Records were smashed Thursday as more people descended on the North Shore than had likely ever gathered for a single event in Pittsburgh — reportedly 320,000. 

Transportation was redefined as people walked across bridges, rode the T or Gateway Clipper and arrived by rickshaw, scooter or bicycle.

Borders were erased as fans spilled across North Side neighborhoods, Downtown Pittsburgh and beyond.

Money changed hands, as $19 beers sold and shopkeepers hoped they’d break even.

And emotions ran all over the spectrum as some ran or shouted, and others displayed relative nonchalance.

Public Source photographers chased the oddities, energy and team spirit, documenting Pittsburgh’s historic NFL Draft experience.

A man pedals a rickshaw carrying two smiling passengers on a city bridge at dusk; a street musician sits nearby.
People arrived to the North Shore on the back of a rickshaw. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A crowded subway train with people packed tightly inside as one person stands in the doorway holding a bottle, wearing a white sports jersey.
The T was packed. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A large crowd of fans wearing sports jerseys and hats faces a stage at an outdoor stadium event under a cloudy sky.
When the first round began, fans cheered. (Photo by Alex Jurkuta/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A person wearing a patterned bucket hat and jacket stands in front of colorful baseball-themed murals, watching multiple TV screens displaying a sports broadcast.
Some watched on one of many screens at PNC Park. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A group of young people pose together at night on city rental bikes, making hand signs and looking at the camera, surrounded by more people in the background.
Some didn’t watch the draft at all. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
Two enthusiastic Pittsburgh Steelers fans in themed costumes and accessories, including sunglasses, robes, and a large hat, pose together at an event.

Fans wore hats, or beards or prayed. (Photo by Alex Jurkuta/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

Fans in football jerseys cheer enthusiastically outdoors at dusk; one person holds a Raiders sign and a doll wearing a helmet.
Some were exuberant for their team’s newest addition. (Photo by Alex Jurkuta/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A row of blue portable toilets is lined up beneath elevated blue highway overpasses in an urban setting.
Crushed and empty beer cans scattered on a concrete sidewalk with spilled liquid, surrounded by people’s feet in sneakers.

Some left cans. (Photos by Quinn Glabicki (left) and Alex Jurkuta (right)/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

People in historical colonial costumes interact with others wearing Philadelphia Eagles football jerseys at an outdoor event with tents and crowds in the background.
Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross pressed NFL Draft-goers about Pennsylvania trivia. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A person is reclining inside a large white pod chair with only their legs and feet visible. A blue sign in the background reads "Relax your Tight End.
A young Steelers fan took a moment to recharge in a relaxation chamber. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A vendor carries a box of drinks above his head through a crowded outdoor area filled with people in sports jerseys on a sunny day.
A vendor carried beers. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A woman applies makeup to a man standing backstage at an NFL Draft event, with equipment cases and event signage in the background.
ESPN analyst Peter Schrager prepared to go live from the North Shore. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
People wearing football jerseys relax and socialize in a park near a river, with a yellow bridge and city buildings visible in the background.
Fans arrived from all directions. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A man wearing a “Hurts 1” football jersey carries a child on his shoulder while walking outside near a stadium; a woman walks beside them holding a drink and a transparent bag.
“Coming in hot” read the hat of a sleeping child. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A Boston Dynamics robot dog with a red helmet is on a city sidewalk near a group of people in football jerseys and casual clothing.
A Carnegie Mellon University Robotics machine demonstrated movement on the sidewalk near PNC Park. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A group of young women in black and yellow outfits perform a dance routine outdoors in an urban setting, smiling and raising their arms.
The Pittsburgh Elite dance team, of Braddock, practiced the dance they planned to perform at the NFL Draft Experience. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A barber trims a young man's hair under a ring light in a tented outdoor setup; the client wears a Supreme-branded cape.
“June the Barber,” of Swissvale, gave a haircut to Dezmere Lovelace, of Homewood, during the “Draft Bash” in Allegheny Commons Park West. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A group of people in black and yellow sports jerseys stand behind metal barricades outdoors at night.
People watched the first round from behind barricades. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A police officer reclines on a parked police motorcycle at night near a brick building and grass lawn.
A police officer rested on his motorcycle near Allegheny Commons Park. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
A person juggles illuminated clubs in an outdoor area at night, with a lit sign, bridge, and several people visible in the background.
Boogleplex Circus member Lex Jackson, of Garfield, juggled. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
People wearing sports jerseys gather at an outdoor event at night; three people sit on the ground talking while others stand facing a lit stage in the background.
At the end of the night, fans sat on the curb. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

Quinn Glabicki, Stephanie Strasburg and Alex Jurkuta are photojournalists at Pittsburgh Public Source.

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