COMETS ANNOUNCE 2017 FAN FEST IN NEW AUD PLAZA
Oct 18, 2017Utica Comets President Robert Esche announced today that the Comets Fan Fest, presented by Galaxy Communications and Murphy Excavating, will take place on Saturday, November 4, from 3-7 pm, prior to puck drop between the Comets and Rochester Americans. The Fan Fest will also serve as a grand opening of the AUD Plaza, a 10,000-square foot concrete plaza encompassing the Labatt Blue Ticket Entrance and surrounding area that will host a variety of pregame events throughout the Comets’ 2017-18 fifth anniversary season.
The Comets Fan Fest will feature a variety of amenities for both children and adults alike. Highlighting the attractions will be a brand new, 30 x 60-foot Comets inflatable street hockey rink, which will be utilized for pickup games throughout Fan Fest. Comets fans will also be able to meet their Hometown Heroes from the Clinton Comets, presented by Clinton Tractor. And for the first time ever, fans will be able to watch and cheer on the entire Comets team as they enter the Adirondack Bank Center via a red carpet that will cut through the plaza. The red carpet will be an ideal opportunity to give your favorite players a warm welcome heading into The AUD to close out the home opening weekend. There will also be other assorted events for families, such as face painting and areas designated for chalk art.
Fans will be able to enjoy live music throughout the afternoon, featuring performance by Grit and Grace and Big Sexy. Food and drinks will be sold throughout the Plaza, with Zweigle’s Hot Dogs providing free hot dogs and meatballs to all fans in attendance, while supplies last.
The unveiling of the AUD Plaza caps off a summer of construction, which added 26,000-square feet to the Adirondack Bank Center. The Plaza aims to provide fans with an enhanced pregame experience, similar to that of NHL arenas. With ample room for stage setups, interactive exhibits, street hockey showdowns, and more, the plaza will be a hub for activity as long as Utica’s weather allows for it to be.
“The AUD Plaza ties together the entire expansion project by adding another fan experience element to The AUD,” said Comets President Robert Esche. “Our goal is to give Comets fans a home base to enjoy a variety of pregame festivities throughout the season, which organically grows the Comets brand and adds to the excitement of the fifth anniversary season.”
The AUD Plaza will be open for opening night on Wednesday, November 1, but will be celebrated with its official grand opening during Fan Fest on Saturday.
For the latest Comets news visit www.uticacomets.com or follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/uticacomets), Twitter (@UticaComets), Instagram (@UticaComets), Snapchat (@UticaComets) and the Comets YouTube Channel.