Grange Grove on Illini football game day is a budget-conscious, family-friendly bucket list activity, right outside Gies Memorial Stadium
When the chill in the morning air arrives and beer-consumption is well underway by 9 a.m., you know it is officially Illini football season in Champaign-Urbana. For many families, heading to Grange Grove in the hours before an Illini home football game is a fall bucket list item, even if game tickets aren’t available.
Grange Grove is located off of First Street at Kirby Avenue, just west of the stadium. Normally gated and locked up, it opens in the hours before each game and becomes a hubbub of activity with people of all ages decked out in their orange and blue.
The earlier fans head to Grange Grove, the more scheduled programming they’ll see. Grange Grove opens at 7 a.m. for tailgating regardless of what time the game kicks off. Those who have a reserved tailgating spot in Grange Grove can set up the night before.
The schedule is roughly the same for each game, regardless of kickoff time:
- Three hours before kickoff, the Kids Zone opens (inflatables, games, face painting, etc.). Using an 11 a.m. kickoff as an example, this would begin at 8 a.m.
- About 10-15 minutes later, there is a drumline performance.
- Two and a half hours before kickoff, the Illini Walk takes place as the football players and coaching staff enter the stadium. Cheerleaders are there for a general “pep rally” atmosphere.
- Two hours before kickoff, live music and the live radio show begin. Meanwhile, the Kids Zone activities are still going strong and starting to get more busy now.
- About 50 minutes before kickoff, the Marching Illini march into the stadium with a performance. Move towards the gates near the stadium to make sure kids can see this up close; there’s no need to actually walk through the gates to see.
- Activities stop at kickoff.
All about parking
The No. 1 objection we hear from families that would like to check out Grange Grove (but don’t) has to do with parking. Parking can be expensive, and is even harder to swallow if you’re not staying for the game. Our go-to solution here is to head to Grange Grove early, where there is at least the possibility of scoring free parking further north of Gies Memorial Stadium. Double-check the regulations to ensure it is an approved spot. It’s best to park no later than about 8 a.m. on gameday for this strategy to work; later in the day and it will (almost) be a lost cause.
Another option would be to be dropped off near Gies Memorial Stadium. This ensures the shortest walk possible. This person could come back and pick you up later, or park further away and do the walk on their own.
Now for a best-kept secret: Take the MTD to Grange Grove — or at least only a block or two away. Board this special gameday bus, known as the 280 tranSPORT, for $2 round-trip at a few designated stops near or on campus, and ride back at any point during the game (expect to wait no more than about 15 minutes for departure). Service begins two hours before kickoff. Stops are at the intersection of Fourth and Peabody; the intersection of Church and Neil; and the Transit Plaza near the Illini Union bookstore on Wright Street.
We recently tried riding the MTD to a Big Ten game, boarding in downtown Champaign — on Church just west of the Church/Neil intersection — which is conveniently close to the Hill Street parking garage. When we caught the bus one hour before kickoff, there were only five other riders on the entire bus. A big thumbs up from us for the entire experience.
And if convenience rules for you, you may just purchase game day parking on the day of, usually found at Research Park. The parking rate is $30.
Upon arrival
Massive gates welcome fans to the grove. On our way in we passed various area food trucks. Grange Grove activities are free and the lines for things like face painting can get quite long. Again, arrive early and to avoid a lot of longer waits.
Grange Grove is a great way to get a real taste of the Illini gameday experience, without buying tickets and sitting through a several-hour game with kids. One of our kids’ favorite activities is trying on the football helmet and pads each year, and seeing how much they’ve grown from year to year.
Among the highlights are free buttons, stickers, posters and temporary tattoos. The Gameday Spirit shop is located in the heart of Grange Grove and the items here are for sale (not giveaways). There are plenty of porta-potties and space to throw a football around.
Want to make sure you see the Marching Illini? Find out more here about the Best Band in the Land.
Looking for more about family-friendly Illini sporting events?
