Can't miss
- Eastern Market on a Lions Sunday The old market sheds fill with Honolulu blue, grills going between the brick buildings.
- The coney-dog argument American and Lafayette Coney Islands sit side by side on Lafayette Boulevard. Order one at each and pick a side.
Quick answers
Can you tailgate at Ford Field?
Not in the stadium's own lots: Ford Field prohibits tailgating and re-entry in its adjacent parking. The organized Lions tailgate is at Eastern Market, where lots open 5 hours before kickoff.
Can you grill at Eastern Market?
Yes. State-approved gas or propane grills with fuel shut-off valves, or self-contained charcoal grills with self-starting coals. No lighter fluid, open flames, wood fires, deep fryers or cooking oil.
Can you drink at Lions tailgates?
At Eastern Market, yes, but alcohol has to stay inside the tailgate lots and underage drinking is prohibited.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
You need an Eastern Market tailgate ticket. Nobody enters the lots without one, and the ticket holder has to stay for the whole tailgate.
How do you buy a tailgate space?
Online and in advance only, on Passage. You pick a numbered space from a map: a double space comes with 10 wristbands, one vehicle and one tent, and RV spaces under Shed 6 come with 20.
Where to park
Decide first: tailgate at Eastern Market, or park downtown and skip the tailgate. Ford Field's own lots won't let you do both.
- Eastern Market
- Numbered tailgate spaces, sold online in advance on Passage. Lots open 5 hours before kickoff, with no early access.
- Double space
- One vehicle, one tent up to 10 x 10, and 10 wristbands. Every space must have a vehicle in it.
- RV space
- Under Shed 6, with 20 wristbands and no extra vehicles. Motor coaches and buses are turned away with a refund.
- Ford Field lots
- Lots 4, 5 and 6 and the Ford Field Parking Deck: first come, first served, opening about 4 hours before kickoff. No tailgating, no re-entry.
- Prepaid
- Downtown parking can be booked ahead through ParkWhiz, the link on Ford Field's parking page.
- Accessible
- Lot 4 and the Ford Field Parking Deck, first come, first served, with a state-issued placard or plate.
Eastern Market tickets aren't valid in private lots, and tailgating on streets, sidewalks, alleys or private property isn't allowed.
Crew coming in 2 cars? Each car needs its own ticket, transferred before you arrive. Equipment drop-offs get carried to your space.
No car? The QLine runs up Woodward a few blocks west of the stadium, and the free People Mover's Broadway station serves Ford Field.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against easternmarket.org, fordfield.com and detroitlions.com.
Eastern Market runs its lots like an event, with tickets, wristbands and a Fire Marshal's list of what can burn.
- Grills
- Gas or propane with fuel shut-offs, or self-contained charcoal with self-starting coals. No lighter fluid, fryers or cooking oil.
- Alcohol
- Stays inside the tailgate lots. No underage drinking.
- Tents
- Up to 10 x 10. One tent per double space.
- Your space
- Everything stays inside the space you bought. Drive lanes, sidewalks and walkways stay clear.
- Who's allowed
- Tailgate ticket holders with that game's wristband. The ticket holder stays for the whole tailgate.
- Not allowed
- Formal DJ setups, drones, megaphones and air horns, selling food, vehicles with ad wraps, motor coaches.
- When it ends
- Market lots must be empty 60 minutes after the game. No overnight parking.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Clear backpacks aren't approved.
- Gates open
- Typically 2 hours before kickoff. It can vary by game.
Before you go
Eastern Market tailgating rulesEastern Market 2026 tailgating mapFord Field parkingLions clear bag policy (PDF)Lions parking FAQOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Detroit
What we'd bring.
-
Detroit Lions 3x5 Flag
$29.95
Ships free
Your team's 3x5 flag with metal grommets. Hang it and your crew finds your spot in the lot.
-
27 qt Hard Cooler, 24 Cans
$199
Ships free
A hard cooler that fits the trunk and the tight space behind the car.
More for this lot
-
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
The game's under a roof; the tailgate isn't.
Where the party is
Detroit's tailgate isn't at the stadium. It's up the road at Eastern Market, where the lots between the market sheds turn into numbered, wristbanded tailgate spaces on game days.
The main event
Eastern Market north lot
Spaces in the 500s and 600s between Wilkins Street and Shed 5, entered from the Wilkins Street end.
South of the sheds
Eastern Market south lot
Spaces in the 100s between Winder Street and the Fisher Service Drive. The Shed 3 block in between is off-limits.
Under a roof
RV spaces under Shed 6
Covered spaces for up to 20 people, with no extra vehicles allowed.
What to eat
Cook thisPork souvlakiGetting out
The market wants its lots empty 60 minutes after the game, so plan your exit before kickoff. Best first:
- Ride the People Mover. It's free, and Broadway station serves Ford Field. Take it toward wherever downtown you parked.
- Take the QLine. It runs up Woodward, a few blocks west of the stadium.
- Walk back to the market. Your car has 60 minutes to be gone, so pack up before you leave for the game.
Skip this
Leave a stadium lot and plan to come back. There's no re-entry in those lots. Once you're out, you're in traffic with everybody else.
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One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
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