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.