With the Carolina Hurricanes evening up the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at 2-2, Raleigh residents are preparing to show their support for the Canes in the heat on Thursday for Game 5.

“I know folks in Vegas are watching, folks in Raleigh are watching, and it’s really cool to bring it all together and say that’s our home,” said Quin Rollar, a Hurricanes fan who helps get Red Hat ready for concerts.

In downtown Raleigh, the Hurricanes’ official watch party will be hosted at Red Hat Amphitheater. The Canes moved the watch party to the venue after seeing the size of the crowds during the watch parties for the Canes’ first two games of the series at Moore Square.

The watch party at Red Hat Amphitheater is free to attend. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the game starts at 8 p.m.  There are several watch parties you can go to if you can’t make it to Red Hat.    

“[Red Hat] has got everything. Bathrooms, concessions, all of that,” said Bill King, president of Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “It allows us to accommodate a bigger crowd than the park could, as these games continue to increase the importance and drama.”

Guests are encouraged to use nearby parking decks.

“We have a lot of parking decks along Wilmington Street that are just a couple blocks away from the amphitheater,” King said.

Fans are braving the summer heat to support the Canes during this Stanley Cup Final, and it will be toasty on Thursday at Red Hat Amphitheater. WRAL meteorologists said Thursday will be a WRAL Weather Alert Day due to dangerous heat and isolated thunderstorms in the evening.

The high for Thursday is expected to be around 99 degrees in Raleigh, with the heat index around 104 degrees.

Why intense heat can be dangerous if you drink alcohol

According to Drinkaware, consuming alcohol can increase the risk of heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration during the summer. 

Click here to see the different symptoms in heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

It can also reduce the amount of sun exposure needed for sunburn to occur.

Alcohol is a diuretic. This causes a bit of a feedback loop.

It encourages kidneys to get rid of fluid. That, in tandem with increased sweat from the heat, leads to more dehydration.

This means we start to feel the effects of alcohol more, which – for some people – leads them to drink more. 

Red Hat watch party: What is and isn’t allowed

The city of Raleigh said they will hold the watch party, “rain or shine.”

“We’ll have cooling stations, we’ve got extra large fans that push cool air out, and we have refillable water stations,” said Kate Jensen, Red Hat Amphitheater’s director of marketing. “We’re used to packing out 6,000-fan shows, so we’ll have the security measures in place.”

What is allowed:

One factory sealed bottle of water up to one gallon in size, or an empty, reusable water bottle up to one gallon in size that can be refilled.A raincot and/or ponchoSmall blanketsPortable chargersHandheld fansA small clutch or a clear bag

What’s not allowed:

Aerosol bugspray or sunscreen

Safety guidelines

WRAL reached out to Red Hat regarding contingency plans and safety protocols for the watch party and did not immediately hear back. The Raleigh Police Department shared the following tips on how fans can stay safe either on their way to their preferred watch party or at the venue:

Be attentive while driving and follow all traffic and parking instructions.Give yourself extra time for the drive and for locating parking. Report any suspicious activity to law enforcement officers or security personnel immediately.Have a communication and contingency plan in case you get separated from your group.Avoid confrontations and be courteous to others.Stay informed on weather conditions.Be prepared for potential rainstorms.Drink plenty of water.Look out for one another.