FF Complete Guide Red Sox Game

In honor of the Red Sox back for the season, my April Feature Friday posts will be Red Sox themed!

For my final How to Save at Fenway Park series post, I wanted to make one complete guide to make everything a little easier to find! If you want to read one section in depth, you can find Where to Eat for Cheap Near Fenway, How to Buy Cheap Red Sox Tickets and How to Park for Cheap on Game Days!

There are so many different ways to save at Fenway Park. When I was growing up my Dad would get free Red Sox tickets from his work, and we would eat dinner super early at home on Red Sox nights. We were only allowed one item each to buy at Fenway, which was always Ice Cream in the little helmet. Ice Cream AND a Souvenir all in one, sold. I was one smart kid.

Last year when we were heading to Fenway, running late, there was another couple chowing down home-made sandwiches for dinner during their walk. I thought it was a great way to save money in a time crunch, and I might steal the idea in the future since eating at home beforehand isn’t always an option.

You don’t need to eat in Fenway Park, pay a lot for tickets or park right near Fenway to enjoy a Red Sox game. There are so many things you can do to save money even if you don’t get free tickets through work or eat beforehand.

Find Cheap Red Sox Tickets

As mentioned in-depth in my How to Buy Cheap Red Sox Tickets Guide, there are several ways to buy tickets to a Red Sox Game. If you are looking for face value tickets, you can buy sox tickets directly through the Red Sox website. Remember to add ticket fees to the ticket amount. (Ticket fees are $4.50 per ticket and $7 per transaction, so for two tickets it would $16 in fees.)

Red Sox ticket prices actually vary depending on the game itself since the Red Sox have a tier-pricing system. Popular games (Yankees, weekends, etc.) have a higher face value than unpopular games (weekdays, cold months, etc.)

Also, the Red Sox have a few promotions that can sweeten the deal. The Red Sox have $9 tickets (plus ticket fees) for College Students as well as six college nights this spring. Also, active and retired military can receive special pricing for select Red Sox games, as well as first responders.

I like to buy tickets through the Red Sox and combine promotions when possible to get the most value. For example, I went to a Red Sox game during the beginning of the season and purchased tickets in the winter then they were waiving ticket fees for one day only. It was a weekday game in April and tickets started at $10 for Upper Bleacher. It was also Ortiz Bobblehead night. For $20 exactly, I got two Red Sox tickets, two Ortiz Bobble heads and be at the Red Sox first home game win!

Not a bad night for $20 bucks, plus my Ortiz Bobble head is wicked cool:

Ortiz Bobblehead

Combining offers are a great way to save money on Red Sox Tickets; however, you do need to have some flexibility since $10 Red Sox tickets and Bobble head night is not an every day occurrence (unfortunately).

Sometimes tickets through Third-Party sellers like Ace Tickets can be cheaper or similar to face value when you include ticket fees into the mix. The best value for Red Sox tickets really depend on the night and variables. Weather can also pay a huge factor in ticket prices, and they can change suddenly on third-party sites very quickly, for better or for worse.

Scalping is illegal in Massachusetts; however, there is a legal scalping zone at Gate C 90 minutes before the game. Also, the sale of tickets start 90 minutes before a game at Gate E and fans can wait up to 5 hours in line. However, game day tickets can be dicey, and it may not be the cheapest tickets available.

Plan ahead to save money on tickets or wait until after the game starts (if you can chance it) to see if you can get a good deal somewhere.

Cheap Eats Near Fenway

Just because beers are expensive in Fenway, doesn’t mean you can’t get an adult beverage for cheap near Fenway. You can also find cheap food near the ballpark before or after the game. You may just need to do some research beforehand since many bars and restaurants don’t advertise their promotions. To see every deal in depth, check out my Fenway Cheap Eats post or my late night cheap eats post for late night deals after the game.

Yard House Happy Hour Chicken Fingers and Fries

It’s a poor picture, but these are delicious Chicken Fingers and Fries purchased at the Yard House before a Red Sox game this year. They have a Monday-Friday Happy Hour from 3-6 p.m. daily and I placed my order before 6 p.m to get these for half off. The Happy Hour wasn’t advertised, but its not my first appetizer order from the Yard House 😉

Yard House: 126 Brookline Avenue; Select half-off appetizers and pizza from 3-6pm and 10pm-close (*Pictured above: Chicken Fingers and Fries on the Appetizer Menu for $5!)

Bar Louie: 121 Brookline Ave; Sign up for Louie’s Crew to get a free appetizer! Half Price off select apps and flatbreads from 4-7pm Monday-Friday

McDonalds: Okay, this isn’t very glamorous, but it’s cheap. Even better, download the McD App to get discounts and even free offers (like a free burger!)

Crazy Dough’s: 1124 Boylston St; $5 PBR Pitchers with pizza purchase. (Read my experience here if you want)

Little Steve’s Pizzeria: 1114 Boylston St; $5 Pitchers of Cold Beer

Cactus Club: 939 Boylston St; Half Off Appetizers Monday-Thursday from 4-7pm and 2 tacos for $5 from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. every night

McGreevy’s Boston: 911 Boylston St; Half-priced Appetizers Monday-Friday from 4-7pm + $1 cheeseburgers on Tuesdays and $1 make your own pizzas on Thursdays from 4-11pm

Whiskey’s: 885 Boylston St; $3 Bar Bites Monday-Friday from 4pm-7pm at the bar only, .25 wings Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-11pm (and Friday and Saturday 11:30-4pm) at the bar only and even more deals on their website here.

5 Napkin Burger: 105 Huntington Ave; Slider Happy Hour with $2 sliders, $2 pork taquitos, $2 for 4 wings, and more from 4-7pm and 9pm-close at the bar only

Haru: 55 Huntington Ave;  Happy Hour Menu from 3-7pm & 10-close daily (plus $20 certificate near/on your birthday for e-mail subscribers)

The further you go from Fenway the better deal you may find. However, as you can see from my previous experience, I was able to eat right by Fenway and found some cheap eats. You just need to get there early enough to make sure you can get a seat, since it gets crowded. I also had a cheap eats backup plan just in case it was too crowded.

Getting to Fenway on a Budget

There are many ways to get to Fenway Park as mentioned in depth on my Where to Park for Cheap Near Fenway post. The best option can vary from person to person and also depends on where you are coming from.

Here are all your options:

Walking– Self-explanatory.

MBTA– The MBTA is a great (but very crowded) option, especially if you live near a station and/or already have a monthly pass. The T is $2.50 per ride per person with a paper ticket and $2.00 per ride with the plastic Charlie Card. However, there may be a 5% fare increase starting in July, 2014. MBTA Parking Garage rates and availability differ from station to station. However, parking ranges from $4-$7 depending on the garage.

Take the B, C or D Green Line to Kenmore (any except the E Line) and follow the signs to Fenway Park. If you are taking the commuter rail in from Metro West, the Framingham/Worcester Line stops at Yawkey Station. Commuter rail prices vary depending on location and distance.

MBTA Bus– There are multiple bus routes that have stops near Fenway Park and you can find them here. Fares are $1.50 with ticket or on board and $1.25 with Charlie Card.

Pedicab– Take a pedicab to a Red Sox game: A bicycle cab. Pedicab drivers work solely on tips, so make sure if you do take a Pedicab to the game, don’t save money by not tipping enough.

A Cab– This option will vary depending on where you are coming from. However, you can enter your estimated locations here to have an idea how much a cab will cost.

Lyft, Uber, Sidecar– Lyft, Sidecar and UberX are car sharing services that pride themselves with being cheaper than a taxi. However, they do have peak rates during high demand times, and can vary depending on demand, distance, etc. I like to have all three downloaded on my phone and then check availability. New users can get a free $10 Lyft Credit with my referral link or new users can sign up with Uber to get a free $20 credit with my referral link. ($20 credit for a limited time and then will switch to $10, fyi). This can be a budget-friendly option especially if you have some free credit to use!

Driving– The closer you are to Fenway Park, the more you will pay (and the more you may need to wait to get on the highway). If driving in is your best option, consider parking further away from the ballpark to save more money. Obviously, the cheapest option is finding a free street parking spot, but you definitely need a back-up plan unless you have a secret spot or tricks.

  • Meter Parking: This can be risky, but can be an inexpensive option, especially for night games. Parking further away from the ballpark may give you more options and make sure to read parking meter signs for restrictions and timing. For some specific ideas of where to looking for spots, check out this post here, however, I am assuming a lot of these spots fill up fast!
  • Prudential Center: $16 with Red Sox Ticket Stub during Night and Weekend Games; Approximately .75 miles from Fenway
  • MFA: MFA Members can receive discount parking at the MFA garage. $13 after 5:30pm for members only. Approx .9 miles from Fenway.
  • Garage at 100 Clarendon: Apparently the Official Parking Garage of the Boston Red Sox but it is also a hike. $10 parking after 3pm Monday-Fridays and enter after 7am on weekends with ticket stub. Approximately 1.3 miles from Fenway Park.
  • SpotHero App: A smartphone app that allows you to find available parking garages and pay directly through your phone! No cash needed! New users can get a free $5 credit with my referral link here. Available parking garages may vary.

Also, ask friends and family for suggestions for parking because they may be able to give you some suggestions or tips based on their own experience.

There are so many different ways to save at Fenway Park. As mentioned through the post I went to a game early in April. I bought two Upper Bleacher tickets for Ortiz bobble head night for $10 a piece and didn’t pay ticket fees. I arrived early and got a free parking spot on the street and then went to the Yard House for dinner and drinks beforehand. We didn’t buy anything in the park.

We could have done Fenway Park cheaper, especially if I had packed dinner beforehand, but we decided to eat out before the game. The total cost we spent was roughly $52– $20 for tickets and $32 at the YardHouse for Chix Fingers & Fries, Sliders & Fries, Two beers, and gratuity. Transit was free, since we walked from my free (and legal) parking spot.

Not too bad, especially since parking, food, or tickets can be $50 alone.

Do you have any tips for saving at Fenway Park or for purchasing Red Sox tickets? What did I miss? Have you done Fenway Park for a lot cheaper than me?

*This post does contain an affiliate link for Ace Tickets. Please read my disclosure policy here.