Parking at OU game

Discussion in 'In The Stands' started by pluckeye, Sep 30, 2018.

  1. pluckeye

    pluckeye 250+ Posts

    My son will be driving to the game from the Southlake area. Any suggestions on a route to avoid traffic downtown, and an easy place to park? Figure they can rideshare in once they are a reasonable distance away. It's his first OU game, so I'm just trying to help out with the logistics...
    Thanks!
     
  2. easy

    easy 2,500+ Posts

    If you drive good luck avoiding traffic we usually leave home at 645am. We valet park right up front 30 bucks. Get there early as it fills up quick. Most people say the dart is good way as well but I personally have never used it. I’m not sure about southlake but I’m pretty positive we don’t have any of those stops in Keller. I have coworkers that live in highland village and they catch it from some place in Lewisville off 35
     
  3. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Ride share after the game is very expensive. Last year my daughter Ubered paid $25 to go from NW Dallas to the game; $250 to get back.
     
  4. easy

    easy 2,500+ Posts

    250 holy s!&t. I was upset about paying 40 after the usc game in LA that is crazy
     
  5. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    My advice is to take 114/183 to 35. If it's he's early, go onto Woodall Rogers to downtown exit (Pearl, Harwood, whatever, it's under the overpass). Take one of Southbound streets to Main, left on Main to Exposition, and park between I-30 & Parry.

    If he is not early, tell him to exit 35 at Inwood, left to HarryHines, into downtown to Main, left and down to Exposition.
    Parking should be $25.

    After the game, tell him to go to Ms Fernie's Dock Cafe for funnel cake & to watch the 230 game, or to Hans Muellers for sausage or turkey leg, great jerky while watching the 230 game on Glenn and Sherry's giant screen TV. I would not advise that he leave Fair Park before 6 or 7, then tell him to go back the way he came in AVOID I-30
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2018
  6. Horns11

    Horns11 10,000+ Posts

    Yeah I always take one of the side streets (Haskell or Carroll) from US-75 and park in that north lot nearest Fitzhugh. If he gets there more than 2 hours in advance, parking should be easy. I've never had to go to a gypsy lot in someone's front yard.

    Definitely don't Uber or Lyft unless he's willing to wait until things "calm down" after the game. Surge pricing will likely be 3x the normal fee at 3 pm, which means $120 instead of $40 for a typical cross-town ride.

    If he can't get there early, DART is ok but super-crowded. If he can swing it, avoid the "express" route for the Fair that goes through Deep Ellum and instead switch to the trains go through the downtown area and then let off at MLK.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. pluckeye

    pluckeye 250+ Posts

    Many thanks for the great suggestions!
     
  8. Mike the Texan

    Mike the Texan 250+ Posts

    Unless you can get there at the crack of dawn and park on Fair Park property, do not drive your car there. Parking in the local neighborhood is sketchy at best.

    The best bet is to take the train, but make sure you get on at the end of the line and get there early. If you try get on at any other stop, you risk there being no room to get on board. I made a huge mistake one year of parking downtown (at my office for free) and going across the street to the Dart station. Every train was too full to board and I did not get to the game until late in the second quarter.

    Also, check the Dart website for Fair Flyer bus service, but again, get there early when service begins or you will have to wait in long lines to get onto a bus.

    11:00 am kick-off for this game sucks.
    - Mike
     
  9. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    While I agree that parking in front yards is not desirable, in 50+ years I have never had a problem with the paid lots on First, Second, or Exposition. While I never parked on the fair grounds lot, I have had friends have their cars broken into there.
     
  10. Giovanni Jones

    Giovanni Jones 2,500+ Posts

    I was going to ask about this very topic, but Pluckeye saved me the trouble. Thanks for all the good info.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. LHABSOB

    LHABSOB 1,000+ Posts

    We come from Keller- so similar to Southlake. Completely agree with avoid I-30 advice. Take 114 to 183 to 35S- exit Commerce and take Commerce straight through downtown and Deep Ellum- right on expo and then left on Parry (at main gate to fair), take a right on McKenzie or Banks and park in a yard for $25 right behind the back entrance to the fair and Cotton Bowl. Been parking in lots/yards there for almost 30 years and never had an issue. There was one year in the 90's that every car with OU stickers were vandalized. But never seen an issue other than that. We have left Keller at 0830 the last few years and have 30-45 minutes of time to tailgate in the yards/lot before entering the fair. Usually grab a corn dog and walk into stadium in time to get into seats and see the band march in for pregame. It is a very easy in/out into the fair and game and I only go for the game as I go back and enjoy the fair on another day with wife and kids. It's worked well for me for almost 3 decades. Just my 2 cents.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    The one and only time I was the one driving, I just looked at some online maps and figured out what the most likely places were where I could park on the side of the street legally and not have to pay. I don't remember where I found, but it was only about a 10 minute walk to the edge of the fairgrounds (granted I do walk pretty fast, but it was definitely less than a mile away)
     
  13. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Stat, you must be living well if you parked anywhere to the East/SouthEast of Parry. No one would recommend that. West/North of Parry should be ok as long as it is light and there are people around.
     
  14. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Side street parking is available under and around I-30, but the Okies get there around 7-730 to grab them
     
  15. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    I was somewhere North of the fairgrounds almost to I-30; to the South was pretty much all people charging to park in their driveways and yards.

    Also funny, heading East on I-30 there, the rightmost couple of lanes were at a dead stop from everyone trying to get over and exit, so I just went one exit further and came back around and encountered comparatively little resistance.
     
  16. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    Born & Raised. Parked in the same sketchy neighborhood every time I've been to the fair (twice a year since TX/ousux) on a busy day. Never had an issue. No one I know has ever had an issue. Is it sketchy? Yes. Can you score kush, maybe a little sticky icky? Yes. But these properties make a lot of money on parking. They don’t want that screwed up. And I’ve never had an issue. So, I’m giving up my honey hole...

    Here is the spot. It's right next to a walk-under to a fair entrance right next to the livestock/sheep (10 minute walk from car to stadium)...

    Google Maps

    From north, I'd drive pass 75, exit Skillman/Audelia, take Audelia to Buckner, then take Garland Road to Grand Ave....

    Google Maps
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  17. easy

    easy 2,500+ Posts

    So about that kush. Asking for a friend
     
  18. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

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