Busy weekend ahead in the Bayou City, be sure to 'bring your patience'
HOUSTON - Houston is hosting the Men’s Final Four Basketball Championship this weekend and putting on a host of events to go along with it. That means crowds and congestion.
75,000 visitors are expected here in Houston this weekend.
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While the guys will hit the hardwood for the NCAA basketball tournament at NRG Stadium, just about everything else will happen in Downtown Houston, including the March Madness concerts, which means thousands of people expected at Discovery Green and George R. Brown Convention Center for Fan Fest. There are also Rockets and Astros games and a big New Edition concert at Toyota Center this weekend.
"It’s game on in Houston," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said while smiling.
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Getting around Downtown Houston won’t be easy as the Bayou City hosts the NCAA Championship, with events kicking off Friday, March 31, 2023, through Monday, April 3, 2023.
"I urge Houstonians to plan their days ahead of time. Check out street closures, information, identify parking, and look at your transportation options," said Turner.
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"We at METRO will be providing free METRO Rail rides on the red, green and purple lines March 31 through April 3," adds Houston METRO Board Chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.
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"METRO, the rideshares, those are great options to get in and out of these venues. But please, please bring your patience," adds Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena.
"This is an NCAA event. There are no weapons allowed," explains Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
"All NCAA events have a clear bag policy," says Holly Kesterson with Harris County Houston Sports Authority.
The clear bag policy is also in place for the free March Madness Music Festival Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Discovery Green. Megan Thee Stallion kicks off the concert series.
"One of the biggest changes from 2016 music fest to this year’s is the fact is that it is ticketed. It is free, but it’s ticketed," Kesterson adds.
"And if you miss out on a March Madness Music Festival concert because it reaches capacity, know that is for your safety, and you can stream the shows on the men’s final four app," explains Mayor Turner.
Since the 2021 Astroworld concert deaths, changes have been made.
"The difference now is that we are involved with the planning, with the logistics, with approval of the plan that the promoters have submitted," said Pena.
That’s why there’s a 22,000 person maximum for the music fest concerts and there will be plenty of eyes on the crowd.
"What we’re going to do is we’re going to have people monitoring from up top. We’re going to have inspectors and police officers inside the crowd and in the perimeter," Pena said.
"Safety and fun, that’s our goal. We’ve been planning for over a year and a half. We have everything in place that we need," said Finner.
That includes extra officers and firefighters working this weekend.
Roads around Discovery Green, including McKinney, LaBranch, and Lamar will be closed to accommodate all the events, including what’s called The Dribble, where 4,000 kids dribble a basketball over a mile long course. There’s also a 4-mile run with 1,000 runners hitting the streets of downtown.