There are lots of new things to see at the Mackinac Area Historical Society's Summer Celebration Saturday, August 2. A new road connecs Mackinaw City's Historical Village to the site, a lane is now planted with maples, each donated to honor friends and relatives of the project's sponsors, and new buildings and activities await visitors.

"The whole village is really developing," said Historical Society President Ray Roth.

This year's celebration is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 per person or $10 per car. Children younger than 12 are admitted free.

The Historical Village time frame, from 1880 to 1917, will unfold, with attractions ranging from an old-fashioned base ball game to the display of a simple farmers log cabin, just added to the village last week, which reflects an earlier era in Michigan history.

The structure is not ready to be toured inside, however, a new nature trail, complete with seven stops explaining geological features, plants, and trees on the land, is ready for visitors to enjoy.

The celebration's opening ceremony is at the flagpole at 11 a.m. A small instrumental group will play the Star Spangled Banner, as a 38- star American flag is raised.

Tours of the Pestilence, or "Pest" House, will be at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The historical society will offer tours of the one-room schoolhouse, and throughout the event, visitors will be able to tour these buildings on their own.

Highlighting the Summer Celebration will be the Vintage Base Ball game between the Ludington Mariners and the Mackinaw Boys at 1 p.m. Participants play by rules dating to the 1860s, and the audience may notice a slightly more gentlemanly character to the game than in modern times.

Swearing or smoking on the field are prohibited. In addition, "cranks," or fans, will hear vocabulary different from what they are used to hearing

today. Not only will dark glasses and spitting be prohibited, pitchers

may make statements like, "Where would you like the ball thrown, that you might hit it?'" Mr. Roth said.

Players of the time could not slide or overrun a base, he added, and an outfielder catching a ball on the first bounce declares the batter out. The batter himself is called a "striker," he said. At that time, the game was spelled as two words, rather than one.

The look of the game will be different, also. Players wear jeans, white shirts, red suspenders, and red caps.

During intermissions, the oldtime band will perform.Lunch will be sold from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and snacks will be available throughout the day.

Summer Celebration includes supervised historic games for children, including gunnysack races, the rolling of hoops that children push with sticks, and bean-bag throws. Quilts will be on display, and strolling musicians will fill the air with folk, country, and bluegrass tunes.

Tickets for the historical society's 2008 raffle will be on sale all day. The drawing will be at 3:30 p.m. The winner need not be present.

Future planning for the site is ongoing. The historical society has obtained an antique sawmill from the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, which will be housed in a barn until added to the site next summer. The society is planning programs for students, and hopes to build a large pavilion for group use.