Learn about the world of tractors and everything they powered on New York State farms at the eighth annual Tractor Fest, taking place at The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York on Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. See classic tractors, small engines, and other machinery - displaying the growth of farming technology.
Over 60 classic tractors will line up for this year's event representing several manufacturers including Farmall, Ford, Case, Oliver, Moline, and John Deere. On Sunday at noon, see tractors parade throughout the museum grounds. Clubs such as Central New York Antique Tractor Club, Tired Iron of Butternut Valley, and the Franklin Doodlebugs Homemade Antique Tractor Club will again participate in the event. See tractors at work - thrashing and baling. Take a wagon ride around the museum grounds–pulled by a tractor. Watch demonstrations of a corn cutter and check out a display of large and small hit-and-miss engines.
Tractor Fest is a great weekend destination for families. On Saturday at 2:00 p.m., kids under 12 can take part in a new and improved Pedal Tractor Pull Contest provided by Tired Iron of Butternut Valley. Sign-up between 1:00–2:00 p.m. Ribbons and prizes will be awarded. Children ages 7 and younger can drive our assortment of pedal-tractors or play in our "corn box" – like a sandbox but filled with corn kernels. Otsego County Dairy Promotion and Hanford Mills Museum will each be on site with an assortment of children's activities. Toys of Yesterday farm toys and pickups will be on display in the Main Barn, courtesy of Troy Deamer of Owego, New York. All event activities run from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. both days.
On Saturday at noon, Tired Iron of Butternut Valley will complete their sixth annual charity drive by presenting a check to support the Roswell Park Cancer Institute's joint venture with Oneida Health Cancer Care to bring world-renowned cancer care to CNY. The new facility in Madison County will provide Roswell doctors, state-of-the-art infusion centers, radiation, imaging, support facilities and more.
During Tractor Fest, life in 1845 continues throughout the museum's historic village and farmstead. Don't miss the Empire State Carousel, the museum you can ride, and the Children's Barnyard with its sheep, goats, and other animals. Watch expert craftspeople in the Blacksmith Shop, pharmacy, and the other historic buildings.
Adults (13-64): $12.00; seniors (65+): $10.50; youth (7-12): $6.00; children (6 and under): Free. Museum members are always admitted free, as are active-duty and retired career military.
Tractor Fest is sponsored in part by Bank of Cooperstown and Chobani. The Farmers' Museum is located at 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Visit FarmersMuseum.org for more information.
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.
FarmersMuseum.org