INDIANAPOLIS — With the Final Four weekend drawing near, the countdown is on in Indianapolis.
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"Every street is flooded from here to Washington all the way down to Lucas Oil," Indianapolis local Antoine Hill said.
"Everywhere is full, you know, I'm sure the hotels are booked, everything, but it gets wild, but it's a good kind of wild," Indianapolis local Gabe Janell added.
The Final Four veterans WRTV spoke to on Tuesday say the best way to enjoy one of the biggest sports weekends of the year is to plan ahead.
"I would say that paying for parking at your hotel is absolutely worth it. Just guarantee yourself a spot," suggested Jessica Hjellming. "Also, use things like Spot Hero. Or "Find Your Spot" and just try to get that in probably now."
Getting a prime spot at a bar will also require an early start on Saturday.
"I would be getting here right when we open up at 10 a.m.," Jacob Kannapel with Kilroy's Bar & Grill said. "We're thinking it's going to be packed all day long."
Last-minute dinner reservations may also prove difficult for the Final Four weekend.
"I mean, we are pretty close to fully booked," Justin Emery, the general manager for Harry & Izzy's, said. "Definitely, you can always look at the OpenTable app. If somebody cancels their reservation, it will immediately show on OpenTable's app so that you could snag it up really quickly."
However, those still looking to secure a spot are not completely out of luck if reservations book up.
"I would highly recommend that you still come in, check in with us, see if there is a long wait. Maybe it's 15 minutes, maybe it's a half an hour, maybe there isn't a wait. Also, our bar is always first-come, first-served, so there could be an opportunity that there's a spot open at the bar top or one of the tables in the bar," Emery said.
For those heading downtown, locals have one main takeaway.
"If you're thinking about coming downtown, you think it's gonna be peaches and cream, it's not," Hill warned. "Get here at least a couple hours early, eat before the game and make sure you get home safe. Stay safe with these people. Enjoy yourself."
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