San Antonio gears up for Final Four festivities

SAN ANTONIO — The Final Four fun kicks off Friday with tens of thousands of people expected to pack the Alamo City. 

“I think if you weren’t here seven years ago or you weren’t old enough to come out to Final Four, this is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for you,” said Stephanie Guerra, director of marketing and communications for the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee. 

The NCAA Men’s Final Four is attracting basketball fanatics from across the country as Duke, Auburn, Florida and Houston compete to become national champions. 

One of the prominent community events is Fan Fest, which is taking place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

The low-cost event features everything from games, food and college basketball merchandise. The event is free for children 12 years old and younger. Tickets start at $10. 

“We want the community to know that you don’t have to have a game ticket in order to come and enjoy the fan events. It’s just going to be a great experience for basketball lovers and people who want to have fun,” Guerra said. 

Then there’s the March Madness Music Festival over at Tower Park at Hemisfair. There will be three days of music featuring artists such as Pitbull, T-Pain and Chris Stapleton. 

Guerra urges everyone to plan ahead whether it’s going to the games or enjoying the Final Four festivities. That includes navigating road closures and finding parking. 

“It’s going to be packed, we have an awesome lineup, we want people to know, take VIA Park and Ride if you can, carpool,” Guerra said. “City parking garages are great, they’re affordable and there are plenty. It’s parking lots, meters and garages that people can park at.”

Bag policies are in place and there’s an extensive list of items you cannot bring into events. 

“There will be umbrellas allowed inside of the Alamodome but not at the music festival so grab a poncho,” Guerra said.

For more on parking, schedule events and other concerns, go here.