{"id":31774,"date":"2026-09-24T11:43:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T16:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/bismarck-larks\/?p=31774"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T18:17:09","slug":"bismarck-larks-2026-impact-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/bismarck-larks\/bismarck-larks-2026-impact-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Bismarck Larks Share 2026 Community Impact Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

More Than Baseball: The Larks\u2019 Lasting Impact on Local Tourism, Workforce, and Quality of Life<\/span><\/h1><\/h2><\/div>

The Bismarck Larks 2026 Impact Report<\/strong> highlights the team\u2019s impact on fans, local businesses, nonprofits, young athletes and the greater Bismarck-Mandan community throughout Season 10.<\/p>\n

From more than 60,000 tickets sold to community fundraising<\/a>, tourism, workforce development and youth sports, 2026 was about much more than baseball.<\/p>\n

Larks Fans Flock to the Ballpark in Droves for Season 10<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Larks hosted 36 home games this summer at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark<\/a>, the home of Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field. There were 60,482 tickets sold this season, resulting in just over 86% of the ballpark\u2019s 1,950 capacity sold out every night.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to providing the FUN, family-friendly entertainment fans have come to know and love, we and our partners put on several free community and family events throughout the year. These events included the Kids STEM Education Expo, Community Mine Tour at North American Coal, Pitch, Hit, & Run Event<\/a>, Jersey Food Drive, a community Bike to the Ballpark day, an Away Game Watch Party at the Tap-In Tavern, Special Olympics Baseball Camp, Clark\u2019s Birthday Party at Elk Ridge Park, Bat Demo Day at Sanford POWER, Yoga at the Ballpark with Proximal 50, Oil Change Party with Valvoline Instant Oil Change, and the Hunter\u2019s Smile Trunk or Treat with Hollevoet and Welk.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Impact on Tourism<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Larks welcomed fans from across North Dakota and the rest of the United States, with almost 700 tickets sold outside the Bismarck-Mandan-Lincoln area. This number does not include numerous parents of players who visited from out of town and received tickets from the Larks player pass list, as well as out-of-town guests who used tickets purchased in advance from businesses or local residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans from 31 states came to experience the FUN of at least one Larks game this summer. The farthest fans traveled 4,200 miles all the way from London, United Kingdom, to see a game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

National Exposure for the State<\/b><\/h2>\n

2026 marked the first year of the partnership between the Northwoods League and FloSports. This partnership gave Larks games national and international attention, with the streaming platform having over 1 million subscribers.<\/span><\/p>\n

This summer, the Larks attracted 7,249 viewers over their 36 home games, averaging 201 viewers per game. Viewers watched for a total of over 592,770 minutes, averaging 16,466 minutes watched per game. The most viewed game this summer came on opening night, when 443 people tuned in to see the Larks take on the St. Cloud Rox and watched for a total of 27,140 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Workforce Recruitment and Retention<\/b><\/h2>\n

In 2026, the Larks expanded to a front office team<\/a> of 18 employees, with 11 moving to Bismarck from out of state. The team also had two employees celebrate their 10th season with the Larks, and two celebrate their 7th season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team employed a total of 89 seasonal game-day staff who worked around the ballpark in operations, food and beverage, and entertainment roles. 20 of these employees said working for the Larks was their first job.<\/span><\/p>\n

As it does every season, the Larks\u2019 internship program<\/a> offers college credit to students who want to break into sports as a career. This year, 23 interns made the trek to Bismarck for hands-on training in operations, tickets, media, sponsorships, merchandising, accounting, clubhouse management, and entertainment. Of the 20 interns, all but one moved from out of state, and a few even from outside the country. These individuals moved from South Korea, Japan, Germany, China, Missouri, West Virginia, Illinois, Utah, California, Colorado, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team also hosted 95 Larks players, over 320 visiting players, 4 coaches, and 24 visiting coaches, exposing them to all that our state has to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nonprofit and Fundraising Impact<\/b><\/h2>\n

Through fundraising efforts, silent auctions, and community engagement events, the Bismarck Larks and their sponsors proudly raised approximately $80,536. These funds help support organizations making a difference in Bismarck and beyond our community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to see an even deeper look at the impact made through the Larks Community FUNd? Explore the 2026 Larks Community FUNd Impact Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026 Fundraising Breakdown<\/b><\/h2>\n