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Brewers Opening Day Draws Thousands for Early Tailgates at American Family Field

The turnout underscores tailgating’s place in Milwaukee culture.

Overview

  • Thousands of fans packed the parking lots at American Family Field, setting up grills, games, and coolers hours before first pitch.
  • Heavy early arrivals led staff to open parking around 9:25 a.m., roughly an hour ahead of schedule, after fans began lining up as early as 7 a.m.
  • Tailgates doubled as family outings, with children tossing baseballs and visitors traveling in, including a father and son who drove from Columbus, Ohio.
  • Team executive Rick Schlesinger said the ballpark now features a renovated kids zone and new concession items such as deep-fried kringle and cream puffs.
  • Optimism for 2026 is high after a 97-65 regular season in 2025 that set a franchise record before the Brewers fell to the Dodgers in the NLCS.