Morrow County Antiques Tractor and Equipment Association members are enthusiastic about the upcoming Farm Days on Aug. 2-4, and to mark the occassion, they gathered around Larry Welch’s Ford-Ferguson N-2 tractor for a photo before they met on July 15 to confirm final plans for the 2024 festivities at the Morrow County Fairgrounds in Mount Gilead.

This year’s Farm Days program is overflowing with both the traditional favorite activities with antique tractors and parades, and a couple of new ones. Antique Tractor Association Secretary Rhonda Graham touted two new events on the schedule this year.

The Car Show Cruise-In is new this year and will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3. There will be a new karate exhibition on Saturday afternoon after the Kids Pedal Pull at 4 p.m. Graham said this will also be the first year for the sanctioned truck pull on Friday at 6:30 p.m. There have been truck pulls in the past, but this is the first year the truck pull is sanctioned.

Tractor Association President Dwight Murphy is glad to promote the packed schedule for Farm Days, which includes food concessions and a farm toy show all weekend, as well as crafts and flea markets, an antique tractor rodeo, antique tractor parades, pie bakeoff contest, and old-fashioned demonstrations with Murphy, Dick Poland and Jerry Jagger. There will be a raffle drawing on Sunday afternoon for a Ford pedal tractor and cash prizes.

Admission for Farm Days is $5, and children 12 years old and under get in free. Camping is also available at the fairgrounds.

The full Farm Days schedule includes:

Aug. 2

Gates open at 10 a.m.

At noon the Farm Toy Show and Craft Show opens.

6:30 p.m. Morrow County Power Pulls at the grandstand.

Aug. 3

Gates open at 7 a.m.

9 a.m.- Car Show Cruise-In and Craft Show open

10 a.m.- consignment sale

Antique Tractor pulls at the Grandstand

2 p.m.- Kids pedal pull in the Pavilion

4 p.m.- Karate exhibition in the Pavilion

5 p.m.- Parade line-up on the Horse Track

5:30 p.m. Antique tractor parade with Ford tractors at the grandstand

6:00 p.m. Lawn mower demolition derby and pickup truck and car figure eight races – Grandstand

Aug. 4

Gates open at 8 a.m.

9 a.m. Church service at the Small Stage

10 a.m. Farm Toy Show and Craft Show open

Antique Rodeo in the track infield

11:30 a.m. Women’s Skillet Toss and Men’s Wrench Toss in the track infield

Noon Mary Miller vocals and acoustic guitar at the small stage

12:30 Pie entries due at the Pavilion

1 p.m. Slow race in the infield

Pie bake-off contest in the Pavilion

2:30 p.m. Pie Auction at the Small Stage

3:30 p.m. Parade lineup on the horse track

4:00 p.m. Antique Tractor Parade at the Small Stage

Log House at the fairgrounds will be open

Additional show information contacts:

• Dwight Murphy: 740-225-4038

• Jon Axthelm: 740-225-3558

• Larry Welch: 419-946-2277

Truck pull, derby, and figure eight races

• Jeff Barker: 419-210-6803

Antique tractor pull

• Rhonda Graham: 419-560-5539

Pie contest

• Heidi Scherpelz: 513-673-0043