Sacramento businesses prep for major rush as A's, Kings play on same day for first time
SACRAMENTO – Wednesday was the first time Sacramento has hosted an MLB game and an NBA game on the same day.
It was a historic day for Sacramento as two professional sports teams played almost back-to-back for the first time. There are only two dozen cities that have MLB and NBA playing in the same city, and now Sacramento is one of them.
"Same day within a mile of each other, so it's going to bring a lot of action downtown," said Wil Gonzalez with Tom's Watch Bar.
Local businesses have been prepping for a major rush of sports fans between Sutter Health Park and the Downtown Commons.
This also includes Old Sacramento, which is caught right in the middle of the games.
"I think there's definitely a lot more crowds walking through now it does seem a lot more busy," a Sacramento resident said.
"We're getting ready for a rush," Gonzalez said. "We had a little bit more people than normal for lunch. I would anticipate people eating over here, hanging out for some drinks and eat and get ready for the Kings."
Sacramento's twist on a doubleheader isn't only happening once, but the next one they'll be playing at the same time.
"I think the worst part about it is the traffic, the parking but once we get everything situated other than that it will be fine," another resident said.
Downtown Sacramento Partnership says discounted parking was offered for folks who wanted to attend both games on Wednesday. They wanted to encourage people who are able to walk to park once and take advantage of the close proximity.
"We're already seeing an increase in pedestrian activity," said Scott Ford, with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. "I think this speaks to the importance of concentrating city amenities like stadiums in a compact area."
The Kings will host the Clippers at 7 p.m. on Friday, when the A's host the Mets at 7:05 p.m. Then on Sunday, the Kings host the Suns at 12:30 p.m. and the A's and Mets will square off at 1:05 p.m.