News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Josh Binkley, left, takes a photo of his son Bryce Binkley in front of an NFL Draft-themed shuttle bus in Alpena on Wednesday. A special event promoting the draft in Detroit next month was held near the Yacht Club at the harbor.

ALPENA — Fans of the National Football League in Alpena flocked to the harbor today to take pictures with an NFL Draft-themed shuttle bus, receive free draft swag, and learn more about how they can enjoy next month’s draft in Detroit.

The stop in Northeast Michigan was part of the state-wide On the Clock Tour which is geared towards promoting the draft, educating football fans on how they can participate in the free events, and receiving several collectibles to take home.

The tour is organized by Visit Detroit, in conjunction with the Detroit Sports Commission, and will circle the state making periodic stops in communities along the way.

Kurt Kosmowski, who works for the Detroit Sports Commission to assist in large-scale sports event planning, said from the NFL down to local officials in Detroit, the goal for the draft is to make sure people know this is not an event that is exclusive to Detroit but for people statewide. He said attending the draft, and its companion event, the NFL Experience, is free for everyone via the NFL OnePass app.

The OnePass app has information, maps, and a QR code that will allow a person to gain entrance to the draft itself and the many events associated with it. It is free to download on most app store platforms.

Kosmowski said, so far, most football fans are excited for the NFL Draft in Detroit, despite the fact that the hometown Lions don’t make their selection of college players until the tail end of the first round. He added it was clear Lions fever was still in the air in Alpena.

“Here in Alpena, you can tell people are excited and we were very surprised how many people came out on a windy, cold day,” Kosmowski said. “We hope the people in Alpena will take the information we gave them and be able to come down next month.”

Many of the people who attended the event were families with children decked out in Lions jerseys, hats, and sweatshirts.

They appeared to be having a good time and posed for photographs in front of the colorful NFL Draft vehicle and watched a camera crew document the visit and flew a drone to capture aerial shots of downtown Alpena and the harbor area.

Kosmowski, who worked with Detroit when it hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Super Bowl, and other big events, said the draft is more than just the teams selecting and introducing players, but also a carnival of fun where people can see how fast they can run the 40-yard dash, attempt a field goal, and get a close-up view of NFL artifacts.

Daniel Winder, who was at the event with his son Evan, said he has never attended an NFL Draft but is now considering going to Detroit next month so his son can take part in the NFL Experience.

“It sounds like fun, but I also think it is going to be crazy down there with all the people and traffic,” Winder said. “We have some family not too far away so maybe we’ll take a weekend trip. I’m not sure we would go to the actual draft, but a lot of the other things sound cool.”

The NFL Draft will cover two million square feet of downtown Detroit, stretching from Hart Plaza’s fan experience zone to the draft stage in the Monroe Street Midway area. Between 300,000 and 400,000 fans are expected to attend the draft which begins on April 25-27.

Kosmowski said details about the draft can be found on the OnePass app and on the Visit Detroit website.