66th steam show rolls in

The 66th Annual Central North Dakota Steam Threshers Reunion is set for September 20-22 in New Rockford and organizers have been planning additional new events to entertain all ages.

This year's feature is The Great Minneapolis Line and Massey Harris. Craig Mattson, a lifetime member from Lake Park, Minn., will have his 1907 Minneapolis 22hp engine at the show for the first time. He purchased the engine near Duluth, Minn. Several tractors are being hauled in as well.

Although antique and classic cars have always been a part of the daily afternoon parade at 2 p.m., a Classic Car Show has been added to the schedule. Owners are encouraged to bring all makes and models prior to 1975. Lifetime member Terry Gortmaker, who has been a member of the Bridge City Cruisers in the Valley City area, is chairing the event this year.

Friday evening an indoor dance in the Potter Pavilion will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight featuring the band Silverado of Fargo. Silverado plays the best of current and classic country along with some rock and roll.

Silverado is not your daddy’s country band. They are guaranteed to move attendees out of their seats to get their boots on the dance floor. Silverado has opened for national acts such as the late Toby Keith, Sara Evans, The Beach Boys, Montgomery Gentry, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Lawrence and Joe Diffie..

Hanson's Bar will be providing the beer garden, open at 7 p.m. Admission to the dance is free with the purchase of a $20 wristband good for admission all three days of the reunion. The dance is open to the public with the beer gardens limited to those 21 years of age and older.

Over the past few years, several activities for kids have been added to the lineup. The annual Kids Pedal Pull event has a new start time – 10 a.m. for registration with the pull beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. All kids ages 4 through 11 are welcome to participate. Kids of all ages can also drive tractors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily during the reunion. This event is popular with the many area students who attend as a school field trip on Friday. Members donate their tractors and offer to ride along with each kid.

The 19th annual tractor trek is set for Thursday, Sept. 19. The group, which includes many New Rockford area tractor owners, will leave the show grounds at 9:45 a.m. and arriving in Fessenden for lunch. Refreshments will be served for the trek participants beginning at 9 a.m. John Lee of Carrington has chaired this event for several years, mapping a gravel road route with great scenery of the local countryside.

Close to 40 spaces have been rented for the craft and vendor sale again this year. Vendors with a wide variety of goods for sale are coming from towns througout North Dakota, as well as Surprise, Ariz. and Fisher, Minn.

The youngest vendor will be 10-year-old Spencer Phelps, the owner of Spencer's Sweet Stop Candy Shop.in Colfax, N.D. At the age of 8, this young entrepreneur told his grandma selling lemonade in front of the post office in Ambrose, N.D. was just not cutting it and he needed to move onto something bigger and better. His booth features lots of old fashioned candy, including salt water taffy he has shipped in from Utah.

Daytime musical entertainment this year will be provided by The Euphoria Band at noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday, and Mylo Hatzenbuhler is back by popular demand, performing at noon Sunday.

Monkey Balls is a new food vendor at the reunion, offering a unique product described as marrying a funnel cake with a donut – and the offspring would be the monkey balls. They are a deep fried dough served with cinnamon butter or powdered sugar.

All of the food vendors returning provide show attendees with a wide variety of popular foods to try.

Admission to the Central N.D. Steam Threshers Reunion for youth ages 11-17 is $5 daily or $10 for the weekend. Kids age 10 and under are still free. Adult admission is $10 daily or $20 for a weekend wristband. More information and a complete schedule of events can be found at centralndsteamthreshersreunion.com.