Arena Watch: Little Caesars Arena plans opening preview week

After years of work, we’re just a few weeks away from the opening of Little Caesars Arena. Olympia just announced a week of previews and events to celebrate the opening. Here are a few of the festivities:

• The official ribbon cutting will take place Tuesday, September 5 at 11 a.m. It will also be live streamed for those who want to watch.
• A charity event—Hard Hats & Helping Hands—is scheduled for Friday, September 8. This pricey event will offer attendees exclusive looks around different parts of the arena.
• On Saturday, September 9, the LCA will have a community preview of the Via concourse and a look inside the arena bowl itself. It’ll run from 2-8 p.m. and admission details will be announced soon.
• A Hockeytown 5K is scheduled for Sunday, September 10. The race will go through downtown and the arena district.
• Red Wings and Pistons ticket holders will also get a chance to preview the arena throughout the week.

The first ticketed event at the Little Caesars Arena is September 12, with the kickoff of a series of Kid Rock concerts. The first Red Wings preseason game is on September 23 and the first Pistons game will be held on October 18.

More announcements about the arena are coming in quickly, including new restaurants located inside. The area around the arena looks different every day. Signs started going up last week, and lights are being installed along the rooftop. Even the old Eddystone Hotel is starting to get cleaned up, in preparation for its renovation. We’ll get a closer look inside as the opening week approaches.