Get steamed up about Lakehead Harvest show this weekend

The Lakehead Harvest Show returns Friday for its 61st annual show with daily activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Friday through Sunday, Aug. 26-28 at 70 E. St. Louis River Road near Esko.

Bring the whole family and get ready for a trip into the past on this old-school working farm.

There’s lots to see and do there. Volunteers demonstrate all kinds of farm activities using old-school equipment to thresh, plow, crush rocks, plane wood and even make shingles.

Lakehead Harvest president Ryan Hansen said his favorite part of the show is watching the interactions between old and young. “I love seeing the older generation light up as they explain how something was used way back when, and seeing the understanding grow on a younger person’s face. That link being created is always the best part.”

Check out the petting barn, watch a working blacksmith or enjoy vintage craft activities, a flea market and train rides for the children.

Antique tractor drivers will compete to carry a weighted sled the farthest at 12:30 Saturday, with garden tractor drivers doing their best Sunday at 1 p.m. The kids’ pedal tractor pull starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and there are parades at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The food is pretty good, too.

Eat fresh corn on the cob, cooked using the steam from an ancient steam engine. Or visit the Three Day Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You won’t have to eat the same thing twice, Hansen said. “They have fantastic food, everything from burgers to omelets to pie,” he said.

It takes about 70 volunteers to make it all happen, Hansen said. “We try to run everything as much as possible so people can see as much as possible. We kind of work ourselves to death, but at the end of day, it’s worth it.”

The show is a fundraiser for Lakehead Harvest, an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the past, with a focus on local farming, harvesting, and general farm life throughout the past 100 plus years. Gate receipts help cover expenses, including property taxes, improvements and more.

Many of the weekend activities also contribute. “The lumber that we plane, we use for improvements, maintenance, new buildings, all that kind of stuff,” Hansen said. “Not only does it put on a show, it also benefits us in the long run.”

Admission is $10 a day or $20 for the entire weekend, with parking across the road. See http://www.lakeheadharvestshow.com for more.