The Geauga County Historical Society’s Century Village Museum will once again celebrate the community’s rich pioneer history as it will host the annual Antique Power Show Exhibit the weekend of Aug. 8, beginning at 10 a.m.
“We have been doing it for decades,” Volunteer Linn Walker told The Weekly Villager on July 24. “It started decades ago to showcase the original steam-powered equipment that early pioneer farmers used.”
According to Walker, Century Village has hosted the Antique Power Show to educate younger generations just how essential the use of steam-powered equipment was to farmers making the most of the land. They were becoming modern in their use of the latest technology available. That’s how they pioneered.
The exhibit will begin with farmers from throughout Geauga County and beyond bringing their tractors to the Century Village campus grounds. Both days will have a tractor parade around Burton Village Square. Tractors will then be parked on the Historical Village campus.
“It is a big parade and then we vote,” added Walker. “All the public is invited to vote on their favorite antique equipment or vehicle, then the winner recieves a trophy. It is free to the public.”
Century Village will display three different pieces of steam-powered equipment that were essential to pioneers and farmers; a steam-powered sawmill, a steam-powered threshing machine and a steam-powered tractor.
“The way that people talk about them when they are talking about them and bringing them up is that they are super excited about it,” noted Walker.
The steam-powered sawmill and threshing machine are property of Century Village while the steam-powered tractor will be loaned to Century Village for the weekend. Walker said that Century Village will bring back one of its most popular activities from previous Antique Power Show Weekends — a tractor pulling event, a 19th century tradition where farmers used farm tractors to pull heavy items to demonstrate the strength of their farming equipment.
Walker added that Century Village will feature several other attractions throughout the weekend, including opening several historical buildings such as the toolshed and feature a blacksmith in attendance.
The weekend also will have live musical entertainment, as the local band Twisted Toyze will perform on Saturday and local musician Rick Sockel will perform on Sunday.
Walker said that Century Village has added a new wrinkle to the popular weekend exhibit with a live drone demonstration.
Walker noted that the popularity of the annual Antique Power Show Weekend not only extends across Geauga County but to people outside of the County and throughout the State of Ohio.
“We are very excited,” she said. “We have been posting it on our social media and our digital sign. We have been sending out press releases and advertising. We have yard signs to put in people’s yards, fliers and by word of mouth.”
She highlighted that the weekend will also feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including a kids’ zone.
“It is also not just tractors,” Walker said. “That is the main draw and big thing, but it is also going to be fun to come to the Village. There will be music and food because people are always looking for something for their kids to do. It is for the whole family, from young to old. We get all ages. It is really something for everybody.”
Walker highlighted that as much as the Weekend celebrates the rural history of Geauga County, it also serves as an educational experience for those not familiar with the farming nature and history of Geauga County.
“The younger generation, if they are from a farming family, they will understand, but all of our events, we really work at preserving history and being educational,” Walker said. “So, it will be educational because you can pick the brains of all of these people who bring vintage and antique equipment and ask them questions and learn. It is definitely an educational weekend.”
