Unique Events Take Over Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
The home of the OKC Dodgers is poised to host your next event this summer and beyond
High school seniors from Cashion High School dressed in burgundy caps and gowns strolled along the infield dirt to receive their diplomas near second base.
Teenage baseball players from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas took the field for various showcases and tournaments to play the first baseball games held at the Triple-A ballpark in months.
In July, a “Night of Hope” is set to uplift spirits with a concert by contemporary Christian artist David Crowder.
Unique sights and moments have taken over Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in recent weeks — with many more to come.
Although the 2020 Minor League Baseball and Oklahoma City Dodgers seasons were recently canceled, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is open for business and prepared to host your next event with new protocols in place that adhere to national, state, county and city guidelines to safely operate mass gatherings.
“While our slate of events is much different than we were expecting for the summer of 2020, we are thrilled to once again open the gates of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and safely welcome the public to our beautiful facility,” said Michael Byrnes, OKC Dodgers President/General Manager. “We are eager to once again host OKC Dodgers baseball games in 2021, but are excited about the opportunity to bring these unique events to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in the meantime.”
After being temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ballpark officially reopened June 1 and hosted its first event with guests June 3 — Cashion High School’s graduation ceremony.
“I am glad we were actually able to do everything that we would normally do when we have our ceremony at school,” Teresa Karnes, Cashion High School Graduation Coordinator, said. “These kids made history.”
Cashion High School, located about 30 miles north of Oklahoma City, aimed to find a creative way to honor its 2020 senior class in the midst of uncertainty and unique challenges.
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark offered a scenic and safe atmosphere to recognize Cashion’s 36 graduating seniors.
The seniors sat properly socially distanced in a section of seats near first base. They took the field individually and walked on the infield dirt to a stage situated where second base would typically be to receive their diplomas. They then exited the stage and field to sit in a section of seats near third base.
Videos honoring the seniors played on the giant video board in center field. Designated speakers and valedictorians addressed the crowd of socially distanced family and friends in the seating bowl. The seniors presented roses to their families and later took the field in celebration to toss their caps into the sky.
“It was absolutely surreal,” graduating senior Harley Miller said. “It was great having it out here. It was a lot better than having it on our football field, I think, and getting to have everyone here was great too.”
Following the graduation ceremony, several baseball showcases and tournaments featuring high school players from across the region have taken place at the ballpark, including Perfect Game, Five Tool and Big Fire Showcases.
About 50 games took place in June with more than 50 games scheduled already for July, including Oklahoma All-State Baseball games July 18.
Tickets and concessions are available for purchase on the day of the events.
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is also ready to host additional events outside of baseball games, including another upcoming high school graduation ceremony, private meetings and a youth baseball team’s championship celebration party.
Another major upcoming event at the ballpark is the “Night of Hope” scheduled for July 31.
The concert by David Crowder begins at 7 p.m. with gates slated to open at 6 p.m. VIP tickets cost $20, while general admission tickets cost $10. Group ticket packages are also available for purchase.
The OKC Dodgers are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for guests during all events, following CDC, Oklahoma City-County Health Department and the State of Oklahoma’s OURS plan as they pertain to safely operating mass gatherings.
Hand sanitizer stations are available on all levels of the ballpark. Rows of the seating bowl have been roped off to create extra distance between seated fans. OKC Dodgers staff interacting with guests are required to wear masks and undergo temperature checks. Additional cleaning and sanitizing of flat and common surfaces is taking place above a regular schedule. Signage throughout the facility also informs and assists guests in adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Guests are strongly encouraged to wear masks, social distance from others and stay home if they are not feeling well.
Dates are still available to host your event at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
“Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark has more than a dozen distinct spaces available to accommodate a wide variety of events year round — from small meetings to graduations, concerts and more,” said Shelby Kirkes, OKC Dodgers Manager of Special Events.
“The types of events we can host are almost boundless,” she added. “In addition to our one-of-a-kind venue, we also offer on-site catering, professional event staff, audio and visual equipment, convenient parking and digital, video and LED board messaging. We look forward to turning your vision of a perfect event into a reality.”
For more information about hosting an event at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, visit okcballparkevents.com or call (405) 218–2115.
“We’re thankful to the Dodgers organization and Bricktown Ballpark for allowing us to come and have a graduation ceremony here,” said Ryan Schenk, Cashion High School Secondary Principal. “We thought it was a tremendous ceremony and very special — hopefully in some way made up for some of what this class has missed over the last couple of months.”
