Opening Day should be a National Holiday. If you’ve ever been around on Opening Day of the Texas Rangers, you know exactly what I mean. Here are things to love about Texas Rangers Opening Day of baseball in Arlington, TX.

  1. THE WEATHER IS AN UNTAMED ANIMAL:

    We have a saying in Texas. If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change. This is the absolute truth. The weather on Opening Day is pretty much a Forrest Gump quote, “You never know what you’re gonna get.” I’ve been to games where it was freezing, and games that were so sunny I left with a sunburn. Watch the weather, and layer. As cute as you are in that new Rangers jersey, chattering teeth will ruin selfies if it’s so cold that even your frozen beer is frozen. And yes, frozen beer is a thing they sell at the ballpark. God Bless America!

  1. THE PEOPLE WATCHING IS SPECTACULAR

    One of the things I love about Opening Day is the mass amounts of fans who tailgate around the ballpark. Some of them arrive the day before, or as early as 5 or 6 a.m. the day of. And, boy, are they serious! From grills and smokers the size of small cars, to the exquisite campers with full surround sound and mega screen TV’s, tailgating is something to be taken seriously around here. But what makes it even better is the Texas hospitality and genuine love of team that you’ll find in the faces of those who participate in this tradition. So, yell out “Go RANGERS!” to everyone you pass on Opening Day. You’re sure to be met with the same, unless it’s that guy in the Seattle Mariners jersey. Leave that guy alone.

  1. OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

    On Opening Day, we are all Dr. Seuss characters! Our hopes and promise of possibility is endless. This day means our guys are ready! It means there just may be… yes, yes…the possibility of another playoff season! The possibility that this time, we could WIN it all! We almost got there once, we can do it again, right? (Excuse me while I go find my Journey playlist so I can be reminded to “Don’t Stop Believin’!”)

  1. THE FOOD. THE. FOOD.

    Last year on Opening Day, the guy behind us finished an entire Boomstick. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing a human consume an entire two-foot long, chili-smothered hot dog, I’d like to say you are missing out! But…well, it’s not pretty and you aren’t. However, if there is one thing that defines the ballpark smell on Opening Day, it’s the garlic fry smell that dances between the wafts of sausage and bacon and every other gotta-try-that delicious dish the ballpark creates each season. Try everything if you can. But a word to the wise, the Boomstick and other giant dishes are meant for sharing with up to 4 people. Don’t be selfish.

  1. BASEBALL IS AMERICANA

    Baseball is mom and apple pie. It’s our national pastime. No matter how many times I’ve stood proudly with the crowd belting out the national anthem, watching that giant red, white and blue flag unfurl across the field like a giant hug for every fan, I always get a little ‘verklempt’ at this moment. Although it happens to me almost every time the flag and national anthem is presented, it’s especially touching on Opening Day. It’s a beautiful thing to see and to feel, the pride that swells within the crowd at the moment of the flyover, a sea of fans cheering and hooting. It is a feeling everyone should have on their bucket list, a piece of hometown love that you can only get in Arlington: this American Dream City on Opening Day. GOOOO RANGERS!!!!