Thunderbirds 2024 Home Opener: Everything You Need to Know

April 17th, 2024

On Saturday, April 27th at 1PM, a Pro Ultimate Frisbee®, formerly known as an Ultimate Disc, will launch at Highmark Stadium, initiating the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds ninth season in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA). 

If you've been to dozens of Thunderbirds Home Games, or you're contemplating heading out to your first ever game, below is everything you'll need to know about the afternoon matinee on Saturday, April 27th. 

An All-Day Affair

April 27th will be a historical day in Pittsburgh sports history on the river as the Thunderbirds will play prior to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds match against the Detroit City FC. The game will begin at an atypical time, 1PM so plan accordingly!

Tickets

The best deal in all of Pro sports is still live, and you can purchase a season ticket package for only $72, which grants you access to all six home games for only $12 per game. Or you can pre-purchase a single game ticket for $20, which will save you at the gate. Iif you have a group of 10 or more, you can save even more. Contact info@pghthunderbirds.com for more details. What's even better, kids eight and under are FREE!


Photo Credit: Mike Gross

Parking & Tailgating

Now that your tickets are secure, before the gates even open at Noon, the parking lots open at 10AM for fans to begin tailgating, playing games, grilling food, playing music, and having fun! There will be an organized canned food drive tailgate in the East Lot, featuring the Revival Food Truck. In the West Lot, parking will be pre-paid for April 27th only and can be purchased here. For the best value parking, the East Lot will offer a cheaper rate as long as your vehicle is in before noon. 

The Experience

Make sure to arrive 1-hour early, as not only will you save on parking in the East Lot, but the Thunderbirds will be offering $1.00 12oz IC Light and Bud Light from Noon-1PM inside the stadium. When you arrive, the first 250 fans will receive a Pittsburgh Thunderbirds magnet schedule. Check out the Thunderbirds merchandise stand which will be operational right at Noon and check out the brand new Pro Ultimate Frisbees® for sale, grab a hucket bucket bundle for our end of quarter game, and check-out our new line of apparel. Then head on over to the clubhouse to grab a drink and some food, and for our kids in attendance (or the adults!) we have Dippin' Dots and a balloon artist on-site. 


Charlie Vukovic elevates over two Madison Radicals defenders at the 2023 Home Opener | Photo Credit: Jeff Gamza

The Game

At 1PM, the Pro Frisbee® takes flight and the game begins against the Minnesota Wind Chill! Kyle Archer takes the mic and guides you throughout the game, tossing discs, t-shirts, hot dogs, and other fun items into the crowd. Our DJ will be playing a mix of all the most popular tunes, keeping you singing-along and dancing throughout the game. At half-time, Archer will provide the entertainment with crowd interactive games with prizes to be won. At the end of the third quarter, those who have mini disc bundles will try their hand at winning the $100 cash prize by sinking a disc into the Hucket Bucket. By the end of the game, it's almost guaranteed that two hours will have elapsed, which is important to count on so you're not at the stadium all day (looking at you baseball!)


Kyle Archer runs with a Thunderbirds flag at a Thunderbirds Home Game in 2023 | Photo Credit: Jeff Gamza

Post-Game

When the game concludes, stick around and grab autographs from the Thunderbirds players while listening to Archer interview the player of the game. 

Can't Attend?

Even though you can't attend the Home Opener, we hope you can join us virtually! All of our games are streamed by Cut 'N Run Studios on WatchUFA.tv. On the call, listen to the critically acclaimed play-by-play artist Matt Weiss alongside Thunderbirds legendary player and now color commentator David Vatz. 

For more questions, contact Andrew Gardner at agardner@pghthunderbirds.com