Family fun awaits at Dow Diamond

Aside from just watching a game, visitors to the Dow Diamond have options to enjoy a multitude of family-friendly activities.

If your kids happen to be feeling antsy and don’t want to sit still until the seventh-inning stretch, there is a large playground for them to run around on to their hearts’ delight, and employees at the park to watch them for you. The playground is large and padded, so parents don’t have to worry about their children hurting themselves.

Aside from the playground, there are also various warming stations around the ballpark for those early spring games. The weather may be beautiful to start out, but as soon as the sun goes down, it can get chilly, so these gas powered fire pits are a welcome relief from the bite of the cold while the Loons go on swinging.

Ron Ruhland, who frequents the games, has been rooting for the Loons from the start in 2007.

“I (come to the games) at least once a year,” he said. “(Dow Diamond) is a beautiful stadium and is great in our city.”

While you’re standing around one of the fire pits, working the warmth back into your frozen limbs, you can enjoy all of the events that the Loons have set up. For starters, there are several mascots running around the park, taking pictures with families and giving high fives while they eventually make their way around the field to the ball diamond itself to participate in a mascot “pony” race. These races have mascots on inflatable ponies, bouncing around until one of them crosses the finish line. This usually has them flailing about and falling, and makes a great thing to watch for young kids, who are encouraged to root for whoever they wish.

If the urge to snack comes over you while you’re watching these crazy races, you might think to take a walk down to where all of the food vendors are selling their wares. There, you will find tons of different kinds of food to eat, from the popular stand “That’s a Wrap!” to the more subdued “Three Scoops Yer Out,” these are the vendors to choose from. Or, of course, you could buy food directly from the ball diamond. These range from the standard faire of soft pretzels and cheese, $4; to larger combo meals like chicken strips and chips, $8 or cheeseburgers for $8.50. If you want to wash it all down with a frosty cold adult beverage, it’s $5 for a small beer. If you want something different, you can always try their deep fried pickles, also $4. The Family Feast Night on Thursdays includes a $1 price tag for hot dogs, 16 oz. Pepsi products, ice cream sandwiches and potato chips.

There’s also a 50/50 drawing and the ticket holders have a chance to win a fair amount of money.

If you don’t want to sit in the stands, visitors have the option to buy a cheaper ticket that will let them sit on the grassy hills towards the back of the diamond. The view is still great, and it gives fans the option to catch a home run ball. However, if catching isn’t your strong suit, some of the ball players will even throw their foul balls to children in the crowd, to give them a great souvenir to remember the night.

Johnathon Gustin, a Delta College student working on radio broadcasts for the Loons, enjoys all that Dow Diamond has to offer. 12