The roar has officially been restored at Ford Field. The Detroit Lions are making waves in the NFL with players such as hard-hitting Ndamukong Suh and franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, and the Motor City is anxious to have a football party at Ford Field. Fortunately this is the week; Thursday, the Lions started the preseason at home in The D against the Buffalo Bills, followed by the Inaugural Gridiron Classic on Friday. Are you ready to roar?

Pre-Game Detroit Lions Tailgate

Eastern Market is the official home to Detroit Lions Tailgating. Just a 10-minute walk from Ford Field, Eastern Market has 750 tailgate spaces and runs shuttles to the game. Costs run $45 for a car, $75 for a camper or bus, $130 for RVs and $160 for Motor Coaches. General parking is also available for $15. Eastern Market also operates round-trip shuttle service to Ford Field for $5 per person.

Note: Eastern Market tailgating is only available for regular season games, so there’s no tailgating for the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Of course, downtown Detroit has plenty of fun spots for a pre-game celebration or to watch the game if you don’t have tickets. Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub is a great place to pull up a seat for pre-game food and drinks, and many of Detroit’s Microbreweries are within easy walking or driving distance to Ford Field.

Photo credit: gentlemanjack813

Cheering at Ford Field

Among professional football stadiums, Ford Field has some of the best views of the field. On Sunday, 65,000-plus crowds get up close and personal with the opposing team. Dig through the closet for your finest Hawaii blue and prepare to cheer. Tickets are available at Detroitlions.com.

Post-Game Detroit Lions Celebrations

Downtown Detroit has plenty to offer for post-game celebrations, late-night food runs or hotel accommodations. Restaurants such as Corktown’s Mercury Bar and Slow’s Bar-B-Q are perfect places to recharge, as well as downtown’s American and Lafayette Coney Islands and Bucharest Grill, recently named among the Best Late Night Food in the U.S.A. by Esquire Magazine.

If you’re looking for hotels downtown, Detroit’s MotorCity Casino Hotel, Greektown Casino Hotel and MGM Grand Detroit offer luxury rooms with endless entertainment hot spots nearby. For additional listings, check out our searchable list of places to stay in Detroit.

Ford Field 2012

A complete listing of Ford Field concerts, games and events is available at detroitlions.com/ford-field.

Need another reason to get excited? Read Ndamukong Suh’s recent profile in GQ Magazine, “He Didn’t Mean to Hurt You.” Where are your favorite tailgate spots and post-game party venues?