Clanking, chugging, hissing, popping….
Georgian Bay Steam Show is more than a combination farm equipment-classic car-family farm demonstration show — it is an assault on the senses.
Acres of steam and gas engines, antique tractors and farm equipment in working order produce pungent smells that mingle with the aroma of french fries and sausages, while the sounds reach industrial levels — especially the noon-hour blast of steam whistles.
It is all music to the ears of steam show enthusiasts.
The 53rd annual Georgian Bay Steam & Gas Association Show will take place in Cookstown at the Steam Show Grounds on Victoria Street West on the Civic Holiday long weekend.
From Aug. 3-6, visitors can stop by to see farming the way it used to be done, including the steam-powered behemoths that revolutionized farming at the turn of the 20th century.
Each day starts off with a hearty pancake breakfast, from 8-10 a.m., followed by displays and demonstrations, garden tractor and antique tractor pulls, slow tractor races, live entertainment on the main stage — including performances by the Bond Head Old Tyme Fiddlers.
On Sunday at 6 p.m., the big event is the Ontario Truck & Tractor Puller Association (OTTPA) pull, which draws amateurs and professionals competing to have a full pull.
This year’s feature is Minneapolis Moline, a tractor and machinery company in Minnesota, formed in 1929 by the merger of three companies.
The name was in use until 1974, when it was dropped by the parent White Motor Company, which had acquired the brand in 1963.
In addition to the big yellow Minnie-Molines, the steam show will also highlight Waterloo Manufacturing, which sold Minneapolis Moline in Ontario, and oddball and orphan tractors and equipment. This includes one-offs and unique products, such as the short-lived Sears mail-order tractor, and the Goold Shapley & Muir’s Beaver.
Asked about the Beaver, Jeff Blaney, organizer of the feature display, had to defer to Rick Mannen, editor of Antique Power Magazine.
Mannen, who owns a Beaver, guessed the name was chosen because it “sounded Canadian” or had the connotation of being “busy as a beaver.”
“This is the fun part of collecting antique tractors, especially oddballs, such as those made by companies like Goold Shapley & Muir. There are many unanswered questions that keep us collectors interested!” Blaney said.
Check out the feature displays in the north field and the Bob Hickson Building.
Steam show hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, followed by an evening of music by the Old Tyme Fiddlers, and an open-air movie with popcorn at 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a Junior Talent Show and a square dance at 9 p.m.
On Sunday, the hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an Adult Talent Show and jam session in the evening.
On Monday, the hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is $8 per person on Fri. and Monday, and $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Accompanied children under 12 are free at any time. Please, no dogs or bicycles in the show area. Parking is free.
For more information, visit steamshow.ca.
