Minnesota football fans are looking forward to their beloved Vikings taking on the visiting Kansas City Chiefs – and many are eagerly waiting to find out if Taylor Swift will suit up for the third straight year to suit up with new boyfriend Travis Kelce to support.
The star stole the show from Kelce in her recent appearances, sparking intense speculation about whether she will make the trip to the Midwest on Sunday night.
Swift’s camp has given little indication as to whether she will attend, a fact that hasn’t stopped her legion of fans from splurging on the big game.
The Anderson family, waiting outside the team hotel hoping to catch an early glimpse of Kelce and Mahomes, was at Arrowhead Stadium when Taylor Swift showed up two weeks ago.
“There was a big buzz,” Dan Anderson, 40, said.
Taylor Swift attended her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s two consecutive games this season
This week, the Chiefs travel to Minneapolis – where Vikings fans are waiting to see if Swift shows up
Some Chiefs fans, including the Anderson family, stood outside KC’s hotel to see Swift
“We were right under Mahomes’ suite… a lot of people weren’t really watching the game, just what she was doing.”
“I think (the relationship) is just fun, I guess I don’t follow it as closely as my wife does now.”
“It will be fun to see where it goes and how many games she goes to,” Chelsea Anderson, 40, added, saying she hopes the romance is “true love.”
“The city is so excited about it, everyone talks about it all the time when you mention the Chiefs.”
She said the moment Taylor Swift showed up at Arrowhead was “really exciting,” adding that as soon as the rumor spread that she was in the building, “everyone tried to find her.”
The family, including sons Eli and Owen, traveled from Leawood, Kansas, as a special 11th birthday present for Owen – who had predicted a big win for the Chiefs and a touchdown for Kelce.
Ivy McCay, 9, and sister Olive, 11, traveled with their father to Sunday’s game in Minnesota
Birthday fever also brought 10-year-old Jack McCrilly to Minneapolis to cheer on the Chiefs
Birthday fever also brought 10-year-old Jack McCrilly to town to cheer on the Chiefs, but admitted he was less interested in Taylor Swift’s potential appearance.
He held up a sign celebrating his birthday Chiefs-style and said he was “super excited” to see the team just moments before Kelce left the team hotel to loud cheers.
Before the exciting football madness begins, there is a family atmosphere in the sun all morning.
“I’m excited to see Taylor Swift be here,” said Ivy McCay, 9, admitting she was also looking forward to her second NFL game.
She said she thought Kelce and Swift’s public romance was “really cool” but, like many Minnesotans, felt their performances weren’t for everyone.
“The NFL is getting mad because they think it’s all about attention…”
“Kelce is in like 100 ads, he doesn’t need the attention,” she added, to which her 11-year-old sister Olive agreed, saying Taylor was “already a household name.”
Her father Brandon added: “I don’t understand the hate, Travis is just having fun.”
While some locals have expressed frustration over Swift’s rise to football’s poster boy in recent weeks, Minnesota businesses have been more than happy to see the circus come to town.
At CakeWalk, a bakery in Northfield about 45 minutes from the stadium, novelty football jersey cookies flew off the shelves so quickly that the store sold out after just one day.
Swift’s whirlwind romance with Kelce has taken the sports world by storm
Even in Minnesota, Swifties can find baked goods celebrating the visiting team’s tight end
“I’m a huge Vikings fan, but I had to do this for the Swifties,” owner Teara Myers told .
She said a social media post showing the parody cookies quickly racked up tens of thousands of views, a business boost she attributes to the mania over Swift’s latest romance.
‘I was shocked!’ she said, adding that she “didn’t know how these would be received” until customers adopted them “for fun.”
“I hope we don’t have to bake a breakup cookie,” she added.
The bitter football rivalry was also put aside at Hanisch, a cafe that joked about a new nickname apparently created for the Kansas City team after Kelce’s affair – with baked goods for fans they called “KC Swifties.”
“Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop welcomes all sports fans to Red Wing this weekend, including new fans of the recently renamed Kansas City Swifties team,” manager Bill Hanisch told .
“It’s great to see Taylor truly helping a struggling fan base and shining a bright light on the Kansas City community!” “Go Taylor’s friend!”