From my perspective, the shows around here (western NY) are at least holding their own and a couple have grown – both in numbers of exhibitors and attendance – over the past several years. This despite the skyrocketing cost of fuel.
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A few random thoughts on the growth of the show I’m most involved with:
Each year adds a new attraction or two to bring people to the show. Recent additions include a kiddie pedal tractor pull (brings in a LOT of kids, parent and grandparents); a team of oxen + driver that just sorta wander the grounds with the driver schmoozing with folks; a couple of the better and more popular local live bands in concert, etc.
This year the local Corvette collector’s club was invited to display their cars on Saturday. Not exactly in keeping with the theme of old tractors. But it brought in a whole fresh group of fairgoers – most of whom had never been to a tractor show before. Many wound up staying all day to enjoy the sights and sounds.
The show itself is a community volunteer effort. It's spearheaded by the local Lions Club. However groups like the Boy Scouts, the fire dept, the local 2 Cylinder, IHC and Oliver tractor clubs, and others pitch in to help with the show registration, the tractor pulls, running the chicken BBQ, keeping trash picked up, etc. This community volunteer aspect results in many locals being involved. And they in turn cause many others to show up.
Several volunteers see that the show gets publicized in advance as much as possible via articles in the paper, on the radio, in flyers posted at other shows, etc. They also run a simple float advertising the show in several firemen's parades.
Unrestored and working equipment is encouraged to be exhibited. More and more unrestored stuff shows up every year. And curiously this stuff seems to get more attention than do the prettiest “trailer queen” tractor restorations.
We try to have hands-on displays in operation at all times. Curiously the most popular is a simple pitcher pump mounted to a washtub half-filled with water. Kids stand in line all day for a chance to work the pump. Another popular feature is a hit ‘n miss engine belted to a corn sheller and grinder. Visitors feed corn one ear at time into the machines and watch what comes out.
Active displays are popular. We have a guy who brings a hand-operated cordage machine – he keeps busy making short lengths of braided rope from poly baling twine to give to kids. Another guy brings and old buzz saw which he belts to a hit ‘n miss engine – he entertains by buzzing up cordwood. We bring in another guy who makes/sells chainsaw carvings on site. In hot weather another guy runs a couple large fans from an old generator - people stand around in front of his awning to enjoy the cooling breeze.
Most of our exhibitors permit/encourage people to climb onto their tractors for photos, etc. Seems there’s always a kid or two on several different tractors and a parent with a camera nearby.
A tractor-drawn hayride continuously running thru the show grounds helps the elderly and those with little kids see the entire show with a minimum of effort.
The Sunday antique tractor pull now encourages female drivers to enter. This gets wives, GF’s and daughters of male drivers to enter. This in turn brings out more people (women especially…) to watch.
We try to keep the show non-competitive. Outside of the tractor pull only a few prizes - simple ribbons - are awarded: Categories include oldest tractor, tractor traveling the farthest distance (and the shortest….) to get to the show, and the most unusual tractor. There’s also a best in show award to the nicest looking tractor. The “prize” here is the winning tractor gets pictured on the next year’s show button and T-shirt.
Finally it seems we have a decent crop of next generation old tractor enthusiasts coming along and getting involved. Each year had seen several teenagers (including couple girls) proudly displaying their “new” old tractors in various states of repair. A few of them pull their tractors. (Pull officials will bend the rules a bit for the youngsters in order to deal with the inevitable stalls, false starts, etc. first timers always seem to suffer from).
Bottom line is thru a bit of creative thought and effort, good shows can run despite high fuel prices and tight budgets.
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