Vintage Base Ball National Festival in Gettysburg

It was a great weekend for 19th Century Base Ball as 18 clubs took the field in the heat as thousands looked on on July 16 and 17.  The weekend started on Friday night with the First All Clubs Match and Kids Clinic.  40 kids pared up with 20 players to learn how to catch bare handed and get a chance to hit with a wood bat, and “outplay” our 20 veteran players!  Next 3 innings of 1863 were demonstrated at the Little League fields in town.  After townspeople got a hang of the idea, they were invited to try their hand for a couple of innings.

On Saturday, General Grant came to Gettysburg not in a war capacity, but to throw out the first ball.  Also onsite was Eddie Plank III, “Gettysburg” Eddie’s grandson.  Great matches took place through out the weekend from clubs from all over the United States.  It was a great weekend of games and a great chance for the participants to catch up on old friendships and start some new ones.

We can hardly wait for the 8th Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival which will take place July 15-16, 2017.  Stay tuned to this website for updates throughout the year.  We will be announcing the first group of clubs will be coming to that event shortly.  If your club is interested in participating, contact us quickly!!!

The 7th Annual Festival is about to get started and you don’t want to miss it!  Great Summertime weather is expected as 18 clubs from all over America have started their journey to Gettysburg and will be in town all weekend.

The fun starts Friday night at the Gettysburg Recreation Fields at 7:00pm (545 Long Lane) where the Gettysburg All Clubs Match will take place after a kids clinic.  Players who will be in town will compete in an exhibition match on Field #3.  After the 4th inning, adults can take a stab at 19th century base ball by playing an inning or two.  There were no lights in 1863 so we will play until it gets dark!

The real action starts Saturday morning at 9am at The Schroeder Family Farm (965 Pumping Station Rd) just minutes from the day 2 battlefields and the Peach Orchard.  18 clubs will be playing 36 games over 2 days on 5 fields.  See what base ball was like in 1863.  Bring your picnic basket, your blankets, chairs and shade tents!  Get your picture taken in a 19th century uniform by Victorian Photography.  See our vendors who will have bats, balls, caps and other items available.  Bring your own food and non alcoholic drinks or purchase some great ballpark fare from our food vendors.

Saturday night the fun doesn’t stop as the 3rd Annual Base Ball Walk Down Steinwehr Avenue will take place at 8pm.  The walk starts at the corner of Steinwehr and Baltimore and will stop at 3-4 locations along the Avenue where fans can hear all kinds of stories about baseball in the 19th century.

Sunday morning the action continues on the field with more games starting at 8:30am and running until about 3.  Don’t miss the chance to see what base ball was like in its infancy…before million dollar contracts, televisions,…and gloves!!!

In less than 1 month, 18 clubs from all over America will be converging on Gettysburg for the 7th Annual Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival.  Make your plans now for the best vintage base ball event in the USA on the third weekend of July.

The Festival kicks off at 7:00pm on Friday night July 15th with a kids clinic followed by the first ever All Clubs Match featuring many of the players who will be competing in the festival on Saturday and Sunday.  The event takes place at the Gettysburg Municpal Fields in town.  If you are over 18, try your hand at the game after the 4th inning and see if you can play the same way they played in 1863!  If you are under 18, you can still try your hand by participating in a kids clinic that shows you how to catch bare handed and hit with an old fashioned wood bat!

Saturday the Festival starts with 18 games at the Schroeder Family Farm just minutes from the day 2 battlefields and the Peach Orchard at 965 Pumping Station Road.  Bring your blankets, chairs, and even shade tents and see 18 clubs play base ball the same way it was played in 1863.  Great family fun for everyone.  You can even get your picture taken old style in one of our uniforms by Victorian Photography.

Saturday is the 3rd Annual Gettysburg Base Ball Walk down Steinwehr Avenue.  Sponsored by the Steinwehr Avenue Business Improvement District, come out and stroll down the Avenue and listen to stories about 19th century equipment, uniforms, teams and famous players.  This event is free and starts at 8:00pm.

Sunday, the Festival concludes with another 18 games of 19th century base ball.  Make sure you ask the players in between games or innings what is going on.  They are happy to talk!  Enjoy some great food and drinks too while you are here or bring your own in.  The entire event is free to the public.  You can make a donation to the Gettysburg Little League when they help you park and if you wish to give something to the festival, there will be boxes scattered throughout the grounds.

Of course this whole event would not be possible without our generous sponsors.  Make sure you visit these great companies:  Gettysburg Eddies Restaurant, Destination Gettysburg, the Steinwehr Avenue BID, The Regimental Quartermaster, Hockley & O’Donnell Insurance Agency, The Seminary Ridge Musuem, The Shriver House Museum, Gettysburg Battlefield Bus Tours and many more!

We look forward to seeing  you and your family out at the ball grounds!

Gettysburg, PA– Citizens and tourists who will be in town on Friday night, July 15th will get a special treat.  The first All Clubs Match of the Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival will take place at 7:00pm at the Gettysburg Recreation Field located in town.

Players who will be in town early for the Festival will start the night off as names will be drawn out of a hat to pick sides for the event.  After about 4 innings the public is invited to try their hand at 19th century base ball.  Anyone over 18 is invited on to the field to try and catch without a glove, hit with a wooden bat, and play just like base ball was played in the 1860s.  For those younger fans under 18, don’t worry we have something for you to try as well.  A clinic will be put on before the match starts so that kids can see what its like to catch a ball the way players did in the 19th century as well as how to hit one with a period bat.

The match will be played until it gets dark since there were no lights in 1863, we don’t want to start playing with them now.  Stay tuned for more information!

The Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival has unveiled the logo for the 7th Annual Festival to be held July 15-17, 2016.  The logo is once again designed by Ray Shaw who used to head up the Newtown Sandy Hooks from Connecticut.

Previous logos were red white and blue and included flags and baseball players.  This year’s logo is a little different and features Abraham Lincoln’s actual handwriting of the word “Gettysburg”.

The logo will be used on everything from letterhead to t-shirts to posters and advertising.  “We feel that adding the Lincoln font to the logo makes it really special and unique.  Fans and players alike will hopefully want to purchase anything they can get their hands on with this logo” said the Elkton Base Ball Club and Exhibition Company (the organization that puts on the festival every year).