If you were hoping to get a hotel room in downtown Windsor for this weekend's NFL Draft in Detroit, your window may be closing quickly.
The Draft, expected to bring hundreds of thousands of people to Detroit and Windsor this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, has been a windfall for area attractions, restaurants, and hotels.
Football fans on the Canadian side of the Detroit River have been booking rooms at downtown Windsor hotels, and Windsor Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino told WindsorNewsToday.ca at an event on Thursday that the number of available rooms is shrinking fast.
"Thursday is entirely sold out," said Agostino. "Friday is very close to a sellout, and Saturday is also very close to a sellout. So, we're rocking it in downtown Windsor for sure."
Agostino had met with representatives from Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) earlier Thursday for a briefing on Windsor's preparations for the NFL Draft.
The Detroit Free Press reported on Friday that the nearly 6,000 hotel rooms in the downtown core are almost spoken for, with the higher-profile properties already fully booked online.
Agostino said that the Draft is a golden opportunity for Windsor to show itself off and join its American neighbour for the party.
"Anytime Detroit does something special, we have the opportunity, because of our proximity and because of our partnership, to jump on board with them and support them," said Agostino. "So I encourage everyone, to visit the Draft in Detroit. It's going to be incredible."
The NFL Draft is the league's second-highest profile event, only to the Super Bowl, which Detroit hosted in 2006. During the Draft, all NFL teams draft the services of some of the top college football players in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.
For football fans staying in downtown Windsor and traveling to Detroit for the Draft, Transit Windsor has offered a special tunnel bus. It will run every 60 minutes from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, from the downtown Windsor transit terminal.
If you don't want to deal with the crowds in downtown Detroit, Windsor is hosting two free events on Saturday.
The City is hosting a free Draft-watching party outside City Hall on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. It will include NFL-themed activities, a draft viewing area, a free football skills clinic for youth, free snacks, and appearances from some Windsor-Essex NFL alumni.
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) will hold a free NFL Draft Block Party on Ouellette Avenue between Park and University from 6 to 11 p.m. The street party will feature live music and entertainment. Those wanting to attend are asked to register for free tickets.
