Bringing your kids to the NFL draft in Detroit? Here are a few places to take them.
With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, there will be plenty of activities happening in Detroit for people of all ages.
The three-day event kicks off on April 25 with a NFL Red Carpet event at the Fox Theatre beginning at 5:20 p.m., where the class of 2024 prospects will speak with NFL Network’s Kaylee Hartung as they start their new journeys. The event will be televised on the NFL Network.
Prior to the draft selections on April 25-26, the NFL will host free concerts inside the Draft Theater, located at Campus Martius, as part of the NFL Draft Concert Series. The final concert on April 27 will conclude the event. Headliners for those nights have yet to be announced.
For adults headed to draft weekend festivities, downloading the free NFL OnePass app on a smart device will be required to register for all of the events. If adults are looking to bring any children with them, up to five children can be added during the registration process. If you don’t have a smart device, you can also register online at www.nfl.com/draftaccess.
As local businesses and organizations are finalizing some of their last-minute details, here are some things to check out for both adults and kids.
The Corner Ballpark
The Corner Ballpark will be a hub for youth activities during the draft, with Detroit PAL as an official partner of the NFL. Kids attending the ballpark will have the opportunity to test their field goal kicking skills and try on the equipment their favorite players wear at the NFL Play 60 Zone inside the ballpark.
There also will be clinics focused on football, flag football and tackling hosted by NFL players and coaches from USA Football. The on-field clinics will be open to kids between the ages of 6-14 and will run from 3-9 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26. The clinics will continue on Saturday, April 27 and run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition, The Corner Ballpark will host a watch party for the first three rounds of the draft. The first round festivities will run from 8-10 p.m. on Thursday, April 25. Rounds two and three will be run from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, April 26.
PAL is hosting its own watch party inside The Corner Ballpark. The event is for adults 21 and up. The entry cost is $100 in advance and gets adults a two drink maximum and unlimited food at the event. The cost of entry is expected to rise the day of the event. Tickets are available online.
The park will be open from 3-10 p.m. on April 25-26, and on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The NFL Draft Experience
The NFL Draft Experience will be located at Hart Plaza, walking distance from the The NFL Draft theater. The three-day festival will be open to the public of all ages and have games including a 40-yard dash, vertical jump and a Hail Mary attraction.
Other activities at the festival include an autograph stage and replicas of the NFL Draft Stage and a locker room. There also will be a curated Hall of Fame exhibit that will feature sculptures of Hall of Famers Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson, Jerome Bettis and others. Fans also will be able to have a photo opportunity with the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy and get an up close and personal experience with all 57 Super Bowl rings.
The festivities will run from April 25-26, from noon to 10 p.m., and on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3C Sports Conference
The Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan has partnered with NFL Hall of Famer Jerome “The Bus” Bettis to introduce the inaugural “3C Sports Conference”. In partnership with Bettis’ “Bus Stops Here” Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation and Project Play, the event will focus on building positive community, culture and competition elements throughout youth sports.
The opening event will be held at the Garden Theater on April 24, from 6-9 p.m., followed by activities being held at both the Diehl and Dauch Boys and Girls Clubs on April 25 and April 26 from 4-10 p.m. The conference will offer workshops focused around topics such as Name Image Likeness (NIL), Building Your Brand and Women in Sports that are available for youth, parents and coaches. Guest speakers at the weekend event include Bettis, former NFL running back Eddie George, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle Alim McNeil.
For more information and to register for the event, you can on the link here.
Sound Mind Sound Body
Sound Mind Sound Body youth league will be hosting events in commemoration of its 20th anniversary. While some of the events will only be available to members of its program throughout the years and are invite-only, there are at least two public events fans will be able to attend.
A 7-on-7 football showcase will take place at Wayne State University on April 28, beginning at 9 a.m. The event also will feature appearances and will be coached by the Detroit Lions’ own Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins. Kids from the age groups of 10 and under and 18 and under will be able to participate in the event.
There also will be a girls flag football camp and competition on April 28, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Wayne State. The event will be open to ages 6-18 and will have an appearance from the Siena Heights University coaching staff, who will be looking to recruit for their upcoming women's flag football team. You can register for the event here.
For more information on the events from Sound Mind Sound Body, please reach out to info@smsbacademy.com.
Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @EricGuzman90
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Events for kids at NFL draft in Detroit
