Save on Monster Jam tickets
Through Jan. 10, you can get tickets for 50 percent off by using the promo code: fmj10. The code ONLY applies to Level 5 tickets which cost $20 (so you pay $10).
Purchase tickets at the Georgia Dome Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800- 745-3000.
For more entertainment deals, visit the Atlanta Bargain Hunter blog at www.ajc.com/s/atlanta-bargain-hunter/.
Call it a spectacle of monstrous machinery. The opportunity to see 10,000-pound trucks catch serious air, decimate a fleet of junkyard cars and rut enormous tires across the dirt-packed floor of the Georgia Dome typically packs the place to capacity.
This recipe for methanol-injected success comes in the form of Monster Jam, the annual monster truck rave-up, which draws a mixed bag of kids and adults from all walks of life. Whether their sense of style includes a mesh trucker cap or a polo shirt, many can’t help embracing their inner “yee-haw.”
The competition of racing and freestyle stunt driving stars more than a dozen over-the-top vehicles, most standing 12 feet tall. Each take the stage like some sort of four-wheeled titan, dressed in wild and dynamic paint jobs. And they have the monikers to match: Spider-Man, El Toro Loco, Maximum Destruction and the iconic Grave Digger.
Dennis Anderson, the creator and driver of the latter, rolls into the Dome behind the wheel of the new number 30 Grave Digger, a ride he debuted this past Saturday in Houston, Texas. The track rivalries continue revving as loud as their engines, Anderson says, including the competitive spirit he shares with son Ryan Anderson, driver of Son-uva Digger.
Dennis Anderson says veteran Monster Jam fans can expect a new track design with taller, steeper ramps. And the sprawling Georgia Dome floor, he says, gives him plenty of room to work some monster truck magic.
“The Georgia Dome fills up, and the fans are full of thunder for us,” said Anderson. “When I come into the Georgia Dome I have some internal pressure. I want to do good for the fans, because they’re so loyal to us in Atlanta. It’s a special place to me.”
Although the show itself doesn’t fire up its engine until 7 p.m., many Monster Jam fans make a day out of it. With the pre-event Party in the Pits, and restaurants and attractions within walking distance of the Dome, the truck-hungry hordes can fill up on hours of entertainment.
PARTY IN THE PITS
From 2 to 5 p.m. the day of the show, fans can step onto the actual dirt track among the ramps and mounds of cars inside the Georgia Dome. Guests chat it up with the drivers and get an eyeful of the towering trucks. A photo op standing next to a 66-inch monster truck tire remains arguably priceless. They’ll also find games, drawings and prizes.
“It’s evolved over the years into a full-on activity,” Anderson said. “We went from having maybe 500 to 600 people coming for autographs to 10,000 people down on the floor now.”
Autograph seekers score signatures from their favorite pilots. Get there early if you’re hoping to get close to the more popular personalities, such as Anderson. Passes to Party in the Pits can be found while supplies last at participating Metro PCS locations up until the day of the show. They can also be purchased through ticket outlets for $15 each.
SKYVIEW
Those heading to Monster Jam already think large. But those steel-crunching trucks aren’t the only big boys in the vicinity. Just a short walk from the Dome at the south of Centennial Park next to The Tabernacle sits the SkyView Ferris wheel. More than 20 stories high, the tourist attraction set up shop back in the summer and continues spinning with its choice views of the city skyline. As many as six people can hop into one of the 42 air-conditioned and heated gondolas for a ride lasting approximately 15 minutes (four rotations of the wheel). Those looking to shoot the works opt for the VIP ticket. This means you jump to the front of the line and get a twice-as-long ride. The VIP gondola comes tricked out with a TV, Ferrari leather seats and a glass floor. Make sure and check the weather before you visit. SkyView won’t operate due to lightning or strong winds.
Noon-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; noon-11 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays. $13.50; $12.15 for military and ages 65 and older; $8.50 ages 3-12; free ages 2 and younger; $50 VIP. SkyView, 168 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta. 678-949-9023, www.skyviewatlanta.com.
STATS
Sports fans who prefer some posh while watching favorite teams or players can make a pre-Monster Jam pit stop. The upscale sports bar and restaurant gives the experience a bit of a swanky sheen with multiple levels and five bars, including a rooftop deck. The action plays out on 70 high definition TVs while guests chomp and imbibe on kitchen and bar creations. Chicken wings, burgers and other staples mingle with the not so typical. Think sweet and spicy Kung Fu ribs and a strip steak sporting a Coca-Cola molasses glaze. Groups looking to soak up some suds can reserve one of seven tables equipped with its own beer tap. Despite the bells, whistles and discerning style, Stats keeps basic sports the priority. You’ll even hear classic sports broadcasts in the restrooms.
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays; noon-11 p.m. Sundays. Stats, 300 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-885-1472, www.statsatl.com.
Monster Jam. 7 p.m. Jan. 11. $20-$75 plus Ticketmaster fees. Tickets cost $5 more the day of show. Georgia Dome, One Georgia Dome Drive, Atlanta. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
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