Let’s get it out of the way, The State College Spikes lost their home opener 10-8 on Thursday to the West Virginia Black Bears.
The game was honestly spectacular. Lot of great hits, tense moments, and of course the Big Mac strikeout batter of the game. Our on the ground report found many fans screaming at the top of their lungs “BIG MAC” to get the hitter off his game and force him to strike out in the ninth inning. This means if you bring your Spikes ticket to a local mcdonalds in State College, Bellefonte or Milesburg you can redeem a free Big Mac!
But that’s not fully what this article is about. You see, I was invited to the Picnic Patio for this game to enjoy some hot dogs and hamburgers under the sun at the ballpark with the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. And just incase you ever get invited in the future I wanted to let you know what to expect.
In short, the Picnic Patio is a great deal but has some drawbacks.
Let’s start with the obvious first thing, THE FOOD!
The food was awesome! The burgers were big and juicy, the hot dogs were well cooked, and the food quality overall was spectacular. For our price of $15 (price may vary due to your organizations requests) we had all you can eat hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, regular salad, cookies, chips and drinks! And that $15 price included the game too! For the price of a large Big Mac meal at your McDonalds you got a baseball game and plenty of food and drinks to boot! The staff were lovely, bringing out fresh food when we ran out. One bummer is that the food does end somewhere between the 5th and 7th inning but quite frankly that’s fine. By the time it ended I had my fill.
My only issue with the Picnic Patio really is just the seating.
The seating is plentiful out in the Picnic Patio area. However its the kind of seating that makes it troublesome. You see the “picnic” tables that they put out are these harsh grate coated metal tables. Now, for an outdoor pavilion where people would eat for an hour and be done these would be perfectly fine. But to watch a ballgame? These just hurt after an hour or two of sitting. The other issue is the direction. Only one half of the table can see the game. The other side of the table needs to fully turn around to see plays happen. And with little elevation you’re just staring at the back of peoples heads the whole time. The game we went to lasted 3 hours and 10 or so minutes and by hour 2 and a half my butt was hurting.
The view from the area is great though! It’s perfectly placed and we got to see great outfield players and could make out most of the plays at the plate.
Now, you might be asking “John if you’re so critical of the seating what do you recomend?” Great question. I personally would recomend what the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs do for their Picnic Patio.
The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs arguably have a larger Picnic Patio but this concept could easily be thinned down to fit the stadium. Long rows with small bar style tables Infront of you and comfortable chairs that swivel to allow people to get in and out of their seats. You elevate each row so you’re not having to stare at the back of peoples heads all game and wallah! You have a perfect Picnic Patio!
Does this critisim mean I hate the Picnic Patio. No. Do I not recomend buying picnic patio seats? No! I DO recomend it! It’s a fun way to spend a night out with friends, have great food, and enjoy a baseball game. If you have a large group is a perfect way to get them all together to enjoy some baseball. It’s also nice for families with todlers or kids who like to walk around and not be confined to a seat. Additionally, if you have friends not super into baseball this is a great way to get them to a ballpark, have some food, enjoy some of the game, and if they want to leave thats fine! They don’t feel like they wasted their money because its cheap!
I love the concept of Picnic Patios at baseball parks. While I do think there could be some improvements, it’s overall a great experience.
Tonight the Spikes head into their second game against the West Virginia Black Bears. But more importantly…. It’s Star Wars night! We’re excited to cover the game and hope you can be there too!
