The Chicago Cubs opened their wild card series with a 3-1 win against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday in a best-of-three showdown.

Cubbies are remaining hopeful as it's the first time in eight years that Wrigley Field welcomed back a full house for October baseball.

Playing host in Game 1 is all it takes to revive Wrigley, and fans made sure the celebration started early.

Streets around the park were packed hours before the first pitch, with fans ready to soak in every second of Game 1.

After five years away from the postseason, the return felt more like a block party.

Inside the park, the Cubs roll in with home-field advantage and a surge of momentum. Outside, bars and restaurants were packed, with the focus on tradition and togetherness.

Families, friends, and generations of fans, some recalling the 2016 World Series win, while others getting their very first taste of playoff baseball in Wrigleyville.

"I was really excited to make sure we got the home field advantage that was going down to the wire a little bit," Kyle Weber said. It's huge because they gave us this opportunity. Great time with fans, Evans' first playoff game out here, so we're excited to see it." 

"Very excited, ready for some baseball," Evan Weber said.

"It's always good to come back home. When we came back here last month to honor Ryne Sandberg's passing, we decided to come back again, just a bucket list," Ken Kurk said. "It's amazing, it's the best baseball stadium in baseball, it's the best atmosphere, and nothing's better than being a Chicago Cubs fan."

The last playoff series at Wrigley was in 2020, so the bars and restaurants were eager to welcome back an October game with crowds.

Game 2 will also be played at Wrigley Field, and the first pitch for that game will also be set for 2:08 p.m.

The Cubs will need to win one game to advance to the next series.