The 10th Annual Gettysburg National Base Ball Festival once again was a huge success with 24 clubs competing in 47 games in 2 days in sweltering heat.  Thousands of fans braved the heat and humidity to see the finest 19th century base ball played in America.  Clubs came from Maine to Tennessee and Rhode Island to Michigan and every state in between to renew friendships both on the field and off.

After the games were over each day hundreds of players and their families flooded Steinwehr Avenue and the rest of the town of Gettysburg to cool off in the hotel pools, restaurants and tourist attractions.

The results can be found by clicking the “2019 Results” tab at the top.  The local club and co-host Gettysburg Generals finished with 2 wins and 2 loses while the host Elkton Eclipse won 3 and dropped 1.  The Bear Clan Club of Flat Rock, Michigan went 4-0 as did the Brooklyn Eckfords, and Talbot Fair Plays.

Several video productions were there and plenty of print media as well to document the hot, but very well played matches that took place by the same rules and customs of 1863.

If you missed this year’s event, don’t worry- we’ll be back again the 3rd weekend in July in 2020 for the 11th Annual event with 24 clubs once again.  Email us at info@GettysburgBaseBallFestival.com for more information!

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We are expecting great crowds and warm weather for the 10th Annual event taking place in just a few short days!  If you are coming remember, the event is free to the public.  Gettysburg Little League is taking donations in the parking lot for managing the lot for us.  If you like what you see, you can always leave what you’d like in our donation boxes scattered throughout the grounds.  Bring your blankets, chairs, and shade tents and of course your picnic basket and enjoy what baseball was like before million dollar contracts, televisions…and gloves!

2019 Schedule of Games

Gettysburg, PA– A record 24 clubs from 11 states will converge on Gettysburg July 19-21st to compete in the 10th Annual Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival.  Vintage base ball’s most prestigious is coming back once again where 24 clubs will be competing in 48 matches over 2 days in this mid Summer classic.

Come out and bring your lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets and shade tents and watch base ball (2 words) played the same way it was in Central Pennsylvania in 1863.  Clubs will be using the same style uniforms and equipment and playing by the same rules and customs of the mid 19th century.

This year’s clubs come from as far away as Tennessee, Maine, and Michigan as well as some clubs who have been to all previous 9 events.  This years line up includes some of the finest 19th century base ball clubs in the nation.  Make sure you come and see these great clubs.  Here is the line up: from Rhode Island, the Providence Grays; the Dirigo BBC of Maine; the Liberty BBC of Connecticut; the Atlantic BBC of Brooklyn and the Eckford BBC of Brooklyn from New York; from New Jersey you can see the Flemington Neshanock and Liberty BBC of New Brunswick; Delaware’s entrant is the Lewes BBC;  the Phoenix BBC of East Nashville is representing Tennessee, the Bear Clan of Flint Rock and the Walker Tavern Wheels are coming from Michigan; Ohio’s clubs are the Monarch BBC of Moscow and the Great Black Swamp Frogs of Sylvania; from Maryland the Talbot Fair Plays, the Rising Sun Club, the Chesapeake Nine and the host Eclipse BBC of Elkton; and from Pennsylvania- the co-host Gettysburg Generals, the Keystone BBC of Harrisburg, the Allegheny Iron Sides, the Addison Mountain Stars, the Athletic BBC of Philadelphia, the Brandywine BBC of West Chester and the Mohican BBC of Kennett Square.

The 2018 edition of the Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival may have been a partial washout but that is not discouraging anyone from coming together next July 19-21 for the very special 10th Annual event in 2019!

If you are an established club and want to participate, contact us as soon as possible at info@GettysburgBaseBallFestival.com.  There are very limited spots and we are looking for national participation once again.  You are scheduled for 4 games over 2 days and we set up the schedule so there is plenty of time for sightseeing.  You will probably play against clubs you have never seen or haven’t played for a long time.  We’ll help you every step of the way if you want to come to town!

If you are a sponsor, a vendor, a member of the media, or a sutler, we’d love to hear from you.  We have all kinds of great ideas to make next year special and we want you to be part of it.  We are especially looking for Civil War era bands/musicians, Civil War era civilians (including medics, doctors, etc) as well as those who sell their 19th-century goods!  If you are a maker of uniforms, bats, caps, balls, or anything else to supply the vintage game, let us know.

If you want to partner with us in doing an event on the grounds in conjunction with us, we’d love to hear from you too.

We are looking forward to making the best 19th century base ball event in America in to a really special event for not only the fans who come out but also the participants!  We hope to hear from you!

Due to the terrible storms that came through yesterday and last night, for the safety of our fans and players, we have to cancel the festivities for Sunday. Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday in the challenging weather and we hope to see you next year in the third week of July for the 10th annual event!