midday, with only Hennepin Avenue open to through traffic during parade breaks.
"We do have recommended detours during the parade, but we do expect it to be fairly congested," said Minneapolis traffic operations engineer Tim Drew. The routes and closures are available on the city's website.
The parade aside, Drew said out-of-towners using charter buses, taxis and transit have actually eased event congestion, a pattern he expects to hold through the game. One potential caveat — background traffic created by those who attend the game's ancillary events or hang around outside the ballpark hoping for fly balls.
