The 2020 NCAA Final 4 tournament will be held in Atlanta from April 4-6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
If you’re going to this year’s college basketball tournament in person, there’s a few things you should know.
Because the new stadium was built less than 100 feet from its predecessor, tailgating in the area will be mostly familiar to those who pre-partied at the Georgia Dome.
The poised-for-development Gulch — that vast tangle of parking lots and rail lines that sits below State Farm Arena and stretches to Five Points — still has a thriving tailgate scene, and the lots alongside Northside Drive are still the primary options for traditional tailgating.
But there are some new, less conventional options as well. Here’s your guide to where to eat, drink and play before tip-offs.
Getting there: Directions to Mercedes-Benz Stadium
To avoid frustratedly driving around the stadium looking for parking on game days, drivers should purchase a spot in advance through Parkmobile.
As for navigation, the stadium’s partnership with Waze allowed officials to map the entrances to parking lots, so drivers should never be directed to an un-enterable side. According to the stadium’s site: “Waze is the only GPS program with event day traffic plans and street closures incorporated, providing you with accurate directions and real-time traffic alerts. Please do not use Google Maps, Apple Maps, or any other mapping software.”
Using Waze, drivers only need to type in the lot name — not the address.
MORE | A few rules every Mercedes-Benz Stadium tailgater should know
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The following parking lots allow tailgating:
·134 and 135 Forsyth St.
·17 Baker
·305 Ted Turner
·AJC Lot
·Blue Lot
·City Plaza
·Dome 2
·Lots 6, 18, 36, 37, 43, 44, 57, 77 and 81
·Lots A (The Gulch), B, C, D, F, G, H, K, L, M, P, R and U
·Marshalling Yard and Marshalling Yard 4 - Cars
·Nelson Street
·North Gate 1
·State Farm Drive
·The Home Depot Backyard and The Home Depot Backyard West
·Yellow Lot
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Car-less options
For those who take MARTA, walk or get dropped off and don't have a gate to tail on, so to speak, there are some alternative options. We know it's not the same thing, but sometimes you have to make do. Plus, you can find affordable food and beer inside the gates.
MORE | How to get to Mercedes-Benz Stadium using MARTA
Tailgating activities at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Like before, fans can go to the parcel of land known as Georgia International Plaza used for pre- and postgame activities. Unlike before, the area known as Falcons Landing is officially called AmFam Village.
For a new option, head to the Front Porch. Inside security but still outdoors, it's a 61,000-square-foot plaza for ticketed guests with live entertainment and food and beverages open before, during and after stadium events.
The new 13-acre park doubles as a tailgate-friendly parking area for about 800 cars during large events. It replaced a portion of the Dome that was demolished on Nov. 20, 2017.
Also expected to go on the site: a new parking deck, and from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, an 800- to 1,000-room hotel.
MORE NCAA FINAL 4 COVERAGE
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»Taylor Swift will headline free Atlanta concert during NCAA Men's Final Four
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»NCAA basketball committee meets in Atlanta as Final Four preparations continue
