Savannah Bananas at Coors Field: A Know-Before-You-Go Guide

If you’re headed to Coors Field in Denver to see the Savannah Bananas take on the Indianapolis Clowns, here’s the biggest thing I can tell you after going to a bunch of Banana Ball games:

Don’t show up at game time.

Seriously.

If the show starts at 6:30 p.m. and you walk into Coors Field at 6:25, you'll see the game—but you'll miss a pretty big part of what makes Banana Ball different.

The pregame experience isn't just people standing around waiting for baseball. There are player appearances, music, entertainment, merchandise, mascots and plenty of the organized craziness that makes Banana Ball what it is.

So whether this is your first Banana Ball game or you're already part of the Banana Ball craziness, here's what I'd want to know before heading to Coors Field.

First, know your game time—Friday and Saturday are different

The Indianapolis Clowns and Savannah Bananas play twice in Denver, and the schedules aren't the same.

Friday, August 14

2:00 p.m. — Pre-Game Plaza opens
2:00 p.m. — Player appearances
3:00 p.m. — Before the Peel
4:30 p.m. — Gates open
6:30 p.m. — Show starts

Saturday, August 15

1:00 p.m. — Pre-Game Plaza opens
1:00 p.m. — Player appearances
2:00 p.m. — Before the Peel
3:30 p.m. — Gates open
5:30 p.m. — Show starts

The games are at:

Coors Field
2001 Blake St.
Denver, CO 80205

Here's the veteran-fan advice: arrive early enough to experience the Plaza.

Don't think of those extra hours as waiting around for the game to begin. The Banana Ball experience has already started.

There's even an early merchandise opportunity

Denver has something worth knowing about if merchandise is important to you.

Early merchandise will be available at McGregor Square:

Thursday, August 13: 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Friday, August 14: beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, August 15: beginning at 11:00 a.m.

If you've got your eye on something specific, or simply don't want merchandise shopping competing with everything else happening during the pregame; that could be a nice option.

Don't skip the Pre-Game Plaza

I've learned this one firsthand: Banana Ball is much more fun when you embrace everything surrounding the actual baseball.

The Pre-Game Plaza includes entertainment, merchandise and player appearances.

Then there's Before the Peel, which starts an hour and a half before the gates open.

It's hosted by Banana Ball broadcasters and cast members and can include players, mascots and surprise guests, along with music, dancing and plenty of general Banana Ball chaos.

If you're bringing kids, I'd especially try to get there for this part.

One important detail: the Plaza is a ticketed area. You need a ticket to that day's game to enter, but there's no additional Plaza ticket to purchase.

And there's another important rule: once you've scanned into the Plaza or ballpark, there is no re-entry.

So make sure you've got everything you need before scanning that ticket.

Indianapolis Clowns vs. Savannah Bananas is an interesting one

This isn't just another Bananas game.

Denver gets the Indianapolis Clowns against the Savannah Bananas, which gives new fans an opportunity to see that Banana Ball is becoming much bigger than one team.

Don't feel like you need to know every player or every rule before arriving.

That's part of the fun.

Pick a team. Pick a player. Pick the guy doing something completely ridiculous who makes your kid laugh.

You'll figure it out pretty quickly.

Download your tickets before heading to Coors Field

This is not the exciting part of Banana Ball, but it can prevent a lousy beginning to a very fun day.

Digital tickets become available 72 hours before first pitch, and fans are encouraged to download their tickets to their mobile wallets before arriving.

The Fans First Tickets Management App allows fans to access and transfer tickets, use the official Marketplace, browse available tickets and scan into the stadium.

If you're using Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, get everything loaded before leaving home.

Don't be the person standing outside Coors Field with 5% battery trying to reset a password while everyone else is having fun.

If something does go wrong, Ticket Help stations will be available at ticket-scanning locations outside the ballpark and in the Plaza before the gates open.

Know what kind of ticket you have

Banana Ball tickets were sold by Ticket Zones.

Ticketholders are being assigned a specific section, row and seat within the zone they originally purchased.

There's an important exception:

Standing Room Only tickets do not include a reserved seat.

At Coors Field, the designated SRO location is The Rooftop.

Check your tickets ahead of time so you know exactly what you've purchased and aren't trying to figure it out after arriving.

Parking at Coors Field: You can plan ahead

Unlike the Salt Lake City event, Denver gives you the ability to purchase parking passes in advance for the appropriate games.

Day-of parking is also available at Lots A and B, but only credit cards are accepted for day-of parking.

Lots A and B contain more than 4,300 spaces, including accessible and bus parking.

Lot A is adjacent to Coors Field near Gate A, with an estimated walk of approximately one to 10 minutes.

Lot B is next to Lot A and includes a covered parking garage, accessible parking and four EV charging stations. The estimated walk from Lot B to Gate A is approximately 15 minutes.

There's also a VIP Lot near Gate B with an estimated walk of less than five minutes.

My preference at Banana Ball is pretty straightforward: I'd rather be ridiculously early than ridiculously stressed.

You've already got several hours of entertainment available before the show. Take advantage of that instead of cutting things close because of traffic and parking.

Denver's food policy is different—pay attention to this one

At Coors Field, food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted, provided they're single-sized servings.

Factory-sealed plastic bottles are also permitted, as are empty reusable plastic or metal cups and mugs.

That's substantially different from venues that prohibit outside food and beverages, so don't assume every Banana Ball stop follows the same rules.

Venue rules matter.

The bag policy is pretty specific

Coors Field does not permit backpacks and other multi-pocket bags, including multi-pocket purses.

Permitted single-pocket bags can be no larger than:

16" x 16" x 8"

And permitted bags are subject to search.

Another useful detail: when going through the metal detectors, phones and keys can remain in your pockets; guests are asked to remove larger metal items.

If you're bringing something unusual, I'd check Coors Field's complete permitted/prohibited-items list before leaving home rather than finding out at the gate.

My biggest advice: Don't just watch Banana Ball

This is the part that's hard to explain to somebody who hasn't been to one yet.

You can sit there and watch the baseball.

You'll have fun.

But I think you'll have a much better time if you participate in the whole thing. It is a movement.

Talk to the fans around you.

Get there for the player appearances.

Watch Before the Peel.

Cheer.

Laugh at the ridiculous stuff.

If you're bringing kids, let them get completely caught up in it.

And don't spend three hours watching Banana Ball through the screen of your phone because you're trying to record every second of it.

I've been to enough games now to realize that some of the best moments aren't necessarily the ones you expected to see.

One last piece of veteran-fan advice

If you've never been to Banana Ball, don't arrive expecting a conventional baseball game with some dancing added between innings.

That's not really what this is.

There's legitimate baseball and legitimate competition happening on the field. But wrapped around that is music, dancing, comedy, fan participation, player interaction and a deliberate effort to keep something happening almost constantly.

That's why I'd approach Denver this way:

Get your tickets into your wallet early. Figure out parking. Know the bag rules. Arrive hours before the show. Experience the Plaza. Watch Before the Peel. And participate.

Friday's show may officially start at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday's may officially start at 5:30 p.m.

But if you want the full experience?

Banana Ball starts a whole lot earlier than that.

See additional Savannah Bananas on si content!

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