Marshall Gameday Weekend: A Tri-State Itinerary for Visiting Herd Fans
Marshall's home opener kicks off Saturday, September 12, when the Thundering Herd hosts Middle Tennessee at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, and if you're coming in from out of town, one game is a good reason for a trip. A full weekend is a better one.
Appalachia's Front Porch sits right where Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia meet along the Ohio River, which means Huntington is never the only stop available to you. Roll in Friday night, spend Saturday morning across the river before the lots fill up, and send yourself home Sunday with one more stop before the drive. Three days, three states, and you never have to go more than about fifteen minutes out of your way to do it.
Here's the weekend, laid out state by state.
Friday Night: Tacos and Live Music in Ashland, Kentucky
Get into town Friday and start the weekend on the Kentucky side, in Boyd County.
Head to Sawstone Brewing River Room, 224 15th St in downtown Ashland, where the Xtra Terrestrial Tacos food truck will be parked out front for the night. Grab dinner off the truck, then stick around, because DeBraun Thomas takes the stage inside the River Room at 7 p.m. this Friday, September 11. Craft beer, tacos, and live music is about as good a way as any to kick off a home opener weekend.
Local Insider Tip: Food trucks and live music lineups can shift closer to the date, so give Sawstone River Room a follow or a call to confirm the truck and the 7 p.m. set time before you head over.
Saturday: Farmers Market and a Sweet Stop in Ironton, Ohio
Marshall's parking lots open early: the West Lot opens at 10 a.m. with tailgating permitted right away, and the rest of the lots follow at 1 p.m. ahead of the 7 p.m. kickoff. That gives you a real window Saturday morning to cross into Lawrence County, Ohio, before you plant your tailgate spot for the day.
Start at the Ironton Farmers Market at Market Square, 218 S 2nd St in downtown Ironton, open Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the end of October. Local produce, baked goods, and vendors right in the heart of downtown make for an easy, unhurried start to gameday.
From there, head a few minutes down the road to The Shakery, 1625 Liberty Ave in Ironton, OH, for a shake or a soft serve before you cross back into West Virginia.
Local Insider Tip: If your group wants a real tailgate spot rather than whatever is left, treat the 10 a.m. West Lot opening like a start time, not a suggestion. Home openers draw a crowd, and RV parking is limited to the annex lot at $20 per space.
Kickoff: Marshall vs. Middle Tennessee, Joan C. Edwards Stadium
By the time you roll into Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, the East and West Lots are full of green and white, the Marching Thunder is warming up, and the smell of grills is doing most of the talking. Settle into your tailgate spot, enjoy the pregame traditions, and get into the stadium in time for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Middle Tennessee.
Sunday Morning: Brunch Send-Off at the Marshall Hall of Fame Café, Huntington, WV
Before you point the car home Sunday, one more stop in Cabell County closes the weekend out right.
The Marshall Hall of Fame Café, 857 3rd Ave in downtown Huntington, directly across from Pullman Square, opens at 11 a.m. on Sundays. It's the kind of place built for exactly this crowd: a café wrapped in Marshall memorabilia, serving up a big breakfast plate while you relive last night's game one more time before hitting the road.
Local Insider Tip: Pullman Square's parking garage is right across the street and is the easiest place to park downtown on a Sunday morning, especially if the café's own lot fills up with fellow fans doing the same thing you are.
Three States, One Home Opener
You thought you were just coming to Huntington for a Marshall game: the stadium might be the reason you booked the trip, but Ohio and Kentucky are both close enough to turn one gameday into a real weekend. Tacos and live music in Ashland, a farmers market and a sweet stop in Ironton, kickoff in Huntington, and one more plate before you go. All of it inside a weekend that never asks you to drive more than fifteen minutes between stops.
Save this itinerary for your next trip to town, tag us in your gameday photos, and come on in. Our door is always open, even on a Saturday when half the county is wearing green.
Find us on Facebook and Instagram: @appalachiasfrontporch
Hours, showtimes, and parking details are subject to change. Call ahead before you go, and check herdzone.com for the latest gameday parking and gate information. Appalachia's Front Porch spans Boyd, Greenup, and Carter Counties in Kentucky; Lawrence County, Ohio; and Wayne and Cabell Counties in West Virginia.
