What is Red Friday? Here’s the story behind the Chiefs’ season-long fan celebration
Every Friday, Kansas City paints the town red for the Chiefs. Figuratively, at least.
Walk around any part of the city and people are seen wearing shirts, hats, shoes, pants and other items with the color red or a piece of Chiefs apparel. Some people even dye their hair or paint their nails red.
This tradition is called “Red Friday,” and it carries on until the season ends for the Chiefs.
If this season is anything like the 2022 season, Kansas City’s going to be dressed in red until Feb. 11, 2024, the date of Super Bowl LVIII.
For 32 years, Red Friday has been a time for the community to come together and support the Chiefs. Since its inception, the celebration has benefited local charities with proceeds from the sale of Chiefs merchandise and the team owner traditionally greets fans around town.
Here’s why people don their best red on every Friday during the NFL season.
What is Red Friday?
Helping a local charity has been one of the key elements of Red Friday since it began, along with generating local interest in the Chiefs’ first game of the season.
Red Friday began in 1992, when the Chiefs were at a low point, having had two 10-win seasons and two playoff appearances from 1970-89.
The first Red Friday featured the Red Coaters, a group of local volunteers, and then-Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt on the streets of Kansas City selling newspapers with a special Chiefs edition to benefit local charities, according to the Chiefs.
The Red Coaters are a community service organization who are dedicated to the Chiefs and giving back to the community.
The first Red Friday celebration was in Westport and included player appearances to raise awareness for their specific charity.
Over time, the newspapers the Chiefs used to sell turned into Red Friday magazines, which later became the flags fans can buy to this day.
While this year had “Red Wednesday,” since the Chiefs opened this season on Thursday, Sept. 7, the tradition is much the same.
Fountains around Kansas City turned red, the Chiefs partnered with McDonald’s and Hy-Vee to sell flags aiding Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and the city puts on its best Chiefs gear.
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 1:06 PM.
