The Detroit Pistons haven’t played NBA Playoffs basketball at home since 2019. Seven years is a long time to wait, and Little Caesars Arena isn’t treating Sunday’s game one like just another night on the calendar.

The team announced Wednesday a full slate of pregame programming, new food drops, and retail activations built around the first two home games of the opening round. It’s a genuine event, not just a tip-off.

Doors don’t open until 5 p.m., but the pregame fan fest outside the arena kicks off at 3:30, giving you 90 minutes to burn before you walk through. Sneaker cleaning and customization stations will be set up outside. There’s also airbrush tattoos, free coffee, and a half-court hoop if you want to warm up before the real thing. The first 10,000 fans inside get thundersticks. Every fan gets a free t-shirt. Game two brings rally towels for the whole building.

Don’t just show up at tip-off. The Pistons said there are “special surprise playoff elements” planned for player introductions and in-game entertainment, and they want everyone seated before the game starts. That’s worth taking seriously.

Now, the food. Because the food program at Little Caesars Arena for these playoff games is more detailed than most people are going to expect.

The Coop, located at Portals 18 and 19, is serving the All The Time Fry, which is seasoned fries built with All The Time Spice Blend, All The Time Sauce, and fresh scallions. Right next to it, The Scoop at the same portal locations runs the Full Court Press Sundae: vanilla ice cream, red or blue soda, sprinkles, and a Pistons-branded topper sitting in a souvenir sneaker cup. Portal 26 has the Playoff Running Taco, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an oversized walking taco on a bag of Flamin Hot Cheetos with your choice of protein and toppings. Portable 42 carries the Arena Cantina Pizza Box Nachos, house-fried chips loaded with smoked pulled chicken or barbacoa, two queso options, and the standard nacho toppings.

Portal 28 is where you should spend your time. Detroit Street Lab, a concept rooted in the city’s actual street food culture, has several playoff-only items that don’t exist anywhere else in the building on a normal night. The Bad Boy Blue is a Pistons exclusive: a Korean corn dog with brick cheese, Blue Takis, crispy potato crust, takoyaki sauce, and Kewpie mayo. There’s also the Street Lab Coney, an all-beef hot dog with chili cheese Fritos, crispy onions, and mustard. If you’ve eaten at any of the real Coney Islands on Michigan Avenue, you’ll recognize the DNA, even if the format is different.

On sandwiches, the Assembly Line Steak Sando brings grilled tenderloin, rice wine slaw, Kewpie mayo, and takoyaki sauce on RSA milk bread. It’s a lot of flavors in a small format, and it works.

Two items come from Eric Loves Cooking. The Eric’s Motor City Crisp stacks two Fairway Packing Co. beef patties with brick cheese, shredded lettuce, Eric’s 313 sauce, and mild pepperoncini. The Eric’s Deli Steak Sandwich runs shaved tri-tip with Havarti, garlic horseradish sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and giardiniera. Both of those were flagged by WXYZ (7 Action News) as new playoff-specific additions. The Foundry Fried Rice, with bacon lardons, kimchi, yum yum sauce, and takoyaki drizzle, rounds out the menu at Portal 28.

Action News spoke to representatives from the team who confirmed the scope of the new food program and the in-arena activations.

Detroit hadn’t seen home playoff basketball since 2019. That’s 7 years. The Pistons were 3 and 30 at one point during the 2022-23 season, which was bad enough to be historically bad. Now they’re home for games 1 and 5, with a roster that actually has something to prove and a building that’s been waiting a long time to be loud about it. If you want the Nike NBA Playoff Mantra Shirt before Sunday, it won’t be sitting on shelves long.

Game one. Sunday. Be in your seat before tip-off.