It was the hottest ticket in town during the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 playoff run, the chance to watch the Raptors move closer to their Holy Grail, only you didn’t need a ticket. It was free admission to the very spot where thousands of delirious fans witnessed Canada’s Team claim their first NBA Championship.The Toronto Raptors 2019 run marked the sixth consecutive season Raptors fans have come in droves to Maple Leaf Square, nicknamed by fans as Toronto Raptors Jurassic Park, to watch the team’s games—home AND away—on a huge 24-metre screen surrounded by as many as 5,000 other rabid Raptors fans. It’s the place where stress disappears, strangers become friends, fans become Super Fans, the weather is irrelevant and vocal chords take a beating.
Even the waiting line is a blast. You’re not only ‘line-up-at-4am’ jazzed, but you’re ‘line-up-at-4am-to-get-into-the-watch-party-outside-the-arena’ jazzed.
You’ll have felt nothing quite like the sublime ecstasy and insanity which comes when the Raptors start going on a scoring run. High fives, hugs and instant friendships with the folks around you, just happens. It’s also super crowded, so there’s plenty of jostling and nowhere to sit, but for the most part, everyone remains collectively jacked.
“Oh man. Just always seeing Jurassic Park, I’ve always dreamed of being in there. This is actually our first time. We have some veterans in the line so it’s kind of nice knowing what it’s going to be like. It’s an experience unlike any other. The Toronto Raptors Jurassic Park is kind of the ultimate fan experience, they say. It’s just wild.”The statement, “This morning, we got here at about nine o’clock and we didn’t even think about the 12-hour wait” encapsulates the entire experience.
Two friends drove two hours to join in the fun outside. “It’s very special. We want to be part of history with the Raptors. We’ll look back on this in 20 years and say, ‘We were there when Kawhi Leonard hit that shot or when Fred VanVleet hit that shot’”.
Along with the comradery, there is access to food, beverages, alcohol and, yes, portable toilets, where the lineups are not too bad. You can win tickets to the game indoors (which some would happily turn down). You can win a chance to sit on the upper tier with a few other winners, but in the crowd is where it’s at.
The flashy stage is mostly for giveaways, performances, and guest appearances by Drake, Lilly Singh, Muggsy Bogues and Jack Armstrong. There’s a live DJ, and the house band 6is Stix, but the main screen with the game is what you’re there to watch.
Given that standing room tickets to the game are hovering around $2,650, access to the downtown atmosphere is in hot demand.
“We had to experience Jurassic Park,” was said. “It’s totally worth the time and money to get here, the wait…..everything really”. “It was a four-hour car ride, from home to the airport, flew two hours, and then another two-and-a-half-hour drive here,” said one fan. Another came from Fredericton, New Brunswick saying the only thing he expects is “history”.
These days, being in the crowd at Toronto Raptors Jurassic Park is as much a part of the Raptors post season experience as anything else, including being inside. There’s a closeness, almost a family feeling, within the
crowd. It’s an experience like none other, which is why you’ll move heaven and earth to wait hours outside, just to party with your soon-to-be friends, in an atmosphere unlike anything you’ve ever imagined.
You want to be able to say, “I was there!”
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