When the average fan thinks about attending a ballgame at a park with “Truist” in its name, they almost certainly think of Atlanta’s Truist Park. What some people might not realize is that there are several other Truist-named facilities throughout baseball, including three in the baseball-rich state of North Carolina.
Truist Stadium — the focus of this blog post — has been home to the Winston-Salem Dash (currently of the South Atlantic League) since 2010, although it was called BB&T Ballpark for a decade. The ballpark might not get the same level of recognition as another Truist facility in the state — Truist Field in Charlotte — but it’s a really impressive facility that I was happy to finally visit in 2024, the year I “completed” the state’s 10 minor league parks.
This is the 14th edition of my “5 Things I Love” series, which looks at a short list of random things that I love about each ballpark I’ve visited. This series celebrates the sometimes subtle things that make ballpark experiences enjoyable and memorable, and hopefully encourages you to think about your favorite features at each park you visit.
With apologies for omitting the Hype Hens, here are five things I love about Truist Stadium, home of the Winston-Salem Dash.
1. The Visibility From the Sidewalk
Over the course of my travels, I’ve often noticed and discussed how easily fans can see the field before they enter the ballpark. In the major leagues, this is a rarity, but it can occur at MiLB parks. A lot of stadiums use a variety of methods to keep fans’ prying eyes off the field until they walk through the gates. I understand this idea from a business perspective, but I frequently decry it as a grumpy tactic – and cheerfully celebrate when I find a park at which the opposite is true. Truist Stadium is one of the best examples I’ve noticed when it comes to people being able to see the field of play without entering. There are a few spots around the stadium’s perimeter that offer good sightlines, but my favorite of these is the sidewalk or the grassy hill along Peters Creek Parkway. This area, found beyond the third base side, offers an impressive field of view for people as they pass. I can’t help smiling when I think of Winston-Salem residents walking past the park during games and being able to briefly watch the action.
2. The Foothills Brewing Flight Deck
For someone who rarely drinks beer, it might come as a surprise that a deck sponsored by a local brewing company is one of my favorite areas at Truist Stadium. But one doesn’t need a brew in their hand to enjoy the Foothills Brewing Flight Deck, which you’ll find in straightaway right field. (I actually made use of this space with an enormous cheddar/jalapeno sausage in my hands, but I digress.) Sponsored by the Winston-Salem-based Foothills Brewing, which operates a downtown brewpub that is within walking distance of the ballpark, the deck opened in 2022. You can’t miss it — it’s a bright yellow shipping container that features a well-appointed deck atop it. There are all sorts of drinks on tap, including the aptly named Dash City Lager. The deck itself, which has barstools, couches, and more, offers an excellent elevated view of the field.
3. The Awkward Corner
I’m just awkward enough to truly appreciate the awkward ballpark features I encounter in my travels, and at Truist Stadium, no place is more awkward than the Awkward Corner. This part of the park comes by its name honestly. It’s a spot in right field (visible from the Foothills Brewing Flight Deck, for those keeping score) where the fence zig-zags in a, well, awkward manner. I often note the discrepancy in field sizes and shapes at parks throughout the minor leagues, and this part of Truist Stadium might be the weirdest combination of fence angles I’ve come across. It’s surely the stuff of nightmares for right fielders in the South Atlantic League, and an opportunity for hitters to turn doubles into triples.
4. The Lost Worlds Biergarten
Again, I feel the need to preface a section by saying I don’t just seek out beer-related areas in the ballparks I visit. But Truist Stadium’s Lost Worlds Biergarten is hard to ignore — and not just because it’s kind of fun to say and type “Biergarten.” Lost Worlds Brewing isn’t from W-S like Foothills Brewing, but it’s a North Carolina-based business with taprooms in Charlotte and Cornelius. Its namesake biergarten (or beer garden, for simplicity) sits behind the left field concourse. You can order your drinks from bartenders who work in an eye-catching shed structure, and then grab an Adirondack chair, a picnic table, or a barstool in the area. With brick half-walls around you and interlock paver stones underfoot, it feels like you’re relaxing on a patio outside a pub — all while you’re happily within sight of a ballgame.
5. The Main Gates
When I think of a ballpark’s main gates, I think of an entry/exit point behind home plate. That’s not the case at Truist Stadium, and I appreciate this unique design. At the Winston-Salem ballpark, you’ll find the main gates just to the right field side of straightaway center field. Although there are other ways to get into the park, this is unquestionably the best spot. Situated just steps from the main parking lot, the main gate area is a welcome site as you approach the park — particularly if you’re visiting for the first time. As you walk toward this area, you’re greeted with a huge Truist Stadium logo. (Who else absolutely loves when MiLB ballparks have their own logos?) Upon descending a flight of stairs, you’ll find yourself in a spacious courtyard that is adorned with a baseball statue, bricks underfoot that mimic the shape of an infield, and even some trees. It’s a fun place to anxiously await your entry into this South Atlantic League facility.
What are your favorite things about Truist Stadium in Winston-Salem?
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