Rockies to host 12,500 fans at Coors Field starting with opening day in April | Colorado Springs News

A limited number of fans will be allowed at Coors Field on opening day, the Colorado Rockies announced Friday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved a variance the team applied for that will allow 12,500 fans, or 25% capacity, into the stands when the season starts April 1, against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Specific information about the variance will be released at a later date, as the state health department and the Rockies are still finalizing plans.

The Colorado Rockies have released the following statement regarding fans in the stands at Coors Field. pic.twitter.com/lkG64iK771

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) February 26, 2021

“To create a safe and healthy experience for fans, players and staff, the Rockies have implemented all required CDHPE, [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and MLB policies and guidelines,” the Rockies said in a statement.

Safety requirements put in place this season include enhanced cleaning protocols, the addition of hand sanitation stations across the ballpark, and requiring each fan and staff member to wear a face mask at all times, except while eating or drinking, according to an email sent to season ticketholders last month, acquired by the Denver Gazette. 

Other changes have been made to the seating arrangements to keep them in line with capacity limits. The Rockies are creating a new seating manifest that will accommodate social distance requirements. Seats will be sold as pods — generally groups of two to four seats, according to the email.

Due to capacity restraints, season ticket holders will be given priority and are required to reserve seats ahead of time for each limited-capacity game. As a result, the Rockies currently don’t know how many, if any, single-game tickets will be available to the general public.

“It’s still undetermined on the single game tickets side — it will be based on what the plan holders do,” said Cory Little, assistant director of communications for the Rockies.

Despite the fact that only a limited number of fans will be allowed to enter the the gates of Coors Field on Opening Day, many surrounding restaurants can’t wait. 

“We used to get shoulder-to-shoulder packed during games, especially when the Dodgers and [Chicago] Cubs were in town, so we’re super excited to have the fans come back, because that means we’ll have more people coming in,” said Emily Hurbert, general manager of the Icehouse Tavern, a bar that serves wings, pizza and salad.

To Samantha Taxin, the general manager of Cherry Cricket Ballpark, a traditional burger and fries joint near the stadium, said the decision signals a return to some normalcy.

“It feels like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it gives us a small sense of hope for the future,” she said.

Opening day will be the first time fans are allowed into the stadium, at the corner of 20th and Blake streets, since the 2019 season. Fans were prohibited from entering the stadium during the shortened 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Buckley, the assistant general manager at Jackson LODO, which serves traditional bar food across the street from Coors Field, said he was thrilled with the news — but it won’t change much for the business until all capacity limits disappear.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” Buckley said. “It’s good news, but until all restrictions are lifted, it still requires us to have more labor and do more work for less money.”