Brewers home opener: Fans brave cold, wintry mix outside ballpark
MILWAUKEE - It wasn't ideal tailgating weather, but it wasn't enough to stop Milwaukee Brewers fans from setting up hours before first pitch for Tuesday's home opener.
Heavy wind and whipping rain were no match for fans and their tailgating tents outside American Family Field.
"Block the wind, and a couple alcohol drinks, you know, you get warmth, keep going," said fan John Cramer.
RELATED: Check out the new and improved FOX Sports app
Fans Chad and Donald Bialkowski come every year – and joked it might take a tornado to keep them away.
"A little bit of heat in the tent, food, beer," Donald said of what they needed.
While the Bialkowskis reeled in the good times, others hoped to reel in good luck. Dave Coenen, otherwise known as "Bio Dave." was determined to catch a walleye and a win at his tailgate.
"We figured that with the weather and the forecast, we’d get some good current that maybe the walleyes would be running up the river today," said Dave Coenen.
Parking problem
American Family Field has a new parking system this season. Once fans drive into the lot, they must then scan the nearest QR code to activate their prepaid parking pass or purchase one.
On Tuesday, some fans said they were experiencing connection issues when trying to activate their parking passes. One fan told FOX6 News the parking staff just told them to go inside for the time being – and enjoy the game.
"They said just go in the stadium and sit down and do your thing, log in and let the thing spin, and just put in your license plate when it loads up," said Alex Gerth.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
Some fans thought the issues could be related to too many people trying to activate their passes at the same time. The Brewers recommended people to continue reloading to connect.
Statement from Interstate Parking President & CEO Tony Janowiec:
"The connectivity issues experienced by fans parking today at American Family Field were due to an Interstate technology configuration issue and not related to the Brewers or the MLB Ballpark App. We are working to correct the problem that lies within our app as soon as possible. Until it is resolved, and beginning with tomorrow afternoon’s game, we will revert to the traditional parking method that previously existed at the Ballpark. Cashiers will be scanning prepaid passes and accepting day-of-game payment upon arrival. We apologize for the inconvenience today and want to reiterate that no parking violations were issued to anyone at today’s game."
FOX6 Brewers Home Opener special
.