The countdown is on for Huntsville City FC Space Night
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The engine will be there as usual, but Space Night is taking it to the next level. Photo: Courtesy of HCFC
It's T-Minus two days for Huntsville City Football Club's marquee themed match of the year: Space Night vs. Orlando City B Friday at 7pm.
Why it matters: It's a chance for HCFC to showcase the unique and special relationship North Alabama has with the space industry and NASA.
Chad Emerson, the team's managing director, tells Axios Huntsville that Space Night is its most meaningful themed night each year.
What they're saying: "Our goal is to exceed expectations for everything," he said. "But I think this one is different because it has such a unique and deep connection to Huntsville."
- Current and former NASA employees and their families can snag a $10 ticket, and the club's "first match for free" program is still going, offering free admission for a fan's first game and a $5 food credit.
The big announcement this year is a third, fully orange uniform design, inspired by the Advanced Crew Escape Suits worn by astronauts. It's a callback to the orange ACES suits were worn by Space Shuttle astronauts.
- "It is truly rooted in Huntsville," Emerson said. "We're excited that we're able to create a color that stands out, but it stands out for a meaning."
Zoom in: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Artemis mission will bring interactive exhibits and space-themed inflatables, and more than a dozen other organizations will host exhibits and photo-ops at Friday's game, per HCFC.
- That includes the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Blue Origin's Club for the Future, Teledyne Brown Engineering, United Launch Alliance and Moog.
- Also, the MSFC Retirees Association White Coat scientists and Rocket City Novas Krewe will be there to greet fans at Gate 2.
- Stargazing on the pitch: Hang out after the match, which will probably wrap up around 9:15pm, Emerson said, to gaze through some telescopes on the field.
In a nod to Area 51, the first 51 fans to come through the gate dressed as an alien will get free admission and a free upgrade to a special Area 51 seating area.
- Changes for this third Space Night include bringing more exhibitors inside the gates, Emerson said, as fans are usually eager to get inside the stadium when they arrive, and there's no return entry.
- The North Plaza will become the NASA Artemis Launch Pad, he adds, where all the NASA and Artemis exhibits will be concentrated.
The bottom line: "It's a space-themed party with a soccer match on the side," Emerson said. "It's a lot of fun."