The Winnipeg Jets Whiteout Street Parties are back for another season. (TYLER WALSH / TOURISM WINNIPEG)
The Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties are back this season, but it will cost you to attend.
Economic Development Winnipeg and True North Sports + Entertainment revealed details Monday, introducing a $5 fee and a maximum of four tickets per person. The street parties were free to attend last year and introduced a ticketing system halfway through the playoffs to get control on crowd sizes.
Tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster and the Bell MTS Place box office, with all proceeds going to the United Way Winnipeg to support agencies focused on three areas: addiction, homelessness, and mental health.
Kevin Donnelly with True North Sports + Entertainment says the fee was also introduced to ensure those who request tickets end up using them. Donnelly said last year, some fans scooped up more tickets than they intended to use, which left others out of luck who genuinely wanted to attend the party.
The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ says gamedays will be similar to last year, with street and sidewalk closures in and around Bell MTS Place.
Anticipated road closures include:
• Donald between Portage and St. Mary
• Graham between Hargrave and Smith
• Smith between Portage and St. Mary
“We can expect to see road closures in effect at 9 a.m. on a typical evening gameday and with roads reopening by 5 a.m. the following morning,” the BIZ said.
“For the safety of the general public, roads and sidewalks will also be closed to pedestrians at 9 a.m. as crews work to set up for the Street Parties. Local businesses will remain accessible by foot.”
Like last year, the parties will include large video screens for viewing the game, food trucks, vendors serving beverages and snacks, fun activations, and an in-game host and DJ to keep fans entertained pre-game as well as during commercial breaks and intermissions. The area will also include an alcohol-free family zone at Millennium Library Park with room for up to 4,000.
Exact dates of the Winnipeg Jets‘ playoff games aren’t yet known, but could go as late as mid-June. The NHL’s post-season begins April 10.
Bell MTS Place indoor viewing parties will once again be $10 with net proceeds going toward the True North Youth Foundation. Each fan will receive a We Are WPG rally towel with their ticket.
Last year’s whiteout parties drew more than 100,000 people downtown.
Tickets to the parties go on sale April 8 with a limit of 15,000 per game on the street. Those with tickets to the playoff games will automatically have free admission to the Whiteout Street Party.
#NHLJets’ GM Kevin Cheveldayoff thanks you #NHLJets fans and shares his excitement for the #WPGWhiteout Street Parties! pic.twitter.com/dMEsIMThjT
— x – Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 1, 2019
