The first home game for the Colorado Rockies marks the beginning of warmer weather and a busier time for downtown Denver.

But this year, Opening Day could be hampered with wet weather.

Denver could have an 80 percent chance of snow mixed with rain before noon on Friday, when the Rockies play the Athletics at Coors Field a few hours later, according to the National Weather Service.

The Rockies home opener is expected to create $6 million in economic impact, about the same as last year, said Matthew Payne, executive director of the Denver Sports Commission of Visit Denver, in a statement.

“Rockies Opening Day is always an exciting time to be downtown,” Payne said. “Whether fans have tickets to the game or are enjoying the live music, special menus and lively atmosphere, Opening Day is a draw for people from throughout the region.”

Opening Day was the busiest day for the Ballpark District in 2024, according to foot traffic data from the Downtown Denver Partnership.

The season opener had more than 118,000 visitors last year. That’s 21,000 more people than 2023.

It marked a strong start for Ballpark, which saw more than 7 million people in the neighborhood over the Rockies season.

At McGregor Square, Opening Day has gotten bigger and bigger each year since the mixed-use development by Colorado Rockies co-owner Dick Monfort and a group of investors debuted in 2021.

When it first opened, the city was still reeling from the pandemic. But every year has gotten “exponentially” better, said Brooke Bishop, chief operating officer of McGregor Square. Last year was its best year yet, she said.

One thing that surprised organizers at McGregor Square at last year’s Opening Day was the sheer number of fans who made the area their final destination for gameday, Bishop said.

“Before we planned for people to come before the game and after the game, but we were really excited last year that people would just come here instead of going to the game and watch on the big screen,” Bishop said. “That was great for us.”

This year, they’re preparing to bring people inside for the festivities at McGregor Square’s businesses such as the food hall and Tom’s Watch Bar if the weather is bad.

At Lower Downtown’s (LoDo) Dairy Block, the dining district home to the Milk Market, preparations include setting up purple floral pieces, face painting and a baseball card photo booth. Biker Jim’s is set to grill hotdogs in the alleyway outside.

Opening Day is 300 percent busier than non-game day Fridays, said Nate Couture, marketing manager at Dairy Block.

“We definitely want to make sure everything’s looking the best it can,” Couture said.

The alleyway in the dining district offers some respite from snow and rain, he added, though they’re prepared to move some celebratory activities indoors.

“Even with the weather, we still think typically people end up showing up rain or shine,” he said “We’re hoping for a really busy day.”

It’ll be the first year that parts of 16th Street Mall, especially on the end closest to LoDo, will be open for Opening Day after Denver’s major renovation project.

Couture and the other business leaders The Denver Gazette interviewed said they’re not sure what the impact will be on downtown, but are hoping for visitors to trickle down to the Ballpark area throughout the season as Denver fully opens the mall over the summer.

At ViewHouse, the work for opening day begins in winter.

Workers at the sports bar across the street from Coors Field at 2015 Market St. have spent months repainting and deep cleaning the space, as well as bringing in new furniture, ViewHouse CEO Brad Manske said.

“Hundreds of thousands of people come into your facility. Some have never been there. Some come every year for baseball season,” Manske said. “And then you have the regulars, so we like to give more to our guests every year.”

Opening Day is their biggest day of the year, he said.

“It’s a huge thing for everyone down here, for all businesses.” Mankse said. “It really kicks off their year and can make or break small locations.”

Manske is also on the team behind a new country dance bar opening in LoDo called Belles & Boots, which will include locally-sourced meat for its barbecue-centric menu, a mechanical bull named Bullcifer and a disco ball shaped like a cowboy boot.

The new line dancing destination is set to open on Opening Day.

“I’m a firm believer that more good places in our neighborhoods and the Ballpark District creates more excitement and more opportunity for people to come down and enjoy things,” Manske said.

“It’s a big day,” he added, “so we wanted to be open in time to show a lot of people our establishment.”