5 ways to make fans happier at Spirit Communications Park

On Labor Day, the Columbia Fireflies ended what many believe was a successful inaugural season in the capital city. The team easily broke the single-season attendance record for professional baseball in the city. Spirit Communications Park, home of the Fireflies, was named the minor league park of the year by one magazine.

But, as with all new endeavors, a few things can be tweaked. Here are suggested improvements for next season that could make a night at the ol’ – or new – ballpark even better.

Improve parking

During the Fireflies’ inaugural season, parking was all over the lot – and the neighbors’ lots, too. Near game time, cars poured into Spirit Communications Park – from Bull Street, where traffic can quickly back up to Elmwood Avenue, and from Harden Street on the east side of the stadium.

The unpaved parking areas immediately around the park are dusty, bumpy and dark. Once the grounds surrounding the stadium filled up, later-arriving patrons were directed to paved parking areas across Colonial Drive at the S.C. Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health and Environmental Control. From those lots, fans could hop on a shuttle to the park entrance. Handicapped parking is adjacent to the stadium along Boyd Street on the Bull Street property.

Eventually, Fireflies fans will have a parking deck available to them. But for now, parking is at the mercy and the timing of whatever new development occurs on the Bull Street property.

More promotions, giveaways

When fans go to the ballpark, they expect giveaways, right? During last week’s Sunday doubleheader, fans formed long lines at the front gate to receive one of the Fireflies’ Mason Garden Gnome giveaways – a foot-high replica of their team mascot that proved popular with the fans.

The Fireflies are looking to increase the number of giveaways during the 2017 season.

“We could tell from that, that people are looking for giveaways, and that’s something that I think people would really get behind,” said Abby Naas, the Fireflies’ marketing and public relations vice president. “We’re gonna look to do some more giveaways next season.”

The team was not exactly stingy last season. The Fireflies gave away T-shirts during games, and each on-field promotion included a giveaway, which varied from sponsor to sponsor.

Offer more entertainment

Spirit Communications Park hosted the Cornbread festival in May and its first high school football game last Friday night. The park will host more events in October, including the Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon charity walk.

Next year, the Fireflies want to add concerts at the park to more broadly expand the activities and usage beyond baseball. The goal is to have the park thought of as a suitable venue for almost anything, from baseball and football games, to festivals and concerts, walks, runs and weddings.

Spirit Communications Park can host concerts for up to 15,000 patrons.

Improve concessions

The Fireflies’ concession menu was pretty standard during the team’s inaugural season. The team is looking to spice it up, though.

The Fireflies will spend the offseason looking to find the right item to feature at Spirit Communications Park as a new signature food item. Seeking to capitalize on a locally grown, native food favorite – the peach – all of the Fireflies’ picnic menus featured some version of a peach dessert.

Of course, when fans come to the ballpark, one of the foods they seek out most is funnel cake, which the Fireflies offer. The park also features Fireflied fries, which is a spicy version of French fries. But the club is looking for a food offering that would be uniquely its own.

Do more of the same

Overwhelmingly, Fireflies fans have said they like what the team has done with park, the way it conducts games and the way the team receives fans.

But patrons also said they want the team to offer more promotions targeting USC students, especially on Thursday nights, and more promotions to the general public.

Some fans said they want more signage pointing to the park on main thoroughfares near the stadium and grounds. The Fireflies, meanwhile, said they are looking to add large cooling fans along the enclosed concourse to help increase air flow on the many “famously hot” Columbia summer days and nights at the park.

The Fireflies also hope to add TVs to the Budweiser Bowtie Bar in center field.

This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 11:36 PM with the headline "5 ways to make fans happier at Spirit Communications Park."