NFL Draft: Windsor welcomes as Detroit overflows with fans
All the excitement of the NFL Draft has officially descended upon Detroit, with Windsor welcoming the spillover.
Events in the 'D' began Thursday – with record-breaking attendance putting the draft area over capacity hours before the start of the show.
Because of the crazy crowds, many fans opted to take it in from the Canadian city next door.
Like Pennsylvanian Noah Werner, visiting Windsor for the first time.
“We like the Canadian atmosphere so we decided to come stay over here,” Werner said.
He and his friends were excited to see what picks the Steelers pulled from a bar or watch party in Windsor, while some chose to stay here and take transit over to watch in person.
“We got a place just around the corner here in Windsor for a couple nights and we’re making a vacation out of it,” Lions fan Andy Rose said while waiting for his Transit Windsor bus to head across the border.
Rose brought his son to Windsor to skirt the cost increase of accommodations stateside.
Fans attend NFL Draft events in Windsor, Ont., on Friday, April 26, 2024. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)
Transit Windsor officials said this week they had capacity to bus about 8,000 people back and forth per day.
For Saturday, Special Event Transit Buses are scheduled to depart continuously from 8 a.m. with fans required to register ahead of time.
For Chatham resident Mitch Anderson, this much excitement this close to home is a win.
“It’s good to see both sides of the border jumping together and doing something fun,” he said.
The official NFL Draft party in Windsor will kickoff at noon Saturday on the front lawn of city hall.
“It’s going to be a big touchdown for Windsor,” said Downtown council rep Renaldo Agostino.
Homegrown NFL heroes like Luke Wilson and Brett Romberg will be in attendance, with football skills trials and coaching clinics and all kinds of fun planned.
And in the evening, the Downtown Windsor BIA will throw an NFL Block Part on Ouellette with performances by Royce Da 5’9, Jody Raffoul Band and Huttch.
“A lot of people who haven’t been downtown in a while are coming back to downtown,” Agostino said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.