The Super Bowl Party Is Here. Fans Are Excited, Even if It’s Seahawks vs Patriots

It’s called Super Bowl Sunday, but for the Bay Area, the celebration stretches out over a week.

As Santa Clara gears up for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, visitors and football fans from across the region flocked to the San José McEnery Convention Center on Monday for the official kickoff to several days of events before the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks battle it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.

Super Bowl Opening Night, emceed by NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson, brought both teams out on stage with a small contingent of fans in attendance. Cheerleaders from both teams hyped the crowd. Famous streamers like Sketch, who gained popularity by posting videos of himself playing the video game Madden NFL 24, worked the crowd and took selfies with fans.

San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who recently announced his candidacy in the race for California’s next governor, was part of the welcome party.

“This week we’re uniting the Bay for Super Bowl 60,” Mahan said. “ We have been preparing for this big day, so we’ve been working hard to make sure we’re safe, clean and activated.”

Players from both teams agreed on one thing: They looked forward to playing in the sunshine.

“We were out at practice today, just enjoying the sun. People were ripping their long sleeves off,” Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane said.

Grey Zabel, Seahawks offensive lineman, reflected on the significance of making it to the Super Bowl.

“ I think this is one of the coolest things ever, let alone just to be in the NFL. Going to a Super Bowl and playing on a stage like this is just … what a dream come true,” he said.

Among the crowds of excited fans, the line to get into the convention center was awash with jerseys emblazoned with the logos of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys and others.

“ We’re getting ready to welcome everybody. This is exciting, and tonight’s where it all begins,” said David Burghgraef, who grew up a Green Bay Packers fan in Redwood City. “I think it’s a really big highlight, especially in a time where we could use something to celebrate.”

Standing just ahead of Burghgraef in line was Ayi Carter, a lifelong Raiders fan who grew up in San Francisco, formerly lived in Oakland, and now resides in Sacramento.

She brought her 13-year-old grandson, Eric Henderson, a Kansas City Chiefs fan, to this week’s Super Bowl festivities as a reward for making the honor roll at school.

“I’m just excited to watch him, because he’s a football player, and I want him to see what’s going on behind the scenes, and hopefully meet someone from the Kansas City Chiefs,” Carter said.

She also carried with her a picture of her best friend — a diehard Seahawks fan. Carter said she died two years ago.

“ I feel like the Seahawks are going to take it home, and so my sis will be looking down from the sky, cheering them on, and I’ll be cheering them on for her down here,” Carter said.

Dylan Lucas, a San Francisco 49ers fan from Los Gatos, came with his friend Landin Summerlan, a Seahawks fan who grew up in Seattle but now lives in San José.

“ This is one of my best friends, and you can tell he’s a Seahawks fan,” Lucas said. “ I can’t let him be too happy while he’s here, so I gotta knock him down a little bit throughout the day.”

Lucas said that despite his team being knocked out of the playoffs — badly — by the Seahawks, he was still going to enjoy having the Super Bowl on home turf.

“ Who knows if the Super Bowl is going to come back here again, at least anytime soon, right? So it’s just cool to soak it all in,” he said.