Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. Insert a day of the week, say it three times in your announcer voice and people immediately know what you’re talking about. Monster Jam. Our kids are somewhat older so we can finally start introducing them to the pleasures of large trucks with big wheels getting massive air from dirt jumps. Monster Jam is pure Americana family fun. It’s for everyone, will leave the kids pumped up and breathless, but there some things that families need to know before visiting.
It will be crowded
We attended a Monster Jam show at an arena that seats 25,000 and it was sold out. If you’re driving to the location there will be thousands of cars and (normal sized) trucks going the same place you are. In our case we needed to leave about four hours early. This is worth mentioning because you do not want to be late.
It will be loud
Even if you see Monster Jam in an open stadium it will be loud. They do sell ear plugs and other sound muffling devices at the event. However, if you arrive late they will sell out-so bring your own if there’s even a chance you’ll be late. That will also save you a couple of bucks.
It is affordable
As of this writing, tickets to Monster Jam start at $15 and a couple bucks more the day of the show-if they are available. If you check out their website you can probably find complimentary Pit Passes. This is a chance to walk the racing pit a couple of hours before the show. You might be able to meet your favorite driver and you’ll definitely get up close to the trucks so that you can appreciate their scale and power.
It is family friendly
It is not an exaggeration to say that 80% of the adults in the crowd had children with them. Some of them were as young as 2 and thankfully most of them had some form of ear protection. The Monster Jam fans who are children have their favorite trucks. On the night we went most of them seemed to yell for Scooby Doo, Ice Cream Man and Grave Digger.
What’s remarkable about Monster Jam is that it’s truly an event anyone can enjoy.
For people that have never been to Monster Jam it may seem inconceivable that you or even your children could cheer and high five the person next to you who you’ve never met. It happens and will do so when a truck does a flip, recovers from a nose dive or runs over one of the hapless crash cars there to be preyed upon.
Monster Jam is a sporting event where fans in attendance might have one or two drivers that they want to do well; but they’ll cheer for every truck. It’s a ballet recital with noise, flattened cars, monster trucks, dirt, energy and adrenaline. This is the most fun you never thought you would have at an event where gear heads, preppies, families and hipsters all gather-at the same event to have a genuinely fun time.
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