As the Coachella Valley Firebirds wrap up the regular season and head into the playoffs, fans can still catch the action without overspending.
Tickets
The ticket price is the most obvious expense when attending a Firebirds game, but there are ways to save on tickets.
The most important tip is to buy tickets at the Acrisure Arena box office instead of purchasing them online. Buying in person allows you to avoid Ticketmaster fees, which also apply to concerts.
The box office is open on any event day from 10 a.m. until one hour before the start of the day’s event, so check out Acrisure Arena’s event schedule to see which days you can stop by and get your Firebirds tickets.
You should also keep an eye on the Firebirds’ social media pages, where they occasionally share ticket discount codes.
When it comes to picking your seat, all seats in Acrisure Arena offer a good view of the ice, so any ticket within your price range is a solid option. However, Sections 112–116 face away from the video screen, which can make it more difficult to see replays, on-screen games, videos and possibly footage of yourself in the crowd.
Bonus tip: Which game should I choose?
Every Firebirds game is a great time, so the good news is that there are no wrong answers here — pick whichever fits your schedule the best! But, if you can make it, there are some games that offer some unique perks above the base experience.
If you can only attend one game during a season, try to go to the Teddy Bear Toss game. At this game, fans are encouraged to bring stuffed toys to the arena and throw them onto the ice when the Firebirds score their first goal.
The sight of tens of thousands of stuffed animals raining down onto the ice from the stands is unforgettable, and the plushies are rounded up and donated to first responders who give them to children in need of comfort during emergency calls.
Some more great options are the other theme nights throughout the season.
Often, theme nights will include a fun giveaway item, like a blanket, a hat, or a collectable bobblehead figurine, for the first several thousand fans who come through the door. Many theme night games also see the Firebirds dressed in special, one-of-a-kind jerseys.
Check out the Firebirds’ theme night schedule to see which themes and giveaway items interest you the most.
During playoff hockey, where teams are at risk of elimination, every game is max-intensity. You can’t go wrong going to any playoff match, but games where the Birds have a chance of knocking out another team and advancing to the next round are especially fierce!
Parking
Parking is not free at Acrisure Arena. However, it is less expensive if you pay before the day of the game, so make sure to secure your parking pass ahead of time to save $10 right away.
Carpooling is a great option if you’re going with friends; everyone can contribute to the price, and it does the planet good, too.
If you are able to be dropped off and forgo parking entirely, there are free designated drop-off spots at the arena, and Lyft users can use the code ACRISUREARENA to save on their first rides to the arena.
Bonus tip: When should I arrive?
If you are in the arena thirty minutes before the scheduled start of the game, you can go down the lowest seat level and stand in front of the glass to watch the team warm up.
This is a super fun way to see the players up close and, if you’re lucky (and make a clever enough poster), they might even toss a warm-up puck over the glass for you to keep!
If you are in your seat at the scheduled start of the game, you will be right on time to see all the opening festivities, like the performance of the national anthems and the introduction of the Firebirds’ beloved mascot, Fuego.
Food and Drinks
Arena food is rarely cheap, but if you get hungry during the game, there are some great food options at Acrisure Arena that are, surprisingly, very affordable!
On the outdoor patio, you can find the “pocket-friendly” food item of the game. This is a unique barbecue offering, such as a sandwich or tacos, that typically ranges from $8–11.
The pocket-friendly food is available for purchase until the end of the first intermission, and vegetarians should note that these usually contain meat, except for the occasional vegetable skewers.
One of Acrisure’s best food offerings, though, is actually one of the least expensive!
Inside the arena, you can find a Melissa’s Produce cart serving cups of delicious fresh fruit, optionally topped with lime juice, candied fruit, chamoy and Tajín, for just $5.
You can pick and choose from a selection of pineapple, pink pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, cucumber and grapes.
The fruit cups are always scrumptious, and it is hard to find fresh fruit for such a good price even outside of Acrisure.
To save on drinks, you can bring your own water bottle to the game, which can be refilled at the water stations around the arena.
Merchandise
Experienced fans of the sport know that “hockey merchandise” and “budget-conscious” is something of an oxymoron. However, you still have some options if you’d like to rep the team.
As mentioned before, certain theme night games will include a merchandise giveaway for the fans that show up early; previous theme nights have had, for example, beanies, socks, scarves and hats.
At the Team Store and the merch stops around the arena, you can find a “deal of the game,” where an item is offered at a discount or as a buy-one-get-one deal.
As you walk to the arena from the main parking lot, you will also see a merch truck with a rack of clothes being cleared out that is also worth taking a look through.
You should also keep an eye out for more clearance items around the end of a season and the beginning of the next one — you can score some great deals this way as older merch is moved out.
Firebirds hockey is one of the most fun, exciting ways to spend an evening. Using these tips, you can catch the hits, the fights, the goals and the wins, all while saving money along the way.
