How To Have Major-League Fun At Minor-League Prices
5 sporting events with ticket prices that won’t break the bank
Play ball! Catch a home run during a Charlotte Knights baseball game.
For most of us, scoring tickets to a professional sporting event falls under the “special occasion” category—not your average weeknight activity. Luckily for sports fans, semiprofessional athletes put on impressive shows all over the country, and tickets to these events come at a much more reasonable rate. (Your kids might not even be able to tell the difference!) Check out these five venues, where you can catch baseball minor league games, arena football, soccer, auto racing or ice hockey.
Enjoy baseball with a view
When it comes to views beyond the outfield, it’s hard to beat Charlotte, North Carolina’s, BB&T Ballpark. One of the best ballparks in America to catch minor league baseball, this home to the Charlotte Knights—a Triple-A baseball team affiliated with the Chicago White Sox—showcases a sparkling survey of the city’s skyscrapers that seem to rise behind the outfield fence. Not only does BB&T Ballpark offer affordable tickets, it also has grass seating behind the outfield, deluxe dining terraces, an 82-foot-wide video screen in left field and a large picnic area.
Watch football during the off-season
Need a summertime football fix? Check out the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. The team plays its home games on Amalie Motor Oil Field at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Since the field is just 50 yards long, be prepared for a lot of fast action and scoring—it’s not uncommon to witness a combined score of more than 100 points on any given night. Also, what’s an arena experience without food? The Amalie Arena has a grand 9,000-square-foot dining experience called The Firestick Grill, where you’re bound to find something for everyone’s palate. When the game is over, stick around. Fans are invited to kick back, relax and enjoy live music outside on the deck.
Hear the roar of LionNation soccer fans
Kick it with the Division II Orlando City B for only $10 a game.
Orlando, Florida is home to one of the newest soccer stadiums in the country, Orlando City Stadium, which features 25,500 seats and is fully LEED certified—in other words, it meets the highest levels of eco-friendliness and sustainability. For just $10 a ticket, you can watch the Division II Orlando City B (OCB) face off from the same seats you’d sit in if you were to pay, say, $65 for the MLS Orlando City Soccer Club. Oh, and expect it to be loud. Each of the four stands contains a metal deck canopy roof that enhances and amplifies noise from the fans.
Catch the need for speed at a stock car race
If you love auto racing, the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia—30 miles south of Atlanta—is one of the best venues to catch a race. The 1.5-mile oval racetrack hosts NASCAR Cup Series stock car races. But if you can’t attend a NASCAR event, make plans to catch the Friday Night Drags series during the summer. The street-style drag racing is held on the one-eighth-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway pit road. Events are open to any automobile. You can also join a track tour, get a sneak peek at the garages and even take three laps in the Speedway van around the track.
Experience the thrill of a hockey match
Experience fast-paced hockey at a fraction of the price of the NHL with a trip to see the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.
The Hershey Bears, affiliated with the Washington Capitals of the NHL, are one the longest-tenured franchises in the American Hockey League. You and your family can catch a game at the Giant Center in Hershey, just 15 miles outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. If you go, make plans to splurge on dessert. While you can order traditional arena food such as hot dogs, popcorn, french fries and wings, you can also satisfy your sweet tooth with an abundance of Hershey’s chocolate treats. Get your tickets early; the Bears are typically among the AHL’s attendance leaders every year.
Ready to travel? Find hotels in Charlotte, Tampa, Orlando, Hampton and Hershey.
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