Cooperstown, N.Y. - At the third annual Tractor Fest, learn about the world of tractors and all the activities they powered on New York farms. See classic and new tractors, small engines, and other machinery, representing the growth of farming technology from the 1920s until today. The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown presents Tractor Fest on Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Discover classic tractors from Ford, Case, Oliver, Moline, and John Deere, as well as modern tractors. On Sunday, tractors parade down Main Street in Cooperstown, beginning at 9:30 a.m. See tractors at work thrashing oats and baling oat straw with a 1918 Case hay press. New equipment demonstrations will take place throughout both days, furnished by Springer's Inc.
Families find Tractor Fest to be a great weekend destination. Kids, ages 7 and under, can compete for prizes in a Kiddie Pedal-Tractor Pull contest on both Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Also on the small scale, Bill and Robin Steele bring their "Tired Iron" Farm Toy Museum to Tractor Fest. Wagon rides around the Historic Village, pulled by a Ford Golden Jubilee Tractor, are offered on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Small engines will be on display too, such as a Maytag engine from the Museum's collection, a quarter scale drag saw, and a 1/12 scale Case traction engine. On Saturday, visitors can see a hit-and-miss engine power an ice cream churn. Byler's fresh ice cream will be for sale.
For people with a dairy farming background, fond memories will rush back in the exhibit of antique milking machines. Promoting dairy, the Otsego County Dairy Princess, Jessica Hadlock, will be at Tractor Fest on Sunday.
People interested in poultry will have a chance to meet Bill Post and his array of heritage poultry breeds. It's a great place to talk turkey!
All the delightful activities that happen every day at The Farmers' Museum continue during Tractor Fest. Ride the Empire State Carousel. Watch expert craftspeople in the Blacksmith shop, pharmacy, and the other historic buildings!
Tractor Fest is free withyour paid museum admission. Museum admission: $12 adults (13+), $10.50 seniors (65+), $6 children (7-12), children 6 and under and members of the New York State Historical Association are free. Food and beverages will be available throughout the day. Please visit our website at FarmersMuseum.org formore information and a full schedule of events.
###
Image: Tractor enthusiasts explore the grounds at last year's Tractor Fest at The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, NY. About The Farmers' Museum As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers' Museum's outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region. For more information or images, please contact: Todd Kenyon, Public Relations New York State Historical Association Fenimore Art Museum/The Farmers' Museum Phone: (607) 547-1472 / E-mail: t.kenyon@nysha.org