By Rich Larson
The sights, sounds and machinery that powered generations of Minnesota farms will take center stage when the Rice County Steam and Gas Engines Show opens for its annual three-day run Oct. 4 through 6 at the showgrounds south of Dundas along Highway 3.
What began in the mid-1970s as a small gathering of farmers interested in preserving antique equipment has grown into one of the region’s premier celebrations of agricultural history. Organizers Carmen Sevchik and Bill Becker say the event now attracts between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors each year.
“We’re preserving a bit of the past of yesterday for tomorrow,” Sevchik said.
Visitors will find far more than tractors on display. The grounds feature a collection of historic buildings rescued from locations around Rice County, including a blacksmith shop, log cabin, farmhouse, granary and the former Waterford Township School. The schoolhouse, moved more than six miles to the grounds after years of planning, has become one of the site’s signature attractions.
The featured tractor brand this year is Allis-Chalmers, with organizers expecting between 250 and 300 tractors on display. Many are brought in by collectors from across the region, showcasing both restored showpieces and working machines in their original condition.
Among the featured demonstrations will be threshing, corn shelling, tractor pulls, horses plowing and the popular daily Parade of Power, where antique tractors and equipment parade through the grounds. Organizers are especially excited to demonstrate a historic corn sheller and truck once owned by Castle Rock farmer Willard “Goo” Campbell, a machine many longtime residents remember from local farmyards decades ago.
The show also includes live music, a flea market, food vendors, train rides, a kids pedal pull and family activities throughout the weekend.
Gates open at 7 a.m. each day. Admission is $15 for a wristband, which provides access for all three days of the event. Organizers say the show offers a unique opportunity for families to experience firsthand the equipment and traditions that shaped rural Minnesota.
Rich Larson is the owner and General manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
