ARLINGTON, Texas — On Wednesday, the City of Arlington will be filled with baseball fans for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. The Texas Rangers play the Houston Astros at home for the next two, possibly three, games.
Globe Life Field and surrounding businesses are bracing for the major event.
"The excitement is palpable. You can feel the energy," said David Silvey, assistant manager at Social House Arlington. The restaurant is about two miles away from the stadium.
They'll be providing shuttle services from Social House Arlington to Globe Life Field, hoping to make it easier for customers to enjoy the gameday experience. "Pregame here. Postgame here. We'll have the sound on during the game as well," said Silvey, a Rangers fan himself.
Social House Arlington tripled their inventory order for these upcoming home games. They're also bringing in more servers and bartenders than normal, expecting every seat of the restaurant to be filled.
It's not just local businesses preparing for an influx of people. Arlington Police Department is also preparing.
There will be an increase in police presence for the games because of the larger crowds expected.
"The Rangers game is estimated to sell out so you're looking at mid-to-high 30,000 fans that will be inside that stadium. But that doesn't count the number of fans that are coming to the surrounding venues. I would expect that to be another couple of thousand, 10 to 12,000 more in the immediate area," said Deputy Chief Brook Rollins.
APD has some tips for people heading to or near the stadium:
- Leave early to get to the event. Parking lots open at 3:30 p.m. on game day. The doors to the stadium will open at 4:30 p.m.
- Seek alternate routes of travel. There are major arteries surrounding Globe Life Field where drivers can avoid the heaviest traffic flow.
- There will be some road closures, but it will be the same operations as a regular Texas Rangers event.
- If you are taking a rideshare, follow the signs and directions on the app on where to go to wait for the vehicle. Expect long waits.
"Whether you're a Texas Rangers fan or visiting as an Astros fan, we want you to have the time on-site to take it all in and be able to get in safely," said Rollins.