A First-Timer's Guide to a TEALgate: The Crown Club's Hornets Pregame

Never been to a TEALgate? Good news: you don't need a ticket to the party, a membership or an invite. Here's everything a first-timer needs to know.

What is a TEALgate?

A TEALgate is the Crown Club's pregame for every Hornets home game. Think tailgate, Uptown style: Hornets fans in teal and purple, food, drinks and a room full of people who care about this team as much as you do. Then we all walk over to Spectrum Center together.

Where and when

• Where: The Local, 105 E 5th St, Uptown Charlotte, a short walk from Spectrum Center.
• When: 90 minutes before every home tip. For a 7:00 PM game, that's 5:30 PM.
• How often: all 40 announced home games this season. See the full TEALgate schedule.

Who can come?

Everyone. TEALgates are open to all Hornets fans, whether you've been here since the Coliseum days or you just moved to Charlotte last month. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring the person you're trying to convert into a Hornets fan.

What do members get?

Crown Club members eat free at every TEALgate and get our partners' perks on site. Do the math: make it to two TEALgates and the free food alone covers the $33 membership. Members also get the season's member kit, $50 off away game trips and the members-only Slack with live game chats and a ticket exchange.

Join for $33

Dates to circle this season

• Fri Oct 23 vs Atlanta (7:00 PM): the home opener. TEALgate starts at 5:30 PM.
• Sat Oct 31 vs Philadelphia (6:00 PM): Halloween. Costumes encouraged.
• Thu Dec 31 vs San Antonio (1:00 PM): a daytime New Year's Eve TEALgate starting at 11:30 AM.
• Mon Feb 15 vs Minnesota (noon): Presidents' Day, with a 10:30 AM TEALgate.
• Fri Apr 9 vs Brooklyn (7:00 PM): the last home game of the regular season.

Tip times can move for national TV, so check the TEALgate schedule before you head out.

First-timer tips

• Wear teal. Purple works too. Bonus points for a throwback.
• Come early. The first hour is when the crowd builds and you can actually talk to people.
• Say hi. Look for the Crown Club crew and tell us it's your first TEALgate.
• Away game? There's no TEALgate, but our Where to Watch map shows bars that will have the game on.

See you at The Local. 🐝

The Crown Club is an independent fan union and isn't affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets or the NBA.