Football fans flocked to San Francisco Wednesday as the Embarcadero was transformed into a football amusement park as part of the NFL Kickoff to 50 Celebration, highlighting the start of the 2015-16 football season and building excitement for Super Bowl 50, scheduled for Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The two-day kickoff event includes performances, appearances by former players, games and interactive exhibits stretching from Justin Herman Plaza north to an expo on Pier 35.
Outside the Pier 35 expo, fans were greeted Wednesday afternoon by a performance by Niner Noise, the official drum line for the San Francisco 49ers. Once inside, fans found plenty of photo-worthy spectacles.
Fans posed for selfies in front of busts of Pro Football Hall of Famers and Super Bowl memorabilia. They had the chance to try on authentic jerseys and helmets from both the 49ers and the Raiders. As they moved further into the expo, they were invited to dodge dummy bags and catch passes on a mock football field.
Josh Head, a 49ers fan, traveled from Sacramento for the event, standing in line for 20 minutes to get a helmet signed by Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown and former 49er running back Ricky Watters.