The Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival is a competition in a festival format, complete with 1860’s-era version games, food vendors and a few merchandise vendors.
2023 DATE: September 2-3, 2023
Location: Ohio History Center
800 E 17th Ave
Columbus, OH 43211
Website: https://www.ohiohistory.org/events/ohio-cup/
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This post documents my experience on September 3, 2016.
I arrived at the Ohio History Center early on Saturday morning…
…just as base ball teams were checking in…
…to be part of the Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival.
This was a vintage base ball competition where teams followed 1864 rules…
…and matches were timed instead of having 9 innings…
…so that more teams could play against each other.
Although mostly based in Ohio, teams came from as far as Missouri…
…and were dressed in all sorts of uniforms.
The festival area near the parking lot had three fields…
…and it was fun to watch the teams in action…
…especially when it concerned the Ohio Village Muffins…
…the festival hosts…
…and the home team.
As teams got to know each other…
…and play some ball…
…spectators could watch some matches…
…learn more about vintage base ball (Vintage Base Ball Association)…
…and enjoy some refreshments.
And the festival continued to a second location in Ohio Village (around the parking lot behind the Ohio History Center)…
…where perks included access to vintage car rides…
…various historic buildings to explore…
…(some filled with more base ball history)…
…base ball-related vendors…
…more food…
…and plenty more base ball matches at Muffins Meadow.