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Fans are welcome to the NBA All-Star Game as soon as they land in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis is gearing up for the most fan-centric NBA All-Star weekend of all time, with event tickets up 40% over last year’s festivities in Salt Lake City, bringing which could be equivalent to 170,000 tickets sold among attendees from February 16 to 18.
“We expect 125,000 visitors to Indy, including some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, as well as 1,800 accredited media outlets, all talking about Indy,” Visit Indy spokesperson Morgan Snyder said in a statement to media. “According to the NBA, it is estimated that this weekend will generate $320 million in economic impact.”
Festivities began Thursday night with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bicentennial Unity Plaza. This was the first event of All-Star Weekend and was held at the city’s new three-story outdoor entertainment complex.
NBA crossover event
Starting Friday, fans can begin experiencing the NBA Crossover event, featuring multiple basketball courts, exclusive merchandise, interactive experiences, player appearances and more. Players will take photos, sign autographs for fans and participate in panel discussions.
The NBA Crossover, which will take place at the Indiana Convention Center, will also include concerts from artists such as T-Pain, ZEDD, Walker Hayes, Keith Urban and more.
Friday is also the day the Rising Stars Challenge and the NBA All-Star Celebrity game take place. The NBA Crossover continues throughout Saturday and Sunday, with the NBA HBCU Classic Game and All-Star Saturday Night Game on Saturday and the main event on Sunday.
The All-Star Celebrity Game, Skills Challenge, 3 Point Contest and Slam Dunk events will take place on an LED court for the first time. Another city basketball court has been welcoming visitors entering Indianapolis for the past month: an NBA-sized basketball court in the lobby of Indianapolis International Airport.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 3: A basketball court built inside the Indianapolis International … [+]
Indianapolis expects unprecedented attendance
Indianapolis says it expects visitors from 47 states and 29 countries over the weekend. The host committee launched Indy Local Court, which celebrates the intersection of arts, culture and basketball. Indy’s Home Court, stretching from the downtown mile to White River State Park, is filled with public art installations, pop-up shops, interactive activities and more.
Some of the highlights include:
- Two dozen 6-foot basketball sculptures, which can be found throughout the city, tell stories about Indiana basketball history through art.
- A fully immersive public art installation by Australian design studio Atelier Sisu, titled “Evanescent,” will bring large, glowing basketball-like orbs to Hudnut Commons at the corner of Maryland and Capitol streets.
- you are the staran exciting ’90s-inspired selfie station designed by Indy artist Christina Hollering
- Monument Circle, located at the epicenter of Indy, will showcase an interactive light show with a “buzz” countdown.
- BUTTER, an annual art fair held each Labor Day weekend in Indy, will make its first debut outside of the holiday weekend with the launch BUTTER in Indy Local Court featuring a pop-up art fair and cultural experience at the 19,000-square-foot Indianapolis Artsgarden
- Nearly eight sidewalk galleries will also take over the city
To facilitate the movement of fans, urban transportation options, such as IndyGo and Pacers Bike Share The program along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will be free all weekend.
For more details on individual events and art installations, Visit Indy has created a NBA All-Star Game website with all the details.
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