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| Your Ballpark Guide |
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Sioux Falls Stadium / Sioux Falls
Canaries
| Year Built | 1941 |
| Capacity | 4,500 |
| Dimensions | 312L, 412C, 310R |
| Next Visit | Summer 2003 |
| Last Visit | August 1998 |
| Web Site | www.canariesbaseball.com |
| Online Broadcasts | Yes |
| Online Ticket Sales | Yes |
| Phone | 605/333-0179 |
| League | Northern League |
| Level | Independent |
| Ticket Prices | Lower Executive, $8.50; Upper Executive, $7.50; Reserved Grandstand, $6; Adult Berm, $4; Child/Senior Berm, $3 |
| Parking | Ample and free. |
| Address/Directions | 1201 West Av. N., Sioux Falls. From I-29, take the Russell Street exit and then go 1¼ miles to West Avenue. Hang a right on West and the stadium is less than a block south. |
| Rating |  |
| Description |
| History |
There is a rich tradition of baseball in Sioux Falls. The first organized team
has been traced back to 1885, but the name "Canaries" can be
traced back to 1889, when an organized Sioux Falls team wore yellow
uniforms and were known as the "Yellow Kids," named after the
famous Yellow Kid promoted by the Hearst Newspapers (and whose comic
appeared in the Sioux Falls Press newspaper). Eventually a local
sportswriter, Guy LaFollette, suggested that the team be called the
Canaries, and the name stuck.
Sioux Falls fielded teams in several leagues since
the turn of the century. It was part of the Class D Nebraska State League
and won several championships in the late 1930s.
Sioux Falls is fielding its third team in the Northern League. The original
Canaries entered the Northern League in 1942 after Crookston (Minn.) proved
itself incapable of supporting minor-league baseball and hung on through 1953 (shutting
down with the rest of the league during the wartime years of 1943-45), when the
team was sold and moved to Winnipeg. In 1966,
the Sioux Falls Packers were part of the Northern League until its demise in
1971. The new Canaries were an original member of the new Northern League in
1993.
| Concession Highlight |
For those unfamiliar with pasties or Runzas, a short explanation is in order. Back when working people actually brought their lunches to work, it was convenient to bake a lunch (combining meat and vegetables) inside dough. In northern Minnesota, the Slovaks and Croats baked pasties (which are still available almost anywhere on the Iron Range). Runzas are lighter than your normal pasty. There are several Runza restaurants in the Omaha and Lincoln areas.
| Smoking |
| For the Kids |
| Parking |
| Before the Game |
| After the Game |
| Where to Stay |
The other cluster of hotels is around the Empire Mall on the south side of Sioux Falls. Hotels in this area include the Radisson Empire (4300 Empire Place), Baymont Inn and Suites (3200 Meadow Av.), Comfort Inn South (3216 S. Carolyn Av.), Days Inn Empire (3401 Gateway Blvd.), and Fairfield Inn (4501 W. Empire Place).
If you really want to stay downtown check out the Holiday Inn City Center (100 W. Eighth St.).