‘It’s Christmas’: Diehard Red Sox fans gather outside Fenway Park hours ahead of home opener
“We don’t see each other for 364 days a year but the 365th - it’s family and it’s Christmas,” fan Mike Columbare said. Columbare said he’s been one of the first fans outside of Fenway Park for the last 25 years. Opening Day is a day to celebrate the start of the Red Sox season, but this year, it’s also a time to look ahead after a rough 1-5 start on the road.
Some Boston Red Sox fans arrived at Fenway Park before 5 a. m. Friday for the 2026 home opener .
For one group of friends, Opening Day is a tradition they’ll never miss. “We don’t see each other for 364 days a year but the 365th - it’s family and it’s Christmas,” fan Mike Columbare said. Columbare said he’s been one of the first fans outside of Fenway Park for the last 25 years.
Opening Day is a day to celebrate the start of the Red Sox season, but this year, it’s also a time to look ahead after a rough 1-5 start on the road. “Obviously, we all want to make the playoffs,” Drew Sutherland said. “We’re a pretty young team; hopefully, the pitching we spent on can solidify a little better.
” While it’s a chilly kickoff to what fans hope will be a lengthy baseball season, Columbare came prepared. “25 years later, I finally figured this out for the cold weather,” Columbare said. “Battery pack, heating pad, insulated blankets, mom knitted me a throw to bring with me every year.