In its first year as a professional team, the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers will host the 2026 Canadian Baseball League (CBL) All-Star Weekend.
The announcement comes after multiple improvements were made to the team's home ballpark, Fergie Jenkins Field at Rotary Park, in 2025, including the addition of 544 aluminum bleacher seats and a perimeter of fencing around the facility.
With the Barnstormers, the league's newest team, quickly becoming a big piece of the Kent County community within just two years, more improvements are expected at the stadium in 2026.
"Chatham-Kent has been an extremely successful franchise since entering this League only two years ago, both on-field and off," CBL commissioner Ted Kalnins said in a release. "The atmosphere at Fergie Jenkins Field on game day is vibrant, and it will undoubtedly be even more dynamic with the various events we have planned for All-Star Weekend."
The previous two all-star events in Welland and Hamilton, respectively, have seen large, energetic crowds for the full day of events.
In Chatham, All-Star Weekend will take place on July 12 and will include the annual Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Game between players from the North (Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, Toronto) and the South (Brantford, Chatham-Kent, London, Welland).
There will also be a family-friendly festival zone with food; entertainment; and more, which will necessitate the closing of Tweedsmuir Avenue outside the ballpark all weekend.
Players that will participate in the All-Star Game (billed as the "Maple City Showdown") will be decided by a combination of fan and media votes during the first half of the season.
In 2024, six Barrie Baycats players were selected to appear in the All-Star Game, including recently re-signed left-handed pitcher Frank Garcés who started the game on short notice. First baseman Nolan Machibroda, also returning for the 2026 season, competed in the Home Run Derby.
According to the league, further event details and special guests will be announced early in the 2026 season.
The Barrie Baycats deferred to host the league's all-star festivities in 2026. Instead, it will likely host in 2027 or 2028 when the team can showcase a new home ballpark, but that is yet to be confirmed.
