📍 Allentown, Pennsylvania
⚾ Home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs

An industrial blue-collar city, Allentown, Pennsylvania and the sport of baseball have long gone hand in hand. Since 2008, the region has had a minor league club of the highest caliber, the Triple-A IronPigs – named for the pig iron that’s used at local steel mills – who have become a staple of summertime in the Lehigh Valley.

Minor league baseball has been played on and off in the area since 1884. A few independent teams filled the void during the late 90s and early 2000s, until a campaign was launched to bring back affiliated ball. The result was the relocation of the Ottawa Lynx, the AAA farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies, to the Lehigh Valley in 2008 – an ideal move for the MLB club. The IronPigs remain a-Phillie-ated (get it?) to this day and call suburban Coca-Cola Park their home.

Coca-Cola Park can hold just over 10,000 fans in its box seating and the non-traditional areas in the outfield. In right field, the Hatfield Bacon Strip contains ample standing room and, in left, there’s the Tiki Terrace, a giant canopied space reserved for groups. Also in left field, situated next to the bullpens, the Pig Pen has two rows of seats with ledges in front of them.

The outfield contains some of the park’s most unique features too, such as a giant guitar from C.F. Martin & Company – a local instrument company – that has small windows which fans can look through. On the scoreboard, large Coca-Cola bottles let loose an occasional burst of flame when the IronPigs score.

But the most attractive thing about the park might be its wide variety of available food items. In addition to dishes like fried ravioli, pork and chips and BBQ mac & cheese, there’s outposts from Rita’s Italian Ices, The Gyro Company, Blast Furnace Grill, Hershey’s Ice Cream, Dogfish Head, Chickie’s and Pete’s, Berks Hot Dogs, Philly Pretzel Company and Aw Shucks Roasted Corn – literally featuring just a roasted ear of corn. A Craft Beer Garden behind the concourse on the first base side and a full bar in right field round out the insanely plentiful choices.

Much of the IronPigs’ history is on display on the suite level, including a timeline of team and ballpark history and cases featuring some of the club’s alternate jerseys over the years. One wall celebrates so-called “Pigs to the Bigs”, former Lehigh Valley players who have gone on to play at the Major League level, such as Rhys Hoskins, Chase d’Arnaud and J.A. Happ. An All-Star Wall is also dedicated to all the past IronPigs who’ve played in the Triple-A All Star-Game, which was actually held at Coca-Cola Park in 2010.

During their time in the Lehigh Valley, the ‘Pigs have made four playoff appearances and clinched one division title, decent accomplishments in the highly competitive International League.

With a great gameday atmosphere, incredible selection of concessions and unique identity – as well as close proximity to their parent club in Philadelphia – the IronPigs are certainly going to be twirling here in Allentown indefinitely. So grab a copy of the Pork Illustrated program and a barbecue sandwich, settle in and get ready to watch the ‘Pigs in action.