I totally forgot about that thread. I ended up getting a pair of binoculars, they look small enough and are light enough to not be that big of a bother.
There should be continuous entertainment and freebies etc.. on the infield as well. So just go for the entire days (Saturday and Sunday) and soak it all up.
I was planning on watching all the free practices and qualifying, but I forgot about the support races. It sounds like there will definitely be enough to keep me busy all day, which is awesome.