Danielle Nolan and her husband, John, have been Steelers season ticket holders since 2021. For them, attending the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh was a no-brainer.
After months of planning, just hours remain until the massive spectacle opens Thursday to the public.
The Nolans live in East Liverpool, Ohio, just an hour drive into Pittsburgh. The couple will be taking two of their children — Gage Howard, 10, and Brady Nolan, 15 — to the NFL Draft on Thursday.
“My 10-year-old — he’s been so excited ever since last year,” she said. “It’s here, and he just can’t stand himself.”
From diehard fans mapping out travel plans to others opting to stay home, the NFL Draft is drawing a wide range of reactions across the Pittsburgh region. The massive event — expected to draw upward 500,000 people over three days — is fueling excitement and anxiety.
The Nolan family plans to be there from the beginning. They will leave their house at 9 a.m. Thursday, and have a parking pass for Station Square.
From there, they’ll ride the T over to the draft footprint on the North shore.
“We will see what it’s like with the crazy traffic,” Danielle Nolan said. “I’m excited to see it through my 10-year-old’s eyes — that’s my excitement.”
The family members each picked out their favorite NFL Draft T-shirt to order online and wear on Thursday.
“It’s going to be crazy,” Danielle said, expecting the experience to be akin to a popular amusement park. “All of the events they’re setting up, our kids want to do them — standing in long lines.”
The Nolans both work in Pennsylvania. Their colleagues are telling them they’re “crazy” for attending, she said.
“I come to the city all the time because of being a Steelers ticket holder, but it’s going to be crazy,” Nolan said. “I’m excited to see the craziness too.”
Michelle Ingrodi, who lives in West Deer, is planning on attending solo. She’s excited for the experience.
“This is not going to be a favorable opinion, but I am from Maryland, I lived in Baltimore for 10 years — I’m a huge Ravens fan,” said Ingrodi, 50. “I am going because I am hoping we draft someone so we can beat the Steelers next year.”
A football fan since she was 3, Ingrodi will attend on Thursday and Friday. She is hoping to bump into people there she’s met in various local Facebook groups, as well as people from work. She works for Ticketmaster.
“I’m also targeting anyone wearing a Ravens jersey,” Ingrodi said. “I just want to experience it, because I feel like — when will I get this opportunity again?”
She said she’s prepared for some headaches in getting a seat for the draft itself, as well being part of the Downtown crowds. The draft footprint sprawls across the North Shore and Point State Park.
“It’s going to be awful, but I’m going into it with that mindset — then I can think it wasn’t really as bad as I anticipated,” Ingrodi said. “I definitely expect gridlock and lots of waiting and things like that. But, you know, we’re going to be with like-minded people — everybody’s there because they love football.”
Madison Zepp, however, will be watching the NFL Draft from the comfort of her own bedroom, even though she’s a self-proclaimed avid Steelers fan.
“I will not be attending this year,” said Zepp, 19, of Latrobe. “I cannot see myself with that big of a crowd, not knowing what could go on.”
She attends the Steelers’ training camp at nearby Saint Vincent College annually, but she said the draft seems like it would be a lot more to handle.
“I have vertigo, so if I’m in a huge crowd, I could potentially have an episode,” Zepp said.
She still has high hopes for the Steelers picking good players.
“My father and a couple of our family friends will probably be attending, but I will not be,” Zepp said.
‘Complete anarchy’
Gino Perella will attend the NFL Draft as an employee of Patti’s Pastries — one of the local businesses operating as a vendor from Point State Park for the duration of the three-day event.
The business was selected through the NFL Source Program.
“We’re obviously very excited. We knew that the chance was very small for everybody who was applying,” said Perella, 51, of Imperial. “It was pretty much going to Vegas with a dollar left in your pocket and hitting the jackpot on a slot machine.”
Lately, his days have consisted of baking, preparing and setting up Patti’s Pastries stand at Point State Park.
Patti’s Pastries has prepared over 5,000 cupcakes for the event, as well as its popular Lady Locks, a Pittsburgh staple.
“That will be something special for the out-of-towners coming in,” he said. “The NFL recommended minimizing the selection.”
Perella is preparing six varieties of cupcakes that are all stuffed: brownie batter, red velvet, cookie dough, triple chocolate, Ho Ho and white chocolate raspberry. There will also be some regular vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with various buttercreams and black and gold sprinkles.
Kate Snider is a table games dealer at Rivers Casino — right next to the beating heart of the NFL Draft. She’s working six days straight starting on Tuesday.
“I’m honestly really excited,” said Snider, 25, of Stanton Heights. “We’re definitely looking forward to seeing a lot of new faces and show what we have to offer.”
The casino will operate with an “all hands on deck” mindset, she said, and it will be fully staffed “way more than usual.” Everything inside will be open all day, too, she said, which is a change from normal.
“We’re definitely expecting it to be super busy. The only thing we worry about a little bit is the traffic to get to the casino,” Snider said. “We’re prepared for it.”
The question of what traffic will be like overwhelms local vendors, too, according to Perella. He and other employees plan to arrive around five or six hours before the Draft Experience opens, which is at noon on Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. on Saturday.
“Even the NFL doesn’t know,” he said. “We, like everyone else in the Tri-State Area, are expecting complete anarchy.
“I think everybody knows it’s going to be insane traveling, but once you get down there, the footprint is really nicely put together. If you can get over the traveling part and get there, you’ll enjoy the festivities.”
Snider said she’s heard mixed emotions toward the NFL Draft from locals in Pittsburgh.
“I know a lot of people are trying to stay away,” she said, while some who work on the North Shore are going to try to check it out.
However, Snider said her parents plan to attend.
“I think a lot of people are mad about it, and a lot of people are happy about it,” she said.
