BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Savannah Bananas brought "Banana Ball" to Buffalo this past weekend and took over Sahlen Field on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But during their visit, many fans were quick to point out the concerning parking prices posted downtown.
All three games were sold out and fans we spoke to on Friday night said they had a a great time.
"I love the excitement and how it's so much more than just winning," said Liam Swartz. "You get the full experience."
We also heard from some fans who voiced complaints.
In an email to 7 News, one fan complained about the high price of parking near Sahlen Field for the games.
On Friday afternoon, ahead of the first game, two of the parking ramps on Washington Street near the ballpark were charging $50.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz took off-topic questions after a press conference on Monday and was asked about the price of parking for the games.
"I don't think the city-owned lots were $50, but there were privately owned that were," said Poloncarz. "This is not the first time that's happened with a major event in our community. The county has no role in this whatsoever. The city actually sets a standard for what is the highest amount that could be charged for a parking spot and as long as the owner is under that then they actually can do it."
The county executive continued to say that it's unfortunate to see lot owners take advantage of locals and people coming from out of town, but many other parking options are available and no one should have paid $50.
"It's not great that the lot owners are doing it, but we have so many other parking options and abilities to get to the baseball stadium — like we do to the arena — that if people know what they're doing, no one should have paid $50. They should have been able to park somewhere walk a little bit, or hop on the train, and probably pay no more than $5."
7 News has reached out to the City of Buffalo for comment, we are waiting to hear back.
In addition to the complaint about the price of parking, 7 News also heard from a fan who voiced frustration over the seating at the game. He said he bought tickets from StubHub and they worked just fine to get them in, but there weren't many seats available together, even though they arrived at Sahlen Field about an hour early.
In a statement to 7 News on Saturday, the Bananas said they reached out directly to the family to clear up the confusion and discouraged anyone from buying tickets through any other site.
You can read more about that story here and watch the report below.
