Dodgers Opening Day can feel like an unofficial holiday in Los Angeles — that atmosphere was on full display last Thursday as fans ate tacos, brought the banda and danced with anticipation at tailgating parties near Dodgers stadium.
It’s “mandatory” to celebrate Opening Day, Ruben Ceseña told The LA Local.
“We bleed blue right here in LA,” he said while celebrating.
The Los Angeles Police Department wrapped the party up early, citing that they were impeding traffic and blocking the sidewalk. In the past, celebrations would take place at Elysian Park, which the city no longer allows on Opening Day.
But the tradition was captured in photos around the neighborhoods before the loyal flocks in Dodger blue marched up the hill to watch the first game of the season.
Jimmy Moreno, who worked at the stadium in 1988 when the Dodgers won the World Series, is hoping the team continues their current winning streak with a three-peat this year. He has been throwing a party on Opening Day for the last 12 years at Jimmy’s Tickets on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.
“Every year has been getting bigger and bigger,’ Moreno, who provided free tacos and live music to his loyal customers and the larger community, told The LA Local. “It’s like my gift back to them every year.”
For local Juan Muñoz, the celebrations are less about the Dodgers and more about unity of the neighborhood.
“We’re all basically like a big family here,” said Muñoz. “Opening day, we make the effort to get together.”
