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San Antonio residents or visitors don't have to consider themselves a Duke Blue Devil, Houston Cougar, Florida Gator or Auburn Tiger in order to enjoy Final Four fan events in downtown San Antonio this weekend.
There are plenty of events beyond just the games.
What's the weather going to be like?
Sunday may be the best day for an outing. That day will see a high of 65. The weekend should be rain-free. The high on Monday will be nice too, around 74.
It will be breezy at times this weekend, but winds calm on Monday.
What's the best way to get around crowded streets?
Take VIA to and from downtown from the Crossroads and Blossom Athletic Center Park & Ride locations this weekend. Round trips are $2.60, and that's much cheaper than a parking ticket and much better than the near impossible mission of finding an empty parking spot. There is zero public parking at the Alamodome.
For people who want to carry stuff around to official NCAA events, it must be in a clear, see-through bag or backpack.
Visitors should wear their favorite sneakers. There's a lot of walking if they want to take in all the events. But downtown is among the most walkable of any downtown in the nation. That's one of the reasons the NCAA chose San Antonio to host the games.
What is there to see and do?
There's the March Madness Music Festival at Tower Park through Sunday. It's free to enter, but it's first-come, first-served with limited capacity. The fire department will be counting heads. People should be early birds to get a spot. Fans are allowed to line up as early as 7 a.m. each day at the base of the Tower of the Americas.
The Music Festival hours on Sunday are 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The headliners are Jelly Roll, Pitbull, and Chris Stapleton.
Fan Fest, off the main lobby of the convention center, features interactive games and more through Monday. Visitors should be prepared to pay $10 to enter, but it's free for military, kids 12 and under and for Final Four game ticketholders. Fan Fest may also be the best option for those who want an indoor event and air conditioning. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday and noon to 6 p.m. on Monday.
There's a tailgate party at Civic Park that includes watch parties for the men's and women's games through Monday. Its hours are noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday.
On Sunday at 10 a.m. at Travis Park, visitors can watch 3,000 local kids dribble 3,000 balls a mile down the road. It's called the Final Four Dribble.
