Dick's Sporting Goods Park

Away supporters are located in sections 100 and 101, which puts them in the furthest north blocks of the east stand. The views of the field from this position are unrestricted, and whilst there is the open corner next to them, their nearest home fans are those in the Supporters Section, i.e. the standing fans. This lends itself to creating a great atmosphere despite the relatively small capacity.

The Exterior

Unlike many stadiums in the MLS, there are very few defining features on the outside of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. For most people, the route into the stadium will take you through plenty of greenery before you find the stadium roof appears in your line of vision across the flattened area of fields and car parks. Soon after, you’ll arrive at the most desirable element of the ground – the Eighteen76 bar.

The Interior

When it comes to the inside of the stadium, again, things are pretty basic as football grounds go. The first thing that you’ll notice is probably the large screen situated at the top of the north stand.

Also at the end of the stadium, you’ll find the supporters section, which is a standing-only terrace. Either side of that are wide-open corners and old-school style floodlights. Working around to the east stand, we come to one of two roofs present over the stadium.

It’s not your bog-standard roof, though, with metal support beams holding up nine overlapping panels positioned at staggered heights, which creates an easy-on-the-eye, layered view. With respect to the seating, you’ve got a single-tier set over a fairly steep incline. Unlike the north stand, the side stands connect directly to the south courtesy of small corner stands.

The south stand, like the north, is absent of a roof and offers a no-thrills experience with one tier of seating. Again, the seats are set on a sharp incline; this is done to keep fans closer to the action. The other aspect of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park you’ll see in the south stand is the Eighteen76 building, which rears its head over the back row of seats.

This is simply a bar-come-restaurant for pre- and post-game use. Finally, you have the west stand. Like the others before it, there is just the one tier of seating along with a roof that mirrors that of the east stand. There is, however, one notable difference: that’s the presence of a range of VIP suites that sit between the back row and the roof.

When it comes to getting your pre-match food and drink fill, unfortunately, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park isn’t the best served location in the MLS. For starters, the concessions on offer at the stadium are hardly leading the way with just 10 permanent fixtures in place, although the Eighteen76 bar behind the south stand has a decent reputation.

There are also a few further options available that operate as mobile concessions, but it’s worth noting you’ll need cash to purchase anything from most of those without a permanent space in the stadium.

If you explore outside of the ground, then you do have a few options within walking distance. A 10-minute walk down East 60th Avenue will bring you to Quebec Street, and from that junction, you can see two places – one a sports bar by the name of Halftime Sports Bar and a Mexican restaurant, Las Dos Americas Tortilleria.

If you’re happy to stretch to a 20-minute stroll – a distance of around one mile – then you unlock a few further options; the Hideaway Saloon is a bar on Olive Street, whilst Church’s Chicken is impossible to miss if you simply follow Prairie Parkway to its junction with, once again, Quebec Street.

If that doesn’t take your fancy, then a 20-minute walk in the other direction, which would see you pick up Central Park Boulevard, will take you down to a Chinese restaurant named Panda Express and the more well-known brand of Taco Bell.

At Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, matchday is as much a feast for the taste buds as it is for the eyes and ears. The stadium has steadily built a reputation for offering more than just typical fare, blending classic American ballpark flavours with intensive twists that reflect Colorado’s live food culture.

You will find the staples, hot dogs, nachos, burgers and fries, but tucked among the stands are creative dishes like brisket grilled cheese, chicken green chilli mac and cheese, even cinnamon dessert nachos.

Drinks as just as central to the experience. Craft beers from local breweries flow freely, pairing perfectly with Colorado’s sporting spirit, while stands across the venue pour everything from  cocktails to soft drinks.

Alcoholic sales are regulated to keep the atmosphere spirited but safe, and fans can rely on quick, efficient service thanks to permanent concession stands spread throughout the park.

Hot dog

Hot dog, loaded fries and a beer at Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) 🇺🇸

💵 $40 (£32.50) pic.twitter.com/HX1EJzHlbV

— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) April 2, 2023

Most people tend to drive into Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with excellent parking options and a strong road network around the venue, aiding that process.

For starters, you’ve got the roads that lead in; if you’re coming from the south, you have a fairly major road in East 56th Avenue and to the north, you have Highway 2 – both of these connect to Quebec Street, which leads you to the abundance of parking choices.

In addition to offering multiple car parks to choose from, when you buy a ticket for a match involving the Colorado Rapids includes a free parking space; this means you don’t have to worry about using an app or feeding change to a machine on arrival.

If you do park in one of the many lots directly associated with the arena, a walk to the ground should take no longer than 10 minutes. It can be as short as 15 seconds if you nab one of those spaces that are just a matter of feet away.

If driving isn’t an option you can take then you could turn to the bus. Route 88 brings you pretty close to the stadium, but you should be prepared for a 20 to 25-minute walk, with the stop being positioned where Quebec Street meets 56th Street.

Real Salt Lake are the main local rival of Colorado Rapids. This clash is popularly known as the Rocky Mountain Cup, and was created by supporters of both football clubs in 2005. The Rocky Mountain Cup is kept alive by pride, tension and passion. It is usually a fight for regional supremacy and is one of the most recognised rivalries in Major League Soccer.

The feud between the two football clubs is usually fueled by the geographical proximity of Colorado and Utah as neighbouring states.

Whenever these teams meet, fanbases are heavily involved in mobilising support, with C38 focusing on Colorado while The Riot takes care of matters on the Real Salt Lake’s end.

Most importantly, with no other MLS team in Colorado, the Rapids have no other rivalry fueled by geographical proximity. It is, however, noteworthy that Sporting Kansas City are sometimes regarded as a secondary rival because they are not too far away.