Helluva Block Party

[billga99]

Just received this note from GT which says they are setting up a block party on North Avenue from Techwood Dr. to Luckie St on game days. They will close off North Avenue 6 hours ahead of game time and the tailgating will start 4 hours before the game. They will have food and drink. Also the team will march through this space 2 hours before game time. The band will also play there and they will have some sort of music 90 minutes before game time. I know a lot of you do your own tailgating but this sounds like a nice idea excluding the traffic hassle it might cause with closing North Avenue.

 

[GTLorenzo]

Looking forward to it returning to Callaway Plaza after construction of the Edge Center is complete. Batt should go ahead and say that now. Probably 80% (?) of the fans attending the game come from the north, east or west of the stadium. I seriously doubt we would leave our tailgate at Peters Park to walk to the other end of the stadium to see Yellow Jacket Alley. Nice short term solution, but presume it will be back in the right place in a year or two.

 

[Ramble1885]

A solid idea considering the construction that will be happening but I hope it returns to the old spot once the edge center is complete.

 

[RamblinRed]

“We couldn’t be more excited to build on the great pregame traditions of Georgia Tech football by bringing them to one of the most vibrant locations of our campus and our city – North Avenue,” director of athletics J Batt said. “Being in the shadow of Bobby Dodd Stadium and Tech Tower, Helluva Block Party will merge the great traditions of our campus with an enhanced pregame atmosphere for fans.

“Additionally, many of our gameday traditions – including Yellow Jacket Alley and Wreckfest – have been previously centered on or near Callaway Plaza on the north end of the stadium.” Batt continued. “Beginning in 2024, construction on the new Student-Athlete Performance Center will make it unfeasible to continue to hold those events in those locations. By making these two great traditions centerpieces of Helluva Block Party, we can get a jump on that transition.

“We can’t wait to debut our new gameday experience to our incredible fans this fall!”


My assumption is they will wait and see how it plays out. If it becomes successful for them I could see them keeping it there. If not, then activities likely return to their previous spots after the construction is complete.

 

[g0lftime]

“We couldn’t be more excited to build on the great pregame traditions of Georgia Tech football by bringing them to one of the most vibrant locations of our campus and our city – North Avenue,” director of athletics J Batt said. “Being in the shadow of Bobby Dodd Stadium and Tech Tower, Helluva Block Party will merge the great traditions of our campus with an enhanced pregame atmosphere for fans.

“Additionally, many of our gameday traditions – including Yellow Jacket Alley and Wreckfest – have been previously centered on or near Callaway Plaza on the north end of the stadium.” Batt continued. “Beginning in 2024, construction on the new Student-Athlete Performance Center will make it unfeasible to continue to hold those events in those locations. By making these two great traditions centerpieces of Helluva Block Party, we can get a jump on that transition.

“We can’t wait to debut our new gameday experience to our incredible fans this fall!”


My assumption is they will wait and see how it plays out. If it becomes successful for them I could see them keeping it there. If not, then activities likely return to their previous spots after the construction is complete.

I was disappointed last homecoming I attended at how few fans were in the lawn area behind the library. Peters Park seems to be where the action is. There was a little activity on the front lawn where they plan to do it this fall but still not a lot of tailgating. The alumni house does some pregame stuff if you donate at certain levels. I do think it will return to the north end when Edge is done. The frat's and sorority houses also are on the north side as well. Lots of alums hang out there too.

 

[billga99]

My guess is this will also be a convenient location for people coming to the game via Marta or parking in midtown. Not sure how many that applies to but it is easy to get to this event from there. Batt's goal has to be how to increase attendance and that will not come from people who already tailgate or are on campus.

 

[devcon]

On one hand, the Tech Tower lawn and the surrounding area feels like it will bring a great atmosphere, on the other hand, as a student it’s gonna feel pretty silly walking with my group from frat row past the stadium to get to Yellow Jacket Alley / watch the band. Have no idea where students are expected to enter the stadium if that entire area is going to be closed off. Hopefully it’s temporary.

 

[boger2337]

I'm excited for it. Callaway plaza was just a place for fans to enter the game. No one really hung out there. This gives us an option to have our version of the Grove.


I am all for it and hope it's hear to stay! New Traditions! Let's make winning one of them

 

[MWBATL]

Just win, baby!

 

[Lil G]

I'm excited for it. Callaway plaza was just a place for fans to enter the game. No one really hung out there. This gives us an option to have our version of the Grove.


I am all for it and hope it's hear to stay! New Traditions! Let's make winning one of them

I’m curious if the new athletic center being built will change the Callaway environment at all. Maybe they’ll add some new fan engagement. Or people just flock to the new shiny object. Either way I would love to see a more centralized community tailgating and an effort made by tech achieve this

 

[Buzzbomb]

If you go to breakfast or early brunch/lunch before a Tech football game this season…..
PSA: Silver Skillet on 14th St. is using canned peaches because of the crop warming/early damage in Ga., which created a farming shortage.

 

[GTLorenzo]

I'm excited for it. Callaway plaza was just a place for fans to enter the game. No one really hung out there. This gives us an option to have our version of the Grove.


I am all for it and hope it's hear to stay! New Traditions! Let's make winning one of them

Seems like a lot of people hung out in the Callaway area before games. We're at Peters and would see people walking that direction, there were food tents, a tiny retail store, etc. Just find it difficult to believe that people will pass the stadium to tailgate or go see a concert or for Yellow Jacket Alley and then walk back to their tailgate or fraternity house, etc. Hope it works and, if not, that it returns to where it has been pretty successful for a long time.

 

[GT33]

Not sure the size of the area, but it would seem Tech Green and adjacent areas are way larger than Tech Tower Lawn. Keeping an open mind to see how it works.

 

[boger2337]

Seems like a lot of people hung out in the Callaway area before games. We're at Peters and would see people walking that direction, there were food tents, a tiny retail store, etc. Just find it difficult to believe that people will pass the stadium to tailgate or go see a concert or for Yellow Jacket Alley and then walk back to their tailgate or fraternity house, etc. Hope it works and, if not, that it returns to where it has been pretty successful for a long time.

I think the idea is for the new area to be THE tailgating spot. Everyone brings their tailgate stuff there and it's one big drunken party like Ole Miss. At least that's my goal for it lol.

 

[Lil G]

I think the idea is for the new area to be THE tailgating spot. Everyone brings their tailgate stuff there and it's one big drunken party like Ole Miss. At least that's my goal for it lol.

I hope this is the case. Having been to other universities that congregate all together much more than spreading around a campus, it feels like a big thing tech is missing.

I know there’s a bottleneck with Atlanta parking spreading people, but if tech brings the party to us instead of us using our own tents, I think it can work really well.

 

[jacketup]

Texas is amazing. They close streets on 2 sides of the stadium. One side is games and stuff for kids, sponsored by companies as advertising. At the corner is Big Beertha, a truck with like 16 taps (including a beer called Oklahoma Sucks). The other street is a mini carnival, including a ferris wheel. It's a gameday experience for 100K of your closest friends--and foes.

Sounds like J Batt wants a similar model starting on a smaller scale.

 

[BuzzStone]

I think it will be great for us out of towners who don't have a standard tailgate to go to.

 

[UgaBlows]

this really could be a happining spot if they can get everybody to tailgate there instead of spread out all over midtown