By Lisa Carolin
(5 Healthy Town’s Board of Directors recently approved a budget of $75,000 for the Chelsea Wellness Coalition’s Year 5 Plan. Chelsea Update is profiling each of the interventions that is receiving funding.)
The Ironclad Festival takes place on July 16 at Chelsea High School.
“The main goal of the Ironclad Festival is to put on a unique, low-cost and very enjoyable community event here in town,” said ‘Honest Jon’ Van Hoek, captain of the Chelsea Monitors Base Ball Club. “It is basically an expansion of what the Monitors (and Merries) have been doing via our regular home matches the past five years, which have taken place at Timbertown Park.”
The Monitors and Merries play Vintage base ball, which has been around for about 30 years. The Monitors are starting their sixth season and the Merries are starting their second full season.
“Vintage base ball is an amateur pastime that really emphasizes sportsmanship and fellowship among both its participants and spectators,” said Van Hoek. “We play baseball according to the rules written in 1860.”
The Ironclad Festival will be open to the public and it’s free just like all the matches. The 5 Healthy Towns grant will be used toward the cost of field reservations, equipment, advertising, and signage.
“Vintage base ball is really a great time for fans of all ages, and we work hard to invite families and senior citizens to come watch,” said Van Hoek. “You will always see a lot of interaction and mutual respect displayed between the two teams playing a vintage base ball match.”
“Going to a Tiger game can be really pricey. The spirit of our games is more akin to a community picnic.”
Van Hoek says that at the core of the Monitors and Merries is a desire to be inclusive. They have open practices and events that invite people to get their own taste of the sport.
“In this way, we want vintage base ball in Chelsea to be a community project,” said Van Hoek. “Musicians, photographers, artists or even just folks who like to dress up in vintage garb are all very much invited to take part in what we’re doing. This very much includes the Ironclad Festival.”
