Naperville's Hometown Picnic Saturday features vintage pastimes

It's been said there's nothing more American than baseball and apple pie.

Visitors will get a chance to find out for themselves on Saturday when Naper Settlement plays host to its annual Hometown Picnic on its grounds near downtown Naperville.

The settlement's baseball game will be played under vintage rules from 1868, just a couple decades after creation of the sport.

“We're showing families and children how baseball used to be played,” said Emma Vodick, public relations and social media coordinator at the settlement.

Those old rules include ringing a bell when crossing “home base” and allowing the ball to bounce before catching it for an out. And, of course, the players won't be wearing gloves.

“We're bringing back American nostalgia, bringing back the old American summertime,” Vodick said.

She said the settlement does a lot with history and bringing the past to the present.

Colleen Stanek, educator at Naper Settlement, said organizers want the picnic to bring visitors back to a less-hectic time.

“It evokes memories of when families gathered for fun and socialization,” Stanek said. “They didn't have all the gadgets, no electronics.”

Adding to the memories will be people in dressed in vintage baseball uniforms who will interact with the audience.

The picnic also will feature other old-fashioned games for kids, including three-legged races and croquet. Modern games such as Twister also will be offered.

For those looking for another peek at history, crews will break out the Joseph Naper fire pumper, originally purchased in 1874, to demonstrate old-time firefighting techniques.

“We'll show how hard it was to pump water back in the day,” Stanek said.

For fans of food, the picnic will include an apple pie baking contest.

Judges will include State Sen. Michael Connelly of Lisle, state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville, Naperville councilwoman Patty Gustin and members of the Naperville Heritage Society board and DeEtta's Bakery in Naperville.

“We reach out to people that we work with and people who want to help out,” Vodick said.