Falcons playoff game: If you go
Though temperatures for Sunday’s NFC Championship game are not expected to reach last weekend’s balmy numbers, it will still be comfortable for tailgating and strolling around town.
If you are bringing your own prepared barbecue, chicken or sandwiches, there are dozens of private parking lots that allow you to set up a couple of lawn chairs, pull out your food and have at it. But rules, including those for grilling, are subject to lot owners.
For those who do not park in Georgia Dome lots, here is an interactive list of other lots downtown: www.atlantadowntown.com/guide/getting-around. Click on the lot to learn what restaurants are located nearby.
For those in Georgia Dome parking lots, those lots open five hours before kickoff (10 a.m.). Tailgaters can grill, eat and drink in and near their parking spaces and landscaped areas in the surface parking lots, but not in the Red or Gold decks. Fans may not set up tents, tables or seats in other parking spaces. A few other rules:
- Saving spaces for others is not allowed.
- Tents cannot exceed 8-by-10 feet.
- A 14-foot drive aisle must be maintained between rows of vehicles.
- Tailgating is permitted up until two hours following the conclusion of the game.
- No open fires; grills are OK but charcoal must be disposed of in designated containers.
- No deep fryers.
- Propane tanks cannot exceed a cylinder size of 20 pounds.
- All guests must follow the directions and instructions provided by stadium personnel or risk being ejected.
Check out other intown activities with your smart phone or pad at these sites:
- The Georgia Dome site has lots of useful information, including parking and special programs: http://gadome.com/events_ticketing/events/all/NFC%20Championship.aspx
- For goings-on at Underground Atlanta: http://www.underground-atlanta.com/
- Take a virtual tour of the Georgia Aquarium via the aquarium app that allows you to interact with fish and animals that live in this popular neighbor to the Dome. The aquarium is one of Atlanta's most visited attractions: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/
- World of Coca-Cola online at http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/. With more than 1,200 Coca-Cola artifacts from around the world, the World of Coke is both interactive and educational. Try more than 60 Coke products from countries all over the world.
- Numerous movies and television shows are filmed in the metro area. The most popular show currently in production is "The Walking Dead." Each weekend, Atlanta Movie Tours offers its Big Zombie Tour for $45, which takes fans to filming locations. Sports fans love this cult show and, who knows, you may stumble on some action being shot. Big Zombie Tour online at http://atlantamovietours.com/tours/
- Need help getting to and from the game or around Atlanta? The MARTA app gives you access to bus and rail schedules. See real-time information on where your bus or train is, and get station-by-station instructions to Atlanta's hot spots.
- Georgia Traffic Advisor ($2.99). A good way to stay aware of ever-changing Atlanta traffic conditions.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
