CINCINNATI — After a limited number of Cincinnati Reds tickets for the upcoming season went on sale online, ticket windows at Great American Ball Park opened to fans to purchase single-game admission Thursday.
The sale excluded tickets for Opening Day on April 1, when the Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals at 4:10 p.m.
This season, all tickets will be issued digitally via the MLB Ballpark app for contactless entry, including tickets purchased at ball park windows.
Pre-sale opportunities began Monday, when season ticket members can buy single-game admission online. On Tuesday, paid vouchers from 2020 or account credit single game went on sale online.
Like many aspects of life amid the coronavirus pandemic, this year's ball park experience will look a little different. Masks will be mandatory for all fans, and masks should properly cover the nose and mouth unless you're eating or drinking in a seat.
Fans will be seated in socially distanced pods for up to six per group to keep fans 6 feet apart while watching the game. All concessions and merchandise stands will go contactless and cashless. The ball park also has a new policy prohibiting backpacks.
Find information about tickets, the Reds' schedule and more here.
The MLB opens the season on April 1, and the league expects to play 162 games in the 2021 season.
"We normally go to I'd say 10 or 15 games a year, something like that," said Reds fan Ed Kallmeyer, who added that extra tickets have been hard to come by, especially for Opening Day.
"Probably 15 or 20 years, I've gone to Opening Day," he said. "Always come down and go to the parade then to the game and stuff like that."
Meanwhile, the Reds Opening Day Parade has been postponed until Great American Ball Park can safely accommodate fans at full capacity, according to parade organizer Findlay Market Association. Last month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that sports stadiums will be allowed to fill seats to 30% capacity.
In 2020, the pandemic shut down spring training in March and delayed Opening Day until July. Teams played a 60-game schedule with an expanded postseason, and games were played without fans in stands.
