Salem Civic Center
Encyclopedia
The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena
in Salem, Virginia
. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes the Salem Football Stadium
and the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium
. The Salem Civic Center was originally known as the Salem-Roanoke County Civic Center, but the county withdrew its financial backing in the 1980s.
The civic center was home to the Salem Rebels ice hockey
team in the 1970s. The NCAA Division III men's college basketball championship is currently held at the civic center. Boxing
, professional wrestling
, rodeos, and high school basketball games are typical events.
In addition to sporting events, the Salem Civic Center also hosts concerts, circuses, conventions and trade shows. The annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show and Salem Fair are held at the civic center and the adjacent grounds. It is also currently the largest convention facility in the Roanoke Valley
; there is a total of 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of space in the main arena, the community room (which can be divided into three smaller rooms) and three other rooms.
posed as a Kazakh
immigrant grateful to be living in America and persuaded promoters of a rodeo
visiting the civic center to allow him to sing The Star Spangled Banner. Cohen delivered remarks in favor of the United States' "War of terror" and Iraq War before singing a mock "Kazakhstan National Anthem" to the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner and expressing his desire for all persons in Iraq to be killed. The initially favorable reception of the crowd towards Cohen changed to boos and bemusement before he and his film crew were escorted from the arena.http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/xp-16655 The incident is shown in the eponymous film Borat
. Organizers of the event invited the ambassador of Kazakhstan to the 2007 rodeo, but the invitation was declined.http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/98784
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Salem, Virginia
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes the Salem Football Stadium
Salem Football Stadium
Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, USA. It is primarily used for American football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985 and seats 7,157 people. The stadium is part of the James E...
and the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium
Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium
Lewis-Gale Field at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium is a minor league baseball park located in Salem, Virginia, and is part of the James E. Taliferro Sports and Entertainment Complex along with the Salem Civic Center and Salem Football Stadium, approximately southeast of downtown...
. The Salem Civic Center was originally known as the Salem-Roanoke County Civic Center, but the county withdrew its financial backing in the 1980s.
The civic center was home to the Salem Rebels ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the 1970s. The NCAA Division III men's college basketball championship is currently held at the civic center. Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, rodeos, and high school basketball games are typical events.
In addition to sporting events, the Salem Civic Center also hosts concerts, circuses, conventions and trade shows. The annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show and Salem Fair are held at the civic center and the adjacent grounds. It is also currently the largest convention facility in the Roanoke Valley
Roanoke Valley
The Roanoke Valley in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west...
; there is a total of 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of space in the main arena, the community room (which can be divided into three smaller rooms) and three other rooms.
Trivia
In January 2005, Sacha Baron CohenSacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
posed as a Kazakh
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
immigrant grateful to be living in America and persuaded promoters of a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
visiting the civic center to allow him to sing The Star Spangled Banner. Cohen delivered remarks in favor of the United States' "War of terror" and Iraq War before singing a mock "Kazakhstan National Anthem" to the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner and expressing his desire for all persons in Iraq to be killed. The initially favorable reception of the crowd towards Cohen changed to boos and bemusement before he and his film crew were escorted from the arena.http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/xp-16655 The incident is shown in the eponymous film Borat
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
. Organizers of the event invited the ambassador of Kazakhstan to the 2007 rodeo, but the invitation was declined.http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/98784