Going to prelims for the first time, I have noobie questions!

[MaestroC]

My family has tickets to the Thursday prelims and will be staying at the Embassy Suites a few blocks away within walking distance to Lucas Oil Stadium.  It's our first time going after seeing only small local events with only a few corps.  My questions are:

1) Will there be other performances or events going on around the stadium during the day?  I know there will be a place for merch sales, but other than that are there other activities (official or unofficial) in the area that coincide with the stuff in the stadium on Wednesday or Thursday?

2) Will the corps be warming up in the general vicinity of the stadium the way they did at our local event?  The kids enjoyed standing in the lot and watching/listening to the warmups since you get a lot closer to things.  Are there any unwritten rules about this kind of thing?

3)  Is there anything else we should know ahead of time or be sure to do while we are there?  We will arrive on Wednesday, have all day Thursday.

4) I have a feeling some of the family will not want to spend as much time in the stadium as others but all of the tickets are on my phone in the ticketmaster account.  If two of us want to walk back to the hotel for a while and then come back in the evening while the others stay at the stadium longer how will that work for getting them back in the gate?

Thank you for any answers you might be able to provide!

[TheOneWhoKnows]

33 minutes ago, MaestroC said:

My family has tickets to the Thursday prelims and will be staying at the Embassy Suites a few blocks away within walking distance to Lucas Oil Stadium.  It's our first time going after seeing only small local events with only a few corps.  My questions are:

1) Will there be other performances or events going on around the stadium during the day?  I know there will be a place for merch sales, but other than that are there other activities (official or unofficial) in the area that coincide with the stuff in the stadium on Wednesday or Thursday?

2) Will the corps be warming up in the general vicinity of the stadium the way they did at our local event?  The kids enjoyed standing in the lot and watching/listening to the warmups since you get a lot closer to things.  Are there any unwritten rules about this kind of thing?

3)  Is there anything else we should know ahead of time or be sure to do while we are there?  We will arrive on Wednesday, have all day Thursday.

4) I have a feeling some of the family will not want to spend as much time in the stadium as others but all of the tickets are on my phone in the ticketmaster account.  If two of us want to walk back to the hotel for a while and then come back in the evening while the others stay at the stadium longer how will that work for getting them back in the gate?

Thank you for any answers you might be able to provide!

1) On Thursday, the main event is in the stadium and it's all day since it's prelims. There isn't a lot of food options in the immediate vicinity outside of the stadium so be aware you would either need to eat in the stadium or explore quite a few blocks out. 

2) Corps usually warm up in the parking lot outside the stadium (at least font ensembles do) and the corps themselves usually warm up in Military Park a few blocks north of the stadium. You can go watch, but just be respectful of the corps space. 

3) Just be aware of parking. I have mine all booked already, but I am staying outside of the city so I need parking everyday. Depending on what time you get there on Wednesday, the Indianapolis Zoo is right across the river from the stadium, less than a mile away. I found it to be a wonderful zoo and it's actually a yearly visit for me when I arrive on Wednesday in Indy. There are also some museums a bit more into the center of the city I have heard are good.

4) I've never actually left and tried to re-enter (yeah I'm that nerd that sits and watched every single corps). I may have to defer this answer to someone who does. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by TheOneWhoKnows

[wvu80]

46 minutes ago, MaestroC said:

3)  Is there anything else we should know ahead of time

• It's cold in there, you can actually feel the cool air blow across your seats.  Wear a jacket, you can always take it off.
• Take a hat, like a ball cap.  The ceiling lights are super bright and it actually cuts down on contrast when viewing the corps.  I wore a cap the second day and it made my viewing experience so much better.  A lightweight hat with a foldable brim is perfect.
• Food is super expensive for what you get and the service is ridiculously slow leading to long lines.  Leading to you missing some of the corps performances.
• You don't need to take a seat cushion.  The seats are padded all around and are very comfortable.
• Take cash and be prepared to pay $20 for parking.
• Buy your souvenir shirts early in your trip.  By finals everything is picked over, out of stock and not-your-size.

Edited August 3, 2023 by wvu80

[NJbirder]

Not sure about re-entry, but you may be able to put the tickets into separate Apple wallets for more flexibility? 
 

I echo the food situation. They search bags so taking stuff in takes some creativity. 
 

Folks will seat jump and last year there was pretty much no staff managing things so be prepared to self advocate.

Thursday and Friday are very quiet compared to Saturday. It is all about the business of getting to the next round or celebrating the age outs on Friday night.  

Have an amazing time. Seeing all of those shows in one day is a treat. 

[Onionhead2]

1 hour ago, MaestroC said:

My family has tickets to the Thursday prelims and will be staying at the Embassy Suites a few blocks away within walking distance to Lucas Oil Stadium.  It's our first time going after seeing only small local events with only a few corps.  My questions are:

1) Will there be other performances or events going on around the stadium during the day?  I know there will be a place for merch sales, but other than that are there other activities (official or unofficial) in the area that coincide with the stuff in the stadium on Wednesday or Thursday?

2) Will the corps be warming up in the general vicinity of the stadium the way they did at our local event?  The kids enjoyed standing in the lot and watching/listening to the warmups since you get a lot closer to things.  Are there any unwritten rules about this kind of thing?

3)  Is there anything else we should know ahead of time or be sure to do while we are there?  We will arrive on Wednesday, have all day Thursday.

4) I have a feeling some of the family will not want to spend as much time in the stadium as others but all of the tickets are on my phone in the ticketmaster account.  If two of us want to walk back to the hotel for a while and then come back in the evening while the others stay at the stadium longer how will that work for getting them back in the gate?

Thank you for any answers you might be able to provide!

make sure to go to Military park, every Corps. goes there to warm up 2 hr. prior to their performance, so it a bit of a revolving event, but go early and you can catch most Corps. Its a large area, and its my favorite part of the whole event. You wont be sorry. Grab a sandwich and a drink to go at Goose the Market, and you will be in Drum Corps. heaven.

[TheOneWhoKnows]

20 minutes ago, NJbirder said:

Not sure about re-entry, but you may be able to put the tickets into separate Apple wallets for more flexibility? 
 

I echo the food situation. They search bags so taking stuff in takes some creativity. 
 

Folks will seat jump and last year there was pretty much no staff managing things so be prepared to self advocate.

Thursday and Friday are very quiet compared to Saturday. It is all about the business of getting to the next round or celebrating the age outs on Friday night.  

Have an amazing time. Seeing all of those shows in one day is a treat. 

The seat jumping was awful last year. Wasn't until Finals did they start really enforcing it and boy were the seat jumpers mad. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by TheOneWhoKnows

[lawdn]

36 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

It's cold in there, you can actually feel the cool air blow across your seats.  Wear a jacket, you can always take it off.

This is especially true at Prelims, even more so earlier in the day. Prelims is more sparsely attended, especially for the earlier corps, so there aren’t enough people warming up the place to offset the AC. Anyone who tends to get cold might want 2 extra layers.

Edited August 3, 2023 by lawdn

[Triple Forte]

1 hour ago, MaestroC said:

My family has tickets to the Thursday prelims and will be staying at the Embassy Suites a few blocks away within walking distance to Lucas Oil Stadium.  It's our first time going after seeing only small local events with only a few corps.  My questions are:

1) Will there be other performances or events going on around the stadium during the day?  I know there will be a place for merch sales, but other than that are there other activities (official or unofficial) in the area that coincide with the stuff in the stadium on Wednesday or Thursday?

2) Will the corps be warming up in the general vicinity of the stadium the way they did at our local event?  The kids enjoyed standing in the lot and watching/listening to the warmups since you get a lot closer to things.  Are there any unwritten rules about this kind of thing?

3)  Is there anything else we should know ahead of time or be sure to do while we are there?  We will arrive on Wednesday, have all day Thursday.

4) I have a feeling some of the family will not want to spend as much time in the stadium as others but all of the tickets are on my phone in the ticketmaster account.  If two of us want to walk back to the hotel for a while and then come back in the evening while the others stay at the stadium longer how will that work for getting them back in the gate?

Thank you for any answers you might be able to provide!

People have been providing some great tips .  Just one tip from me ,  the walk from where you enter the stadium to where most of the seating is , is a bit of a walk so allow time for that.  
One addition for the stadium concession stands ,  things are a bit slow going on Thursday as they are getting things setup and going  but I have never had issues or missed corps on Thursday due to concessions issues.  A good strategy is to go to the concessions during the corps performing right before an intermission….you can beat the masses usually 😁

[TheOneWhoKnows]

1 minute ago, Triple Forte said:

People have been providing some great tips .  Just one tip from me ,  the walk from where you enter the stadium to where most of the seating is , is a bit of a walk so allow time for that.  
One addition for the stadium concession stands ,  things are a bit slow going on Thursday as they are getting things setup and going  but I have never had issues or missed corps on Thursday due to concessions issues.  A good strategy is to go to the concessions during the corps performing right before an intermission….you can beat the masses usually 😁

Or find your "hotdog corps"... sorry everyone has one and I think I know which is mine this year 

[frank4now]

Last year you couldn't have a bag or purse larger than your outstretched hand. My wife brought one a little too big and had to go back and put in the room. I will say some of the employees we're enforcing this more than others so it's inconsistent. 

I prefer not to pay for overpriced mediocre food in the stadium so we usually arrive early and catch a few corps then look at the scedule and decide which 3 or 4 we can miss (embarrassed to say because I hate to miss any but it's a long day) combined with a break and we find  a close place to eat. In the past we have ate at the Shapiros delicatessen a few blocks from the stadium. It's really good cafeteria style line. They are busy but moved fast. Last year we ate at Slippery Noodle which is closer with possible longer wait but also very good.

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by frank4now