| It is always hard to predict how well a team will draw fans in its first year and in subsequent years. But if anyone would seem to have a winning strategy, it's the owners of the Lancaster Barnstormers. Not only do they have a great new ballpark in Clipper Magazine Stadium, but the prices are very affordable and the promotions are numerous. It just seems like a place fans will want to keep coming back to. While the ballpark doesn't break any new ground in terms of design, it does have some touches that make it unique. Located just north of downtown Lancaster, the exterior is all red brick and fits in well with the old factory buildings that surround it. Fans enter on the concourse level which overlooks the field. All seats are of the green, fold-down variety. The ones farther down the lines are slanted towards the infield, especially those in the right field corner. And there is no useless center concourse as is found is most other Atlantic League parks. The concourse wraps completely around the park, even snaking behind the large covered picnic area behind the right field fence. A grassy berm, where fans can sit, stretches from the left field corner to the batter's eye in center field. The left field corner is a dedicated kid's play area - included are playsets, a climbing wall, and speedpitch. In the right field corner, as part of the picnic area, there is pavilion built to resemble a red barn. The ballpark has two video boards - one in left field and one in the right field fence which keeps the line score. Concessions are one of the highlights of Clipper Magazine Stadium. There are two main stands which server a nice variety of food at reasonable prices. Options include BBQ sandwiches, burgers, deli sandwiches, and brats. For those with a sweet tooth, there is Turkey Hill ice cream (made in Lancaster) and whoopie pies. The quality of the food I tasted was quite high. As with most new parks, the atmosphere was a bit crazy between innings. An annoying on-field DJ apparently thinks he's the entertainment rather than the baseball game. A few games were played, but mostly there was just free stuff flung into the crowd. Fortunately during play, the music was kept to a minimum and sound effects were nonexistent. A large team store is located right next to the main entrance behind home plate. The team really seems to be going out of their way to be fan friendly - two examples of this are free programs and free parking. A nice 40 page program is passed out to all fans as they enter the gates. And parking is free of charge is several lots that surround the park. One other unique feature of this ballpark is the indoor ticket counter they have instead of the normal ticket windows that most parks have. There really is a lot to like about Clipper Magazine Stadium - it is probably the best park in the Atlantic League now. But the biggest factor for me in liking this park so much is the fact that it doesn't seem like management is trying to gouge the fans, which is the case at most new parks.
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