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Play Ball! Vintage exhibition to kick of Western Day festival
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Images of the Old West can include cowboys, trail drives, wagon trains and rodeos. But history shows that the picture is not complete without two teams of nine players each facing off on the baseball diamond.
In that spirit, the Western Day 2008 festival on Saturday, Sept. 27, in Old Town Lewisville will kick off with a Vintage Base Ball exhibition between teams representing Lewisville and Farmers Branch. The game will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lewisville Rodeo Grounds in Mill Street, just north of College Street. Free shuttles will be available from the festival zone.
Vintage Base Ball (two words, per tradition) is played using 19th century rules and equipment. This exhibition will be played under the 1860s rules, with no gloves and underhand pitching. Spectators (commonly called “cranks” or “rooters” during the 1860s) are welcome.
Organized baseball predates the Civil War and was a part of many Old West communities, especially in the northeast. The fist known team in Texas, the Houston Base Ballers, formed in 1861 just before the Civil War. The sport experienced a tremendous growth in popularity following the war and the first professional team formed in 1869. During the 1980s, Vintage Base Ball clubs began sprouting up across the country to re-create and enjoy the history of the game.
Today, the Vintage Base Ball Association includes teams that play according to rules of the 1850s, 1860s or 1880s. The game known as baseball today was very different in the 1800s. Some key differences in the 1860s game, such as will be played at Western Day, include:
· Players do not wear gloves
· A batted ball caught on a bounce is considered an out
· Pitches are delivered under-handed
· The umpire does not call balls and strikes unless the game is being delayed
· Sliding into a base is not allowed; nor is over-running first base
The Western Day exhibition will be the first organized game for the Lewisville Farmers, which formed in August. The Farmers Branch Mustangs have multiple teams that compete in exhibitions, league games and tournaments in North Texas and nationally.
For more information about Vintage Base Ball, visit www.vbbtexas.org.
Other planned activities at Western Day 2008, designed to showcase Lewisville’s rich history, include a Main Street parade, two festival stages of live music, arts and crafts vendors, gunfight re-enactments, trick ropers, car show, Longhorn cattle drive, Tailwaggers Ranch, baking and grilling contests, Stickhorse Rodeo for kids, and the fourth annual World Tamale Eating Championship. Headliner for this year’s event is the Eli Young Band, scheduled to perform at 6:30-8 p.m.
Radio station KPLX 99.5 FM The Wolf, the top-rated country music station in North Texas, has signed on as a presenting sponsor for Western Day 2008. Tickets for the festival are $20 per person (no charge for children under 6), but free tickets are readily available through Wolf promotional events, the station’s website at www.995thewolf.com or by visiting most City of Lewisville facilities. Lewisville residents without a ticket can show proof of residency at the gate for free admission. The station will broadcast live from the festival from 3 to 7 p.m. Advance tickets also will be given away by radio station KSCS 99.3 FM.
Sponsors for Western Day 2008 include City of Lewisville, Lewisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, EMC Mortgage , Pro Tow, Bud Light, Big Bass Tour, Waste Management of Texas, The Home Depot, Dallas Tortilla & Tamale Factory and 99.5 The Wolf. Community supporters include Old Town Business Association, Old Town Preservation Society, Lewisville Morning Rotary Club, Greater Lewisville Kiwanis Club, Knight Light Charities and Lewisville High School.
For additional information and the latest on Western Day 2008, visit www.cityoflewisville.com or call 972.219.3401.
General Entertainment schedule:
- 7 a.m. OTBA 5K Fun Run
9:30 a.m. Vintage Base Ball Exhibition: Lewisville vs. Farmers Branch
11 a.m. OTPS Kids Pie Eating Contest
11:30 a.m. Main Street Gunfights
Noon Greater Lewisville Kiwanis Club Stickhorse Rodeo
1 p.m. World Tamale Eating Championship
1 p.m. Main Street Gunfights
1 p.m. OTPS Annual Cake Contest
3 p.m. Western Day Parade & Longhorn Cattle Drive
4:30 p.m. Main Street Gunfights
4:30 p.m. Lewisville Morning Rotary Club Car Show awards
4:30 p.m. Great Western Burger Battle
5 p.m. Greater Lewisville Kiwanis Club Stickhorse Rodeo
Bud Light Main Stage performance schedule:
- 10 a.m. Dallas Stars Sing
10:45 a.m. Glad Dance Troop
11:25 a.m. Beyond Words with Vaughn Anthony
12:30 p.m. Dancers in Motion
2 p.m. Derek Sholl
4:30 p.m. Casey Donahew
6:30 p.m. Eli Young Band
Community Stage performance schedule:
- 10:15 a.m. YMCA Kickers
10:50 a.m. Dance Fusion
11:15 a.m. Double Team
11:35 a.m. Macedonia Youth Dance Team
Noon Crown Violet Belly Dance Troupe
12:45 p.m. Karen Kouassi
1:25 p.m. Dancers Workshop
1:45 p.m. Performing Artists Network
2:35 p.m. Millennium Dancers
4:30 p.m. Excite! Dance Company
5:30 p.m. The Fiddle Rascals
6:55 p.m. Megan Mason band
Media contact: Marketing and Tourism Manager Jennifer Galante, 972.219.3710
