When Major League Baseball announced in 2013 that Cincinnati would host the All-Star Game, the Reds, the Community Organizing Committee, and the city went to work to make the experience the best possible for local fans and visitors alike.
Even before the game started, Jeanne Doran from Chicago was impressed.
“I love the openness of the city. I love the fact that you can just wander around and have a good time. I love the fact that everybody’s here to just say 'hey hey, have a good time, welcome to our city!' It’s awesome.”
This was not her first visit to Cincinnati but it was her first time at Great American Ball Park. And it was a quick trip. She had to be back to work Wednesday in Chicago.
The All-Star Game and festivities were in Minneapolis last year. Cincinnati leaders went to learn how to throw a party of that magnitude.
Twins fan Bill Neilsen was at that 2014 game and while he's biased because he's from Minneapolis, he thought Cincinnati put on a great event, including Monday's Home Run Derby.
“Other than the sign of the apocalypse storm (Monday), it looked like nightfall at noon, but obviously no control over Mother Nature. It’s been great. If you’re a baseball fan, it’s cool to be in a town like this where it’s just all the history of baseball.”
Neilsen says he's been to about a dozen All-Star Games, and other than the weather, was impressed with Cincinnati's production.
The festivities drew lots of Reds fans as well.
Andy McKibben from Pitsburg, Ohio, in Darke County, arrived Saturday and was impressed with everything.
“The city looks fantastic. The Reds (and) Cincinnati have done a fantastic job getting the city ready for this. I’m proud to be a Reds fan, to come down here and see this. It’s beautiful.”
Mike Oxlong from Rochester Hills, Michigan, didn't have a lot of time to look around. He arrived Tuesday morning for his first visit to Cincinnati.
“I’m from Detroit, so it doesn’t take much to clean up and impress. It looks pretty good. I’ve been told there are certain areas not to go after dark but that’s any big city.”
This was the second visit to the Queen City for Miranda Lash of Louisville. As a Boston Red Sox fan, she came to root on the American League.
“The downtown seems very vibrant during the All-Star Game. Also I feel like it’s more populated. But at the same time it was a very active downtown the last time we were here.”
Lash is an art historian and stopped by the Contemporary Arts Center before the ball game. It was closed Tuesday. Still, she left Cincinnati happy.
The American League All-Stars beat the National League 6-3.
*A previous version of this story implied Ms. Lash was disappointed the CAC was closed Tuesday. She did not in fact say that.
