Packers pep rally, the Vegas strip and other things to know if you're going to the Raiders game
Green Bay Packers fans who can tear themselves away from the poker tables and Cirque du Soleil shows while in Las Vegas can attend a pep rally the night before the Packers take on the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
A Packers Everywhere pep rally is scheduled for 6 p.m. Vegas time on Sunday, Oct. 8, at PKWY Tavern Taphouse and Grille, 9820 W. Flamingo, Las Vegas. The game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. Monday.
The Vegas rally includes an appearance by Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy and Packers alumni Bernardo Harris and Na’il Diggs, who will take photos with fans and share their thoughts on the game. A roundtable discussion with packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz and Mike Spofford will conclude the event.
Also included will be interactive Packers-themed contests, prizes and giveaway items, which include a Christian Watson-signed helmet, Erik Stokes-signed football and other prizes. To register for prizes, fans should visit packers.com/pass.
Pep rallies are free and do not require registration or tickets to attend.
Weather forecast Packers-Raiders
Allegiant Stadium is of course a domed stadium, but there should be enough to do outside of attending the game to get fans outdoors at some point. The forecast as of Tuesday for the Monday game in Las Vegas is sunny, with a high of 91, according to the National Weather Service. That's quite the contrast with Green Bay's forecasted high of 56 for Monday.
How to watch or listen to the game
The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC. Unfortunately for many Packers fans, there is no getting around the fact that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call the game. Lisa Salters is the sideline reporter.
More: Green Bay Packers fans hate Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Here's why time won't heal these wounds.
Fans also can listen to the game on the Packers radio network, whose flagship station is WRNW-FM, 97.3, in Milwaukee. In Green Bay, WIXX-FM, 101.1, carries the game. Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren call the game, and if you can make your radio synch with your television (see above), more power to you.
Allegiant Stadium is one of the best stadiums in the NFL
USA Today said Allegiant Stadium is the fourth best in the NFL."This stadium is so nice, it’s almost silly," wrote reporter Andrew Joseph. "... the games are a combination of tourist attraction, sporting event and social outing, with $20 beers at the Wynn Field Club. But the nearly $2 billion stadium feels like a $2 billion stadium. Between the expansive concourses with marble floors, premium clubs around every corner and ridiculously comfortable seats, you can’t help but laugh about this team previously playing at Oakland Coliseum. Allegiant is a phenomenal stadium."
The Vegas strip is great, but don't overlook Freemont Street
The Las Vegas strip is well known as the home of casinos, shows, restaurants and much of the action, but Freemont Street is home to the Golden Nugget Casino, one of the oldest in Vegas, free bands playing on the street and much more. It is a different experience than the strip and worth the visit.
Getting around Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport is about a block from Allegiant Stadium, but Vegas being Vegas, it's not that easy. The stadium is six miles from the airport by road.
Official stadium parking ranges from $20 to $70. Secondary market sites offer parking starting at $42, with about a half-mile hike, ranging to more than $200, if you want to be right by the stadium.
It's 1.5 miles, or about a half-hour walk, from MGM Grand and the southern end of the strip. Parking nearer the stadium is available in the $25 to $30 range through MGM.
Shuttle service is available from Garage Mahal at Circa Resort & Casino, about eight miles north of the stadium.
Taxis, Uber and Lyft also are available.
Population
Green Bay is the smallest market in the NFL, with a metro area population of 321,591, compared to Las Vegas' 2.9 million.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers-Raiders game in Las Vegas to feature pep rally, more for fans
