Come play Cricket in Waterloo – FingerLakes1.com Archive

What sports did Americans play in the 1860s, a time when there was no football, basketball, and even baseball was just beginning? One of the sports Americans enjoyed was the game of cricket, which was brought to the Colonies from England and by the 1860s was being played throughout the country.Visitors to this year’s Celebrate Commemorate will have an opportunity to relive this long-lost sporting tradition by joining in short, informal, Civil War-era cricket games. American cricket player and historian Tom Melville will instruct players and conduct games on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25. The games will be run on a continuous basis from 9 am to 5 pm Saturday or 10 am to 3 pm Sunday at the fields behind the Community Center. They are and open to all. Absolutely no experience required! Sign up at the Waterloo Community Center on Oak Street or stop by the field and discover the venerable sport Americans enjoyed in the 1860s! The 15th annual Celebrate Commemorate event will be held May 23-26 in Waterloo, the Birthplace of Memorial Day. For more information about the events, go to www.waterloony.com.The 148th consecutive commemoration of Memorial Day will be on Friday, May 30. It will include prayer services, and the official Memorial Day parade at 6 pm.