By Pat Ingalls, Michigan Flywheelers Museum
Giant steam traction engines, old antique tractors, parades, entertainment and more are all on tap for the Michigan Flywheelers Museum’s 36th annual Antique Tractor and Engine Show that starts Thursday, Sept. 5
Touted as one of the largest shows of its kind in the state, the four-day event, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 8, features displays of antique farm equipment, demonstrations at the sawmill, shingle mill and blacksmith shop, a large outdoor flea market, consignment auction, kids’ activities, tractor pulls and plenty more.
Along with the displays of old farm machinery, there are daily parades, valve cover races, consignment auction and one of the more popular activities — eating sweet corn cooked in a 1923 Nichols and Shepard steam traction engine made in Battle Creek.
This year’s entertainment includes folk singer Joe Foster, the Casco Band, Ken and Judy Moore’s Jam Session, Silver Songs, Kickstart, Hymn Sings and singer Quentin Flagg. The Silver Songs show will take place on Thursday at 8:30pm and is a benefit concert for Senior Services of Van Buren County.
Saturday is considered “Kids’ Day” at the show. Activities start with a Kiddies Pedal Pull at noon, a sawdust pile treasure hunt at 3:30 p.m. and the John Dudley Magic Show at 7pm Tractor games will be held for those children who have access to riding lawn tractors, and returning again this year is the “Kids Night Time Lawn Tractor Cruise” on Friday and Saturday.
One of the popular activities for young and old is the “South Haven Tractor Cruise.” Scheduled for 4pm 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 8am, rain or shine. Admission is $7. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult admission. Thursday is Seniors’ 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 $15 per night plus daily admission per person. Pets are allowed with exhibitors, campers and vendors only and must stay at camp site at all times. Personal transportation vehicles, such as golf carts, require 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 on the website.
The Michigan Flywheelers Museum is located at 06285 68th Street, two miles east of South Haven.
