Detroit Pistons fans will have plenty to do before tipoff even arrives on Oct. 20, when the team hosts a full morning and early afternoon of festivities ahead of its season opener against the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena. The lineup includes a blue carpet walk with franchise legends, a fall Fan Fest with a petting zoo and cider, and a shot at winning $100,000 during the game itself.
The Detroit Pistons and The Spot - Detroit 20 are gearing up for the 2026-27 season, with the home opener set for that Tuesday, according to WXYZ 7 News Detroit. The station reports that the Pistons' season opener party starts at 10 a.m., with the blue carpet rolled out an hour later. Pistons legends Isiah Thomas and Jerry Stackhouse are both expected to walk the blue carpet and sign autographs for fans starting at 11 a.m.
Blue Carpet and Plaza Festivities Open the Day
Beyond the headline names, the Pistons' own Opening Day event page lists the plaza opening with Pistons Legends, the All City Marching Band, Pistons Entertainment and a live broadcast from The Spot - Detroit 20, according to content.pistons.com. The team's site also notes the day will include activations, entertainment, special guest appearances and Blake's Cider.
From noon to 2 p.m., the Pistons are hosting a fall Fan Fest outside Little Caesars Arena, per the station's report. That event is set to feature cider, hard cider and donuts from Blake's, along with a petting zoo, face painting, an airbrush tattoo station and a basketball skills challenge.
Doors, Discounts and Giveaways Inside the Arena
Doors to Little Caesars Arena will open at 1:30 p.m., with the first 2,000 fans through the gates receiving Thunder Sticks, the same account notes. Fans can also score 50% off all concessions from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. using the Pistons Mobile Wallet, according to the team's Opening Day page, and an exclusive Opening Day T-shirt will be waiting on every fan's seat.
Anyone seated before 2:55 p.m. will have a shot at winning giveaways and autographed items throughout the pregame, the station reports. The marquee promotion comes later: one fan will be selected to take a half-court shot during the third quarter with a chance to win $100,000.
Celtics Visit as Part of a Nationally Televised Slate
Detroit opens the regular season at home against Boston on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with tipoff set for 3 p.m. Eastern and the game airing on NBC, according to MLive. The outlet reported in August that the Pistons' 82-game slate includes 19 nationally televised matchups for the 2026-27 season.
This isn't the first time the plaza outside Little Caesars Arena has drawn a crowd this year. Before Detroit's Game 1 playoff matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 5, fans packed the plaza for a free Fan Fest that began at 4 p.m. and was open to both ticketholders and fans without tickets, according to ClickOnDetroit. That event featured two different “All Dawg” T-shirts handed out to fans attending the game.
