What to Do If You Don’t Care About the Super Bowl
An average of 104 million people watched the Super Bowl over the past seven years, and it’s safe to say that many people will be doing the same when the Rams play the Bengals this weekend. But what’s a non-football fan to do while the rest of the country is drinking weak beer and trying to keep their shirts safe from buffalo wing splinters? Sure, you could curl up with a good remote and enjoy your favorite new Netflix episode . But with nearly a third of the US population busy doing other things, now is the perfect time to visit normally crowded places, especially if you avoided them for that reason during the pandemic. Here are the best ways to capitalize on the hundreds of millions of Americans glued to their TVs.
Hit the slopes
Not only will you see shorter lift lines and smaller crowds on Super Bowl Sunday, many ski resorts will offer big discounts to get you to their slopes. According to Liftopia , a site that allows you to pre-purchase lift tickets, game day is one of the best days of the year to chop up some fresh powder. As Evan Rees, co-founder and CEO of Liftopia, told Business Insider , “Super Bowl Sunday has historically seen half as many people visit resorts compared to other peak-season Sundays, especially in markets where teams play.” On a quick search in my area, matchday tickets were reduced from 13% to 46%.
Run an epic grocery store
We’ve all used Instacarting and DoorDash during the pandemic, but why not use the calm of a Sunday night to re-acquaint yourself with the four walls of your old friend, the real grocery store? I love having food delivered to my door just like it would to someone else, but there’s something soothing and comforting about walking down the aisles yourself, reminding me of things I forgot existed (hey, corn nuts! ), inspired to cook something unusual for dinner. , or treat yourself to a bar of exfoliating soap or a container of unscheduled sushi. What about Costco or Target without regular days off? glorious.
Eat at a restaurant you can never go to
Have you thought about booking a table at that new Asian fusion restaurant you’ve been dying to try but never has a table available ? This study of 36,000 restaurants across the country found that the average revenue drop on a matchday was 19% compared to a typical Sunday. Especially in urban areas where popular and in-demand new eateries pop up regularly, this could be the perfect time to finally find a spot. (Make sure they don’t serve takeaway pizza, though; according to the same study, the Super Bowl is the #1 Sunday of the year for pizza places.)
Take a trip to the cinema
If you’ve been hesitant to see something on the big screen for fear of sitting in a crowded room with a bunch of strangers, now is your moment. You may run into a few die-hards, but for the most part, you can expect theater attendance to be lower than normal. (Besides, it’s Sunday night, not usually the best time to go to the movies.) Is there anything good playing? Well, there’s Black Light for Liam Neeson fans, Death on the Nile for fans of murder mystery, and Marry Me for those wondering where Owen Wilson has been. ( Sing 2 , Encanto and Spider-Man: No Way Home are still on in many places, for kids and Marvel fans alike.) Most major theater chains offer reserved seats online, so you’ll know how crowded the theater will be before buy . With any luck, it will be like going to the movies for a mid-week matinee.
Go to an amusement park
Most kids are obsessed with indoor water parks (not football) and will jump at the opportunity to visit the Kahalari resorts or the Great Wolf House instead of being chased away while the adults yell at the TV. (Call your local resort for their usual Sunday Super Bowl attendance.)
Depending on where you live, it may be too cold for the parks to be open. But if you live in a warmer climate, your local Six Flags may have fewer people as many will be at home before the game or getting ready for the reception. (Six Flags Magic Mountain has a helpful “Is everything packed?” tracker .) It’s reasonable to assume that Disney World will see attendance drop, but it’s actually prime time for local annual pass holders , so skip the happiest place on Earth.