By Julia Nucci Kelly
Fresh air. Green grass. The crack of the bat. There is nothing quite like an afternoon at the ballpark. Summer is time to play ball, and there is no better way to get your child excited about the game than to bring them to the see the boys of summer in action.
But you don’t have to head to Chicago or St. Louis for great baseball. It’s just 30 minutes down the road. I mean, of course, the Danville Dans.
The Dans play at Danville Stadium, a family-friendly ballpark that plays host to talented baseball players from all over the country. The Dans have been the first team of major leaguers for years—most recently, Jonathan Papelbon of the World Series-winning Boston Red Sox. You never know which of the players you see this season will soon be making their mark in the MLB.
The Dans home schedule generally begins the last week of May (find the full schedule here), so talk to your kids’ coaches and get a caravan of players over to Danville. It’s a great way to enjoy a great game close to home.
Our family loves the fact that at Danville Stadium they’re always treated like VIPs. Sometimes kids in the crowd are invited onto the field to play games and run the bases. Our kids have even gotten special treatment just for wearing their uniform shirts and caps from our local league. Danville Stadium has a great small-town feel that makes watching baseball a ton of fun. The players are usually on hand before and after the game for autographs, too. They treat every young player like a future star.
Ready to watch some great baseball? Here’s what you’ll need to know:
Directions: From C-U, drive East on I-74 to the Rte 1 North/Gilbert Street/Georgetown Road exit. Take the second ramp (North on Gilbert Street). Merge onto Rte 1 North. Turn right at the first traffic light (Fourth Street). Turn right at the stop sign (Highland Blvd.) within sight of Danville Stadium. The entrance is on the southwest corner of the stadium.
Admission:
Regular admission: $6.00 for Adults; $3 for school-age kids (Kids 5 and under are FREE)
Two Buck Tuesday every Tuesday Night: $2.00 Admission, $2.00 Drinks, $2.00 Hot Dogs