Antique Farm Equipment Days set to begin Friday at fairgrounds
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 30, 2015 1:46 PM
DUDLEY -- The Eastern North Carolina Vintage Farm Equipment Club will hold its annual show, The Antique Farm Equipment Days, Friday and Saturday at the Wayne County Fairgrounds on U.S. 117 South.
Along with the display of antique farm equipment, the club is sponsoring a fundraising raffle in which the prize is a restored 1949 8N Ford tractor.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. All proceeds will be used by the club for its community projects including the awarding of scholarships to FFA students.
There is no charge for people to display their antique farm equipment.
The only cost once a person pays to enter is what they buy to eat or from vendors, said Ralph McKeel, club member.
"The reason for this show is to support the FFA scholarship program for southeastern North Carolina," he said. "We give away four every year and the show will be held rain or shine."
The drawing for the tractor will be Saturday at 5 p.m. A 50/50 drawing will be held at 3 p.m.
During the show members display their vintage farm equipment, which includes, hit-and-miss engines, tractors, or any kind of antique farm equipment. Other clubs have exhibitions at the show including food vendors and crafts and merchandise vendors.
Thursday and Friday are set-up days for vendors.
The gates will open Saturday at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per person and free for children age 12 an under.
Opening ceremonies will be held at 9 a.m. followed by the Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull at 9:30 a.m. and the Parade of Power at 10:30 a.m. A second Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull will be held at 1:30 p.m.
Children can also play in a castle-style area built of wheat straw. They can try their hand at walking on Tommy walkers (stilts) or walk on cans (homemade stilts) while holding onto strings attached to the cans. There will limbo and kiddie barrel train rides also.
At 9 a.m. officials with J.W. Tugwell Auction will auction off vintage equipment and consignments.
Entertainment will be provided under the pavilion by the Hines Family and N&N Music.
Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes and Fries will be selling food and drinks and vendors will be selling a variety of items.
Other events Saturday include displays and demonstrations of blacksmithing, lye soap making, stream tractors and antique tractors and engines.
Club members will be selling homemade goodies. There will be a plant sale and display with members of the Wayne County Extension Service Master Gardeners program on hand to answer questions.
A tractor rodeo will be held during which club members display their expertise in tractor activities.
The Eastern Carolina Vintage Farm Equipment Club was organized on February 17, 2001, with 45 people in attendance and 35 joined the club at that time.
It is a nonprofit organization registered with the IRS.
It's purpose is to preserve the area's agricultural heritage by restoring and exhibiting antique farm equipment in an effort to educate the citizens of eastern North Carolina, McKeel said.
Also, its financial goal is to provide a scholarship for eastern North Carolina high school students with an interest in furthering their education in agriculture.
The general membership meets monthly on the first Thursday night of each month at 7 p.m. at Cherry Farms research office.
The club has an exhibition at the Wayne County Agriculture Fair every year and provides exhibits and demonstrations for students in the public school system upon invitation.
Club meetings and club activities provide a clean family atmosphere, and alcohol and drugs are prohibited at any of the club's functions, McKeel said.
For more information visit the club's website at oilsingers.com.