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Avs Fever About To Take Over Ball Arena & Beyond Ahead Of Stanley Cup Final

DENVER (CBS4) - This week, Ball Arena won't be the only place to cheer on the Colorado Avalanche as they face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. Fans can pick from several watch parties around Denver, some of which are now possible after the city temporarily changed its rules.

From putting in new tents to outdoor stages, preparations are well underway at Tivoli Brewing Company on the Auraria Campus in Denver, and with the first game of the Stanley Cup Final just two days away, there's still much more to do.

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"It'll look completely different than it looks today," said CEO Ari Opsahl. "There's a stage. There's food trucks. There's a bunch of alcohol partners."

For each game, all of Tivoli quad will be home to the NHL and Avalanche's official Stanley Cup watch party. It's a gathering that would not be possible without some help from the City and County of Denver.

Until now, the expansion of liquor licensed areas required a 30 day wait period, but for the remainder of the Avalanche's run, the city is waiving the rule.

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"When unexpected events arise, we want to be able to be flexible and work with our businesses, so we waived that 30-day requirement for the upcoming Avalanche games," said Molly Duplechian, executive director of Denver's Department of Excise and Licenses.

So far, only three businesses have applied: Tivoli, Ball Arena, and McGregor Square. Tivoli's application was the first to be approved.

"We know bars and restaurants were heavily impacted by the pandemic and having to close during COVID, so this is an additional way that we can be flexible and provide them new opportunities," Duplechian.

At Tivoli, they're expecting 10,000-20,000 people per game, a gathering unlike anything they've ever hosted.

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"There's no way we would have been able to pull this off, so big thank you to the city of Denver," Opsahl said.

"Obviously moving through COVID and the challenges we had during that time, it is what it is, but now moving forward, I'd love to see events like this happening all the time."

All of the watch parties at Tivoli quad are free to the public. Find more information on when the gates open. The city is still accepting permit modifications online, but at this point, time is running short to get it approved before game one.

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