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This month's 50th anniversary Farm Progress Show, Sept. 23-25 near
Danville, has an expanded lineup of attractions and activities.
Here's how to have some fun at the show.
Eat well
It's not haute cuisine, but it sure is
good eating. Come hungry enough to try several items from the food
tent menu -- including smoked chops, walking tacos, barbecue,
desserts and other satisfying finger foods.
Foot-stomping music
Outdoor twilight performances from the
Morton stage are scheduled for two evenings of the show. Platinum
recording country music star Brad Paisley appears Sept. 23, followed
by the rocking country duo Montgomery Gentry on Sept. 24. Concert
tickets are available at the event for $12 or in advance for $10 at
Big R Stores, the First National Bank of Danville, by calling
toll-free (866) 279-7469 or online at
www.FarmProgressShow.com.
Farm &
Fireside Tent
Ample seating is ready under the Farm &
Fireside big-top tent. The Farm & Fireside's daylong programming
features clean family comedy, music, cooking, sewing, gardening and
square dancing. Humorist Captain Stubby will appear at noon daily.
Stubby is the only staff member to participate in all 50 Farm
Progress Shows.
Craft
exhibits
About 30 artisans and crafters will
display their handiwork at the show. Exhibits will feature handmade
furniture, stained glass, collectibles, handmade brooms, appliqued
clothing and home items, lithographs, candles, floral arrangements,
and other crafts.
Horses
and cattle
Renowned horse trainer Craig Cameron,
our "horse whisperer," educates and entertains equine enthusiasts
twice daily. Cameron's programs feature working sessions with
locally owned, untrained horses. His audiences learn the basics of
overcoming a horse's natural fears and earning the animal's trust.
Also, live cattle-handling demonstrations are featured daily in the
Farm Progress Show Livestock Tent.
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Celebrating the past
A number of displays and attractions
will celebrate agriculture's heritage at this 50th anniversary
event, the most notable being the massive antique equipment display
along Tenth Street. A number of tractor restoration clubs are
participating, and there will even be rare items on display from the
Smithsonian Museum collection.
Potpourri
of surprises
It's traditional for many of the Farm
Progress Show's exhibitors to surprise and delight the crowd. Over
the years, visitors have been treated to racing pigs, professional
cheerleaders, game shows, celebrity appearances and an array of
activities designed to attract attention and provide amusement.
Half
Century of Progress
The Half Century of Progress Show is a
small-scale reproduction of the first Farm Progress Show, in 1953,
with vintage tractors, equipment and other products. This antique
event is scheduled for Sept. 20 and 21, the Saturday and Sunday
before the Farm Progress Show, and kicks off with a tractorcade of
old and new tractors built from 1953 to 2003. The tractorcade starts
at the I&I headquarters (the old Penfield Grade School), heads
cross-country to the 1953 Farm Progress Show site and then to the
2003 show site near Henning, about eight miles away.
Ticket
information
The show sites are located three miles
north of Henning, and Henning is approximately 15 miles north of
Danville. Half Century of Progress Show admission is $3 for adults,
and ages 12 and under are admitted free. Farm Progress Show
admission is $7 ($5 in advance) for ages 18 and older, $3 for ages
13-17, and ages 12 and under are admitted free. Parking is free.
Evening concert tickets for Montgomery Gentry on Sept. 24 and Brad
Paisley on Sept. 23 are $12 or can be purchased in advance for $10.
Advance ticket sales for the Farm
Progress Show and concerts are available from Big R Stores, First
National Bank of Danville and toll-free via the Farm Progress Show's
ticket hot line at (866) 279-7469. The public is welcome.
For
additional information visit
www.FarmProgressShow.com.
[News release] |
