Windsor's 'Jurassic Park' returning for Raptors Game 7
CBC News | Posted: September 11, 2020 11:29 AM | Last Updated: September 11, 2020
Last year, Windsorites crowded into the 'Jurassic Park' at Charles Clark Square
Despite the pandemic, Windsor's 'Jurassic Park' organizer Renaldo Agostino is preparing yet another space for Raptors fans to enjoy Friday's Game 7 on a jumbo screen.
Last year, Windsorites gathered in Charles Clark Square to watch several Toronto Raptors games. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Agostino is holding a scaled-back version of that event at Turbo Espresso Bar in downtown Windsor Friday.
Guests will need to register ahead of time and wear masks indoors, but Agostino said he's also putting screens outside for people who don't yet feel comfortable being indoors.
"If you would have told me that the Raptors would be playing at Disney World in front of an LED wall and two teams with zero fans and that we'd be watching this in September, not in June, I would have said you were nuts," Agostino said.
"But of course, the world has changed. And I think we all adjust to the change. And I think what this does is it gives everyone an opportunity to forget about all the negative and all the bad things that are just happening around us."
In 2019, more than 2,500 people showed up to watch some of the games and celebrate the wins, particularly when the Raptors became Eastern Conference and NBA champions.
"It was an unbelievable experience and we've been riding that high for an entire year now," Agostino said.
Should the Raptors win Friday's game, they'll head into the Eastern Conference Finals. Agostino said he's optimistic that if the Raptors move on, they'll prepare a larger event and have conversations with the city and the health unit to ensure everyone's safety.