Tractors on parade: A window into agricultural history

Exhibitors line up for a previous tractor parade at Billings Farm & Museum. (Photo Provided)

The agricultural technology of yesteryear will be on full display at the 21st Annual Antique Tractor Day this weekend at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont. 

On Sunday, restored tractors from throughout the region will be part of two parades at noon and 3 p.m. But that’s not all: Exhibitors will also take their skills to the “Slow Race” at 4 p.m. The lowest-velocity tractor race you ever saw was added a few years back, and it’s just what it sounds like. 

“The last one to cross the finish line wins,” said Marge Wakefield, PR and community relations coordinator. 

The tractor exhibitors come from all over New England, Wakefield said, but many of them come from Woodstock and other nearby Windsor County towns. And many have participated before. 

“It’s kind of like an Old Home Day for them,” Wakefield added. “They love to get together and chat.”

Adults have enjoyed Tractor Day for a long time, but it’s also a time for the whole family. Kids can have fun driving pedal tractors through an obstacle course, and they can also make their own wooden tractor to take home. Then, families can enjoy a tractor-drawn wagon ride around the farm and the tractor-themed Story Walk along the pasture fences.

Other activities also abound. The culinary side of rural heritage comes to life in the Learning Kitchen, through tastings, demonstrations and classes. Guests can also visit the 3rd Annual Sunflower House, just beginning to bloom. This 20,000-square-foot structure features flowers ranging in height from 18 inches to a towering 14 feet.

Providing activities for all ages is a major focus for Billings Farm & Museum, and people have greatly enjoyed them over the years — including in 2021. After the challenges of last year, guest traffic this summer has been strong and is now even with July 2019, Wakefield said. 

“We are right back on track with where we were two years ago,” she said.  

The summer season has a rich variety of events and activities coming up at the farm, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. For more details, visit billingsfarm.org.

— Gareth Henderson

Billings Farm & Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until October 31, and weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November-February.