200,000 attend Day 1 of 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The stage is set for Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft Friday after approximately 200,000 people attended the first day of the sprawling event in downtown Nashville.
Friday will bring the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft in addition to a free concert by country superstar Tim McGraw.
Not even rain, at times heavy, affected all the fans that stuck around for the draft picks, music and fireworks of the first round. Luckily for Friday, only partly sunny skies are expected.
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Fans were able to take a picture with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, eat good food, and take a picture with their favorite team’s Super Bowl rings at the NFL Draft Experience.
The Metro-Nashville Police Department monitored the entire night from their command center and reported no significant issues.
Metro police said 400 officers per day will be devoted to ensuring safety during the NFL Draft weekend.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. will have entry points around downtown to check for prohibited items like backpacks and coolers.
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The NFL Draft Experience outside Nissan Stadium will continue to be open for fans.
The experience is two-million square feet of fun — and, according to organizers, Nashville’s NFL Experience will be the biggest footprint in its history.
There are several interactive games at the Experience, so you can practice your touch pass or race against your opponents on a giant, 40-yard-long LED wall.
NFL officials say the goal is to offer something for everyone, NFL fan or not.
For families that want to come and be part of the action, but not the party downtown, the NFL Experience is for you. You can watch the Draft live on dozens of screens while you play games and have fun.
Everything is free, but to take part in any of the interactive games, you will need to download the free NFL Fan Mobile Pass app.
MORE: Bars and Honky Tonks: What’s open, what’s not during NFL Draft
If you’re planning on heading to the bars and honky-tonks along Nashville’s Lower Broadway during the NFL Draft, you should know, not all the bars will be open to the public.
Tootsies, Acme Feed and Seed, Hard Rock, and others have already been rented out. But as that list grows, other Broadway bars have committed to staying open to the public during the days of the Draft.
Some other bars open during the Draft — Second Fiddle, Layla’s, Legends Corner, and Robert’s Western World.
Likewise, TC Restaurant Group, which includes Tequila Cowboy, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, FGL House, Crazy Town, and Sun Diner, will all be open to fans during the Draft.