For the next three days, the sports world will have its eye on Cleveland. As the backdrop for the 2021 NFL Draft, if you are coming downtown, there are some things you should know.
The Draft officially starts tonight at 8 pm, but you can come downtown earlier to see the Draft Experience, an interactive football theme park around FirstEnergy Stadium. It opens at noon and free reservations are required on the NFL OnePass app.
The main stage is in downtown Cleveland's North Coast Harbor, next to FirstEnergy Stadium. This is the stage that the picks will be announced from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
There will also be many road closures. To put it simply, normal Browns game day parking restrictions will apply. That includes from Lakeside Avenue to Superior Avenue, and East 12th Street to Old River Road. Here's a breakdown:
Rt2 W at 90W (Dead Man’s Curve)
Rt2 W exit to E9th
Rt2 W exit to W 3rd
The exits along Rt. 2 Eastbound into downtown (Lakeside/West 6th “exit 194”, East 9th “exit 195A”, and the Muni Lot exits “195B and 195C”).
Both W and E Mall Drive
E 9th from Lakeside to N Marginal
W 3rd from just north of the Rt2 overpass
Tonight, there is a red carpet event and a performance by Kings of Leon before the first round starts at 8 p.m. COVID protocols are in place as attendees must wear masks and practice social distancing.