Illinois Destinations Association: Danville Stadium Outing
IDA Outing at Danville Stadium
Welcome back to another episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series, where today we’re taking you out to the historic Danville Stadium, home of the Danville Dans, for a unique blend of networking, community, and baseball nostalgia.
Whether you love travel, tourism, or just a good old-fashioned ballgame, today’s episode celebrates local pride, hidden treasures, and the beauty of enjoying what's in your own backyard.
INTERVIEWS
1. Kristen Ball - Illinois Destinations Association (IDA)
- Kristen’s role and responsibilities as Association Manager
- Collaboration with the board of directors and the legislative team
- Planning events and education courses for members
- Advocacy with the state legislature
- Providing resources for Convention and Visitor Bureaus to drive tourism in Illinois
- Illinois Destinations Association: https://www.ildestinations.org/
2. Interview with Jessica Miller, Matthew Bean, Bailey Dorn (Visit Bloomington Normal)
- Introductions
- Jessica Miller: Digital Marketing Manager
- Matthew Bean: Director of Brand and Marketing
- Bailey Dorn: Destination Experience Manager
- Overview of the Bloomington-Normal region (“BN”)
- Central location in Illinois, the university's presence
- Outreach to McLean County and surrounding areas
- Unique selling points of Bloomington-Normal as a destination
- “Big, small town” feel with accessible and affordable experiences
- Robust events calendar, family-friendly environment
- Constitution Trail Bike Path: https://www.visitbn.org/visit/constitution-trail/
- Route 66: https://www.visitbn.org/illinoisroute66/
- local lakes and outdoor spaces
- Visit Bloomington-Normal - https://www.visitbn.org/
3. Interview with Tom Fricke and Mary Ellen - Danville Dans Organization
- Tom’s volunteer role and contributions
- PA announcer, PR, souvenir sales, coordination of interns (“Danterns”)
- Commitment to maintaining baseball and the Dans in Danville
- History of Danville Stadium
- Construction: initiated by a local businessman and the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Branch Rickey
- The stadium's origins in 1945
- Key historic figures and teams: Brooklyn Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, Brewers
- The Danville Dans: https://danvilledans.org/
NEXT STEPS
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KEYWORDS
Illinois Destinations Association, Danville Area Visitors Bureau, Visit Bloomington-Normal, Route 66, Constitution Bike Trail, Danville Dans, Outdoor Adventure Series
#IllinoisDestinationsAssociation #DanvilleAreaVisitorsBureau #VisitBN #Route66 #ConstitutionBikeTrail #DanvilleDans #OutdoorAdventureSeries
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