Fans arriving for Tuesday's Reds game, the first major public event in downtown Cincinnati since last week's riots, said they were bothered more by the unseasonably cold weather than concerns about safety.

        Steve Dorsey drove in from Anderson Township with his young son to watch the Reds open a homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers with a night game. The weather was winter-like, with rain and sleet, and temperatures hovering around 40.

        “I thought about what happened down here, but I don't think it'll be a problem,” Mr. Dorsey said. “Especially with as cold as it is. It keeps inside anybody who isn't a Reds fan.”

        But Don Kegley of Loveland said the violence in parts of downtown last week gave him some pause before he decided to come.

        “I'm somewhat concerned,” said Mr. Kegley, who was accompanied by his pregnant wife. “I parked in a different place. ... I'm a little more apprehensive, not so much for me but for my wife.

        “I never bring a cell phone with me, but I'm carrying one tonight just in case of emergency,” he said, adding that in the future he'd be more inclined to skip walking uptown after a game for dinner and will likely dine at a suburban restaurant.

        Mr. Kegley said he was saddened by the violence and the images of Cincinnati unrest seen around the world.

        “It's given us a black eye in general,” he said.

        John Wright saw those images of destruction last week, but that didn't deter the Reds fan from driving down from his home in Columbus for the game.

        “I felt it would be plenty safe. As time goes on, the emotions will die down,” said Mr. Wright.

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