Brewers home game capacity 50% starting Saturday
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Brewers announced Tuesday, May 11 that seating capacity at American Family Field will increase from the current 25% to 50%.
The increase will be effective beginning with Saturday’s game, May 15 against the Atlanta Braves.
It means the tailgating atmosphere is here to stay, as up to 22,000 fans per game can now enter the stadium. It's a decision Brewers fan Riley Trapp said impacts more than just fans.
"Opening it up to 50% is great, not only for just the fans, but the community getting more money to buy brats and beers and all that inside the stadium. I feel like it's gonna be great for everyone," Trapp said.
Mobile vendors aren't allowed back in the stands yet, but more concession stands will open to cut down on lines. President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said he is optimistic that more progress could mean full capacity later this year.
"We still have the mask policy. Our fans are responsible, so I'm very comfortable saying I feel that we'll get there," Schlesinger said.
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The Brewers said they will have some sections set up as they are now to accommodate fans wanting a socially distant section.
While the boost in fans will wait until Saturday, a fan favorite returned to the field Tuesday night. The Famous Racing Sausages were back to race in person, running along the outfield warning track instead of their usual route.
Tickets and stadium safety rules
Fans who hold full and partial season ticket packages will receive an email this week detailing their seating options moving forward.
Currently, single-game tickets are available for games scheduled through Thursday, May 27. This Friday, the Brewers will announce details about single-game ticket availability and the promotional schedule for games scheduled to be played from Monday, May 31 through Wednesday, June 16.
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Later this month, the Brewers will release information on single-game tickets as well as the entire promotional schedule for games scheduled to be played from Friday, June 25 through the end of the season.
Tickets are available at brewers.com, by phone at 1-800-933-7890 or at the American Family Field Box Office. All online and phone purchases will be digitally delivered via the MLB Ballpark App.
For the time being, the Brewers will be designating two Loge Level seating sections as social distancing locations where seating pods will remain separated by six feet.
Ryan Strnad, Managing Member/Lobbyist for Drinks In The Seats, issued the following statement on the capacity increase:
"The beer vendors at American Family Field still have not been notified as to when in-seat beer vending will return. Offering us work elsewhere in the stadium such as concession stands is not a viable supplement to our stadium pay or convenience in our work schedule.
"We have learned that our employer, Milwaukee SportService which is owned by Delaware North (DNC) (out of Buffalo, NY) which has made and is adhering to a suspicious anti-labor decision not to allow in-seat vending service in every one of the approximately 10 stadiums it is the concessionaire for nationwide."
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