Salem Stadium, some suggestions for VHSL

[ClarkeFan83]

That's a beautiful place to play a game. When we got there, I remembered a few years ago the band was there for a marching band competition. And our band came to the game yesterday!!! woo hoo!!

However, after the first game was over, the stands were a DUMP! I couldn't believe the amount of trash everywhere in the bleachers on the visitors side. I don't know who was the visiting team for the first game, but those fans should be ashamed of themselves. They left the place a total pig sty.

Secondly, the concessions available, were pathetic. Chili dogs, popcorn, overpriced cups of soda, and candy. They even ran out of stuff. No burgers? No pizza, no sandwiches, french fries, nachos???? Maybe I'm spoiled, but that was lame.

Have all the games over a weekend at UVA or someplace comparable that has concessions available. This was a joke.

 

[Trevor_Cash]

Things were actually great last year for us when we were the 2nd game. Maybe I'd blame the fan base ahead of you guys more so than the stadium.

The food issue id blame the stadium though for sure. I saw all four fan bases brought a lot of people. Maybe they underestimated the crowds they would have.

 

[obguthr]

I was there for both games, on the opposite side of the stadium. The Galax fans left the mess on the Clarke side, but the Riverheads fans left as bad of a mess for the Appomattox fans too. My son even made a remark about it. I don't think these two fan bases are naturally slobs. There were no trash cans posted in the stands. Maybe that's a security measure, but to dispose of your trash, you had to carry it out of the stands to the area where the restrooms and concession stand were. It's not a lot to ask people to do that, but I think most people never noticed the cans were there on their way in. It wasn't obvious where they were supposed to dispose of their trash, so they just left it.

Food and drink concessions were pretty terrible, I must say. It appeared that the Lions Club was running them. Service was polite and friendly but excrutiatingly slow and with limited variety. If the money made went to them, they missed an opportunity to make a lot more. Even if they had limited resources or facilities to grill burgers and such on site, they still could have gotten some local businesses like Little Caesars or Chick-Fil-A to participate, as I've seen at many games this year. I don't blame the volunteers that were working the concession stand. It's a thankless job, I know. I blame whoever was in charge of the planning. They dropped the ball.

Salem stadium is a lovely, well maintained stadium with an excellent view. It's very centrally located to the 1A/2A teams that seem to be in the playoffs every year. Ticket sales and security was efficient and orderly. I hope the food situation is better next year.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

That's a beautiful place to play a game. When we got there, I remembered a few years ago the band was there for a marching band competition. And our band came to the game yesterday!!! woo hoo!!

However, after the first game was over, the stands were a DUMP! I couldn't believe the amount of trash everywhere in the bleachers on the visitors side. I don't know who was the visiting team for the first game, but those fans should be ashamed of themselves. They left the place a total pig sty.

Secondly, the concessions available, were pathetic. Chili dogs, popcorn, overpriced cups of soda, and candy. They even ran out of stuff. No burgers? No pizza, no sandwiches, french fries, nachos???? Maybe I'm spoiled, but that was lame.

Have all the games over a weekend at UVA or someplace comparable that has concessions available. This was a joke.

Life-long Salem fan here. You're right, the concessions at

That's a beautiful place to play a game. When we got there, I remembered a few years ago the band was there for a marching band competition. And our band came to the game yesterday!!! woo hoo!!

However, after the first game was over, the stands were a DUMP! I couldn't believe the amount of trash everywhere in the bleachers on the visitors side. I don't know who was the visiting team for the first game, but those fans should be ashamed of themselves. They left the place a total pig sty.

Secondly, the concessions available, were pathetic. Chili dogs, popcorn, overpriced cups of soda, and candy. They even ran out of stuff. No burgers? No pizza, no sandwiches, french fries, nachos???? Maybe I'm spoiled, but that was lame.

Have all the games over a weekend at UVA or someplace comparable that has concessions available. This was a joke.

Life-long Salem fan here. You're right, the concessions at the Stadium are bad. And the whole place is beginning to show its age. For at least two years now, there's been a leak in one of the press/luxury box bathrooms that causes a waterfall down through the top seven or eight rows. Can't believe no one in charge has noticed that. The restrooms could stand a complete reno - at least they painted the men's room over the summer. The facility just needs some attention in general, I think.

As far as the trash, I'm surprised the city didn't have a crew cleaning that out in between games. They're usually obsessive about that type of thing. Hundreds of thousands of people, consuming all types of food, overrun Main Street for Olde Salem Days - and an hour after it's over, you would never know anyone had even been there.

 

[wikki]

That's a beautiful place to play a game. When we got there, I remembered a few years ago the band was there for a marching band competition. And our band came to the game yesterday!!! woo hoo!!

However, after the first game was over, the stands were a DUMP! I couldn't believe the amount of trash everywhere in the bleachers on the visitors side. I don't know who was the visiting team for the first game, but those fans should be ashamed of themselves. They left the place a total pig sty.

Secondly, the concessions available, were pathetic. Chili dogs, popcorn, overpriced cups of soda, and candy. They even ran out of stuff. No burgers? No pizza, no sandwiches, french fries, nachos???? Maybe I'm spoiled, but that was lame.

Have all the games over a weekend at UVA or someplace comparable that has concessions available. This was a joke.

I agree I was there when Amherst played them and the concessions were not good and expensive

 

[white&blue]

I have to agree about the concessions. The folks working were nice but I thought we were at a major league baseball game when I saw the prices, and the variety was woeful! Other than that, it is a very good venue.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

With that long a gap between games, and with a big enough crew, they could make at least a general sweep of the stands. They wouldn't get everything of course but enough to make a difference.

 

[Gunz41]

I was there for both games and I would have to agree with everything said. I know this is probably just me, but I was a little frustrated with not being able to bring my own drink in when it was unopened. Every game this year I had been to I brought own. I know that was about the money, and it wasn't that big of a deal, but what frustrated me about it was that an older lady in front of me was able to bring in her own water, I dont see what the difference is but who am I.

I would have to say that it may be hard for clean up crew to come in in between the games in the areas where people stayed. I know that I left the area I was sitting (all way up top on home side) for about 30 minutes and left my stuff up there. You wouldn't want someone around your stuff and throw something away that wasn't meant to be thrown away. I threw all my stuff away, but there was stuff (signs) from Riverheads game left right next to me. It was either their student section that was around us, or someone actually took it up there to leave it. That baffled me, because I didn't see it during their game

 

[mmqp]

I have to agree about the concessions. The folks working were nice but I thought we were at a major league baseball game when I saw the prices, and the variety was woeful! Other than that, it is a very good venue.

Yep, that's what I remember about last year. JV level food at major league level prices.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

The food at Liberty University was good. I think LU students was running concessions as fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity Project.

 

[intrinsicreward]

Concessions at Salem are really bad and have been for many, many years. I have never gotten anything in any other hs stadium that wasn't better and cheaper. Salem should hire a concession consultant to get help because they probably would make more money if they lowered prices and sold better quality products. The lines are too long and slow, the soda is flat, the hot dogs don't taste like real meat. Because of that my friends and I rarely get anything. We eat before we go and I have been going to Salem games for decades.

Having said that the people in the Lions club that donate their time and energy to man the concessions are to be commended. The money they raise all goes to charity and many good causes. I don't know why this doesn't get fixed year after year which would make everyone happy.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

Concessions at Salem are really bad and have been for many, many years. I have never gotten anything in any other hs stadium that wasn't better and cheaper. Salem should hire a concession consultant to get help because they probably would make more money if they lowered prices and sold better quality products. The lines are too long and slow, the soda is flat, the hot dogs don't taste like real meat. Because of that my friends and I rarely get anything. We eat before we go and I have been going to Salem games for decades.

Having said that the people in the Lions club that donate their time and energy to man the concessions are to be commended. The money they raise all goes to charity and many good causes. I don't know why this doesn't get fixed year after year which would make everyone happy.

Oh, the Lions club guys were great. I had a good time chatting them up. The concessions themselves just stunk.

 

[Scagmowers]

If trash cans are plentiful most people will use them. In plain eye site and not around a corner. Clarkfan83 are you the guy with mega phone on the camper?

 

[ClarkeFan83]

If trash cans are plentiful most people will use them. In plain eye site and not around a corner. Clarkfan83 are you the guy with mega phone on the camper?

Agreed! No, that wasn't me. I'm not allowed to be more than 5 feet off the ground because I have a tendency to be a slave to gravity at inopportune times!

 

[Katie_Infante_Delete_12032015]

Have to agree with everyone. As my dad says. We have the best stadium in the state but the worst concessions. The lions club has been running the concessions since the stadium open in 1985 and nothing but three things have changed since then and that's they added pretzels (2yrs ago), bottle water and this year added bbq($4 ouch) which I didn't find out until the last game of the year. But with the lions club running it there is really nothing we can do about it.

 

[obguthr]

I don't recall seeing BBQ at the championship, but I wish I had. I was starving by the end of the second game. Popcorn isn't an option for me; I can't even stand the smell of it.Fortunately, they allow tailgating, or at least turn a blind eye to it. I plan to come early from now on and carb up in the parking lot. With enough people from here, we could make it an annual VaPreps taligating party.

 

[Katie_Infante_Delete_12032015]

Did they have the vendor of kettle corn and pork rinds. Next year try the pork rinds they are fabulous!! I don't eat carbs so the pork rinds are my only option.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

While we are on the subject of Salem and its facilities, I will bring up this topic..........I had been several times before and never noticed this, but this year I saw at least four different places where people took up two extra parking spaces in prime locations to set up a corn hole game. When they stopped tailgating and went in to watch their game, they did not take the corn hole game down, all of which meant that later arrivals had to park farther away and take longer to get into the game.

For me personally, as much as I need the exercise, it was no big deal, but I wondered if people should be allowed to take up as many spaces as they want at such a crowded event. Is this maybe a common thing at college or pro games and their tailgating? Are people allowed to take as much room as they want as long as they get there early enough to do it? Do I just need to get out more?

 

[HS-SportsFan]

Pretty much the way people are nowadays as in their mind, their wants should come first. Perhaps the group in charge of the parking in Salem should designate the farthest corners of the parking lot for tailgating.

 

[Gunz41]

They did have BBQ at the game, it was $3

 

[ClarkeFan83]

Did they have the vendor of kettle corn and pork rinds. Next year try the pork rinds they are fabulous!! I don't eat carbs so the pork rinds are my only option.

They were out of the pork rinds before the second game. I did get some kettle corn.

 

[77 Hornet]

With that long a gap between games, and with a big enough crew, they could make at least a general sweep of the stands. They wouldn't get everything of course but enough to make a difference.

They could use leaf blowers between games and push the trash off of the side of the stadium.