Pigeon
Forge, TN – December 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / At the completion
of its third year of operation in the Smoky Mountains, The
Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge scored yet another homerun with baseball
fans and city officials alike.
Research recently released
by the city determined that The Ripken Experience was responsible for $33.8
million in visitor spending during its 2018 season which began in March
and concluded in November. In that nine-month period, The Ripken Experience
hosted 925 teams from 25 states, Canada and Puerto Rico, traveling from
as far away as California, New York, and Texas. Other states represented
are Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West
Virginia and Wisconsin.
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Further demonstrating the
sports facility’s success is that 99 percent of those who visited the facility
reside outside of Sevier County. Pigeon
Forge is located in Sevier County just six miles from the entrance
to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Tournament participants,
coaches, and their families contribute to the local economy through overnight
lodging stays, ticket purchases to area attractions, restaurant dining
and other purchases.
Since opening its doors in
March 2016, more than 2,100 youth baseball teams and 150 high school softball
teams have taken the fields at The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge for competition
in 80 events. In total, more than 33,500 players and coaches have traveled
to play ball on fields that offer unobstructed views of the Great Smoky
Mountains, with an additional 1,000 teams expected to travel to the complex
for competition in 2019.
“The partnership with Pigeon
Forge has been fantastic. The fact that the complex has had this positive
impact on the city is wonderful and confirms what we all had hoped and
believed would be the result of the project. I am excited to continue to
grow with our great partner, and we are all proud of being a member of
this wonderful community,” Cal Ripken, Jr. said.
The appeal of Pigeon Forge
as a family vacation destination was a major reason the city built the
$22.5 million complex and contracted with Ripken Baseball to operate it.
“The Ripken Experience Pigeon
Forge continues to demonstrate its ability to attract young people and
their families to Pigeon Forge,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene
Teaster. “We continue to see more and more Ripken guests who are first-time
visitors to Pigeon Forge, which further underscores the value of the city’s
investment in this fine property.”
The Ripken Experience Pigeon
Forge youth complex is located on a ridge above Pigeon Forge. Each field
borrows its design inspiration from current and former ballparks highlighting
the professional player progression from the Minor to Major Leagues, including
Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
The others are Calfee Park
in Pulaski, Va., the oldest park in the Appalachian League; Fluor Field
in Greenville, S.C., known as “Little Fenway”; Engel Stadium in Chattanooga,
Tenn., a filming location for the “42” movie about Jackie Robinson; BB&T
Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Ripken Experience Pigeon
Forge hosts tournaments nine months out of the year and offers year-round
branded events in its 14,000-square-foot clubhouse. Tournaments are free
to spectators, and parking is free at the complex.
Visitor information about
Pigeon Forge is available online at MyPigeonForge.com
and toll-free at 800-251-9100. To learn more Ripken Baseball and for The
Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge tournament schedule, visit RipkenBaseball.com.
Cal Ripken, Jr. headshot
and The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge facility images available
here. Photo credit The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge.
Media Contacts:
Trish
McGee
for Pigeon Forge Department
of Tourism
615-327-1189 ext. 327
Katy
Ford
for The Ripken Experience
Pigeon Forge
443-864-4246 |