Free music, light show, more set for College Football Playoff along Georgia Street
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Organizers of College Football Playoff activities said Friday they hope Georgia Street’s festivities give fans a chance to experience the city.
Crews spent the day setting up fire pits, vendor tents and the live-music stage on Georgia Street outside the Indiana Convention Center.
The Convention Center is home to College Football Playoff Fan Central but Lisa Vielee, communications co-chair for the Indianapolis Host Committee, said Friday people will have plenty to take in outside as well. About 100,000 people are expected for the game and events.
All Georgia Street events are free and do not require tickets, though crowd size might be subject to some limitations. Vielee said Georgia Street will be closed to vehicle traffic but the surrounding streets will remain open.
Vielee said the stage will host a steady stream of music acts through Monday, including an a cappella group that will perform popular songs with new lyrics designed around the College Football Playoff. Also, a piano will moving up and down Georgia Street.
She said she’s excited to see the weekend arrive after all of the planning.
“It’s so exciting to finally see everything come to fruition, but I know these next three days are going to go by so fast,” she said Friday.
Restaurants around Georgia Street expect big crowds this weekend.
Steve Kelly, regional manager at Kilroy’s Bar & Grill, has stocked up on extra food and beer and hired extra staff. He said the crowds that come to town for special events always bring their own special energy with them, and his staff feeds off that. He said the best way fans can help his staff is to remain patient if orders take a while to fill.
“Dress warm and be patient,” he said. “Especially with my staff, please, be patient.”
Vielee said outside seating areas with fire pits and heaters will be available so patrons can take their restaurant orders outside.
During the game itself, monitors will be set up outside the Convention Center so people can watch. Also, a drone team will fly a formation of about 500 drones at the end of each quarter, spelling out the score in the night sky.