The Savannah Bananas brought sold-out Banana Ball to Comerica Park on September 18 and 19, 2026, filling downtown Detroit with fans who mostly arrived by car. If you drove in from the suburbs or out of state, the ticket price was only part of the bill. Parking, fuel, and post-game traffic add up fast at a major-league stadium on Woodward Avenue.
How most fans reach Comerica Park
Comerica Park sits at 2100 Woodward Avenue in The District Detroit, sharing the same parking network as Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena. The Detroit Tigers driving guide lists the main freeway approaches: southbound M-10 to Grand River, then the northbound I-75 service drive to Brush Street; southbound I-75 merging into I-375 with exits at Madison or Lafayette; and westbound I-94 to southbound M-10. High-demand events like Banana Ball mean those routes clog earlier than a typical weeknight Tigers game, so plan extra time before the 7:00 p.m. ET first pitch.
Official parking rules and what you pay
Olympia Development runs 32 parking facilities within The District Detroit. According to 313 Presents parking policies, lots open three hours before events, close two hours after, accept credit cards only, and do not allow in-and-out privileges or overnight parking. Oversized vehicles are turned away from standard garages; charter buses use Fisher Service Drive between Woodward and Brush Street.
For regular Tigers games, District Detroit garages typically post $15 to $30 per vehicle. Banana Ball drew stadium-scale crowds to a venue built for 41,000 fans, so expect prices at the top of that range or higher. SpotHero, the Tigers' preferred reservation partner listed on the official Comerica Park parking page, shows event parking near the ballpark averaging $30 to $75 depending on distance and demand. The Tiger Garage at 250 E. Fisher Service Drive is one of the closest structures; reserve early because sold-out shows leave fewer walk-up spaces.
Accessible parking is first-come at all District lots. The 61 E. Elizabeth Lot, Tiger Garage, and McLaren Garage offer the shortest walks to the gates. Rideshare drop-off is at Lot 3, 75 E. Montcalm Street.
Fuel math for common drive-in distances
Michigan regular gasoline has averaged roughly $3.30 to $3.60 per gallon in 2026. The EPA pegs the typical new vehicle at about 28 combined MPG on a US gallon; many SUVs and trucks that carry a family of four to a ballpark land closer to 22 to 25 MPG in mixed driving.
Round-trip fuel estimates at $3.45 per gallon:
- Metro Detroit (20 mi round trip, 25 MPG): about $2.76 in fuel
- Ann Arbor or Flint (90 mi, 25 MPG): about $12.42
- Lansing (180 mi, 25 MPG): about $24.84
- Grand Rapids (320 mi, 25 MPG): about $44.16
- Toledo, Ohio (120 mi, 25 MPG): about $16.56
- Cleveland (340 mi, 25 MPG): about $46.92
Premium-grade engines add roughly 40 to 60 cents per gallon. Plug-in hybrids and EVs shift the calculation toward electricity rates rather than pump price; the EPA FuelEconomy.gov lookup lists official MPGe ratings by model if you want to compare your car against the averages above.
Run your own numbers with the CarDiary MPG and fuel cost calculator before a long haul to downtown Detroit.
Sample total drive-in budgets
These figures cover parking plus fuel only, not tickets, food, or tolls:
- Local fan (20 mi, garage parking): $28 to $33
- Ann Arbor family in one SUV: $42 to $57
- Lansing couple splitting gas and parking: $55 to $75
- Grand Rapids road trip for four in one vehicle: $74 to $119
Carpooling cuts the per-person cost sharply. Six cars from the suburbs at $25 parking each totals $150 before anyone buys a ticket; one minivan at $30 parking divides the same fixed cost six ways.
Transit and skip-the-garage options
Detroit's QLINE streetcar runs along Woodward with stops near the stadium. The Detroit People Mover loops downtown and connects to parking on the edges of the central business district. Both reduce garage fees but still require a drive or rideshare to the station unless you live along the route. Amtrak's Detroit station is about two miles from Comerica Park; a short taxi or rideshare closes the gap for out-of-state visitors who prefer not to navigate event-night traffic.
Practical tips for event-night driving
Pre-purchase parking through SpotHero or ParkDistrictDetroit.com when the event is sold out; walk-up lots fill in the order closest to the stadium first. Arrive when gates open (about 60 minutes before first pitch for Banana Ball, per 313 Presents) to avoid the worst I-75 and M-10 backups. Keep your parking receipt accessible; no in-out means you cannot move the car mid-event. Budget 30 to 45 minutes to exit the garage after a sold-out show.
Logging each fill-up and the miles you drove to Comerica Park in CarDiary lets you compare real event-night costs against your everyday commute instead of guessing from a single tank.