Johnson to recognize Holloway Old Timers Baseball Festival

Aug 31, 2023

HOLLOWAY — The Holloway Old Timers Baseball Festival will be celebrating for the 75th consecutive time from Friday to Sunday.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, will be on hand to award a Congressional Proclamation recognizing the Old Timers organization for its outstanding commitment to the village and to America’s favorite pastime of baseball.

Other recognitions will be made by state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, or his representative as well as Holloway Mayor John Sheppard. Presentations and parade announcements will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday prior to the start of the parade on the railroad flatcar.

The festival opens at 11 a.m. Friday with the flag raising ceremony by members of American Legion Post 366 in Flushing.

The festival will feature a variety of homemade foods with the kitchen open at 11 a.m. every day. On Friday, the kitchen will serve pork, sauerkraut, beef and home-cooked beans and ham all cooked over an open fire. The kitchen will serve chicken dinners and beef sandwiches on Saturday, and pork, beef or sausage sandwiches and home-cooked beans with ham and cornbread on Sunday.

Hot dogs, onion rings, french fries, pepperoni rolls and nachos will also be for sale at the festival. S&D Concessions food truck will be set up all weekend offering sno-cones, cotton candy and more.

Each day, there will be a vendor and flea market starting at 11 a.m. DJ Brad Carlson will be spinning music from 6-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and festival-goers can participate in karaoke.

“Saturday is a full day, and we are so excited about the 1860s-era ball game that will be played at 2 p.m. between the Canal Dover Redlegs and Holloway Railroaders team which is made up of friends and neighbors of Holloway. The Redlegs is a vintage ball team from Dover, Ohio, and has been so very supportive and helpful to us in making this game happen and we could not be more grateful to them,” Linda Nester, a member of the Holloway Old Timers, said.

Horseshoe throwing will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, and a cornhole board will be set up for festival-goers to enjoy.

Saturday’s events will also include a car, bike and truck show from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on the Holloway VFD Hall grounds followed by the Old Timers & Fireman’s Parade at 5 p.m. The parade will feature the Ohio Valley Avengers and Enchanted Princess.

The event will also feature a clown who will twist balloons, some old-fashioned games and a dunk tank. Axe throwing will take place from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday.

Sunday’s events will kick off with a Garden Tractor Pull sponsored by the Harrison County Lil’ Hustlers weighing in at 9 a.m. with pulling starting at 10 a.m. The festival closes at 5 p.m. Sunday with the drawing of the 50-50 raffle.

The small railroad town of Holloway began this festival in 1948 when four Holloway residents, former railroaders and ball players were listening to a New York Yankees “old timers” game on the radio and decided to form their own baseball reunion to gather and reminisce about the “old days.” Seventy-five years later, it is now the longest old timers’ celebration in the nation.

The Old Timers Baseball Club began gathering on the weekend preceding Labor Day and have maintained this annual tradition that also celebrates the history of the B&O Railroad in Holloway.

“The current Holloway Old Timers officers and volunteers are committed to keeping true to the ‘Old Timers’ vision and goals of our founders” Nester said. “… We are very proud of our history, and love for others to come to the Old Timers festival and browse through the Bo Garrett Hall and reminisce with former Holloway classmates and neighbors, the way they did 75 years ago. Although the true ‘old time’ railroaders are gone, their memory lives on through the festival. We are very excited about the festival this year, being our 75th and we have been working very hard to make it special for the village of Holloway.”

On the Old Timers property is a 1929 caboose which the organization hopes will be open for tours from 2-4 p.m. Saturday.

“The caboose windows are currently being replaced and we hope they will be completed next week, in time to open the Caboose for visitors,” Kenny Staten, the club’s president, said.

Also on the property is a railroad flat car where the awards and parade judging will take place, an original B&O railroad crossing light and an old hand cart. Inside the Bo Garrett Hall is memorabilia from the Holloway School and the B&O railroad. The property and buildings serve the community for village meetings and for locals who need a venue to hold family gatherings of all kinds. Many local nonprofits also hold meetings there.

Crafts and flea market vendors are welcome as well as auction donations. Call event organizers Anita Holloway-Schaeffer at 740-433-5074 or Linda Nester at 740-541-5401 for more information. For parade information, text or call Holloway Volunteer Fire Department members Tom Spano at 740-827-2611 or Amanda Spano at 740-827-1720. More information can also be found on the Holloway Old Timers Facebook page.

This is the only event that the Old Timers hold each year so the event helps fund the organization all year long. Anyone wishing to donate to the organization can mail a check payable to the Holloway Old Timers Baseball Assoc, 421 E. Main St., Flushing, OH 43977.

For more information about the Old Timers Festival, visit the Holloway Old Timers Baseball Assoc. – Holloway Old Timers Baseball Festival Facebook page or call 740-968-1900.

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