Hundreds of old flywheel tractors and engines will be on display during the 33rd annual Antique Engine and Tractor Show at the Michigan Flywheelers Museum in South Haven, Michigan.
The show, which takes place Thursday, Sept. 8 through Sunday, Sept. 11, is one of the largest of its kind in the state. Collectors from across the country attend the event each year bringing a wide assortment of antique farm machinery for visitors to see.
“You will see just about every kind of equipment that was used for farming,” said museum president Patrick Ingalls. “We never know what will show up but that’s what makes the show interesting.”
There’s plenty to see besides old machines. A large outdoor flea market with over 200 vendors, daily equipment parades, demonstrations at the blacksmith forge, sawmill and shingle mill and one of the favorite activities – eating sweet corn cooked in a 1923 Nichols and Shepard steam traction engine made in Battle Creek.
“We do get a lot of people that tell us one of the main reasons they look forward to the show every year is for the steamed sweet corn,” added Ingalls.
Other activities include antique and garden tractor pulls, kids events, Thing-A-Ma-Jig parade, consignment auction, valve cover races and more.
“We have a full schedule of activites,” said Ingalls. “This is a family-friendly event and there are plenty of things for kids to do like look for wooden nickels in our Sawdust Pile treasure hunt or play on the wooden tractor in The Barnyard which is our version of a playground.”
This year’s nightly entertainment starts oldies rocker Joel Coburn on Thursday, entertainer Quentin Flagg on Friday and returning again this year – the Bronk Bros. on Saturday. All evening shows start at 8:30 p.m.
Throughout the show, there will be performances by folk singer Joe Foster, Casco Band and the Michigan Fiddlers.
Saturday is considered “Kid’s Day” at the show. Activities start with Valve Cover Races at 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddies Pedal Pull at noon, a sawdust pile treasure hunt at 3:30 p.m. and the John Dudley Magic Show at 7 p.m. Tractor games will be held for those children who have access to riding lawn tractors, and returning for its sixth year will be the “Kids Night Time Lawn Tractor Cruise” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
One of the popular activities for young and old is the “South Haven Tractor Cruise.” Scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, participants drive tractors of all makes and models into South Haven, cruise along the South Beach, and then stop downtown for an evening of dining and shopping.
Gates open at 8 a.m. rain or shine. Admission to the show is $7. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult admission. Thursday is Senior’s Day and admission is $3 for those 62 and over. This is a pet-free event for those paying admission.
Rustic camping sites are available on a first-come basis. Cost is $10 per night plus daily admission per person. Pets are allowed with exhibitors, campers and vendors only. Personal transportation vehicles, such as golf carts, will be charged a $15 registration fee. ATVs, dirt bikes and firearms are not permitted.
For more information, contact 269-639-2010, michiganflywheelers@yahoo.com or Facebook. A complete show schedule is available on Facebook or michiganflywheelers.org.
The Michigan Flywheelers Museum is located at 06285 68th St., 2 miles east of South Haven.