News Release

ELKHART COUNTY — There are fewer things that illustrate the heritage of Elkhart County quite like agriculture.

When the earliest settlers arrived nearly 200 years ago, they found stubborn soils that seemed unable to support growth and prosperity. But those pioneers turned to ingenuity for the promise of a new life and livelihood. Now, many generations later, Elkhart County is regarded as a place where farmsteads thrive and flourish.

It is in that spirit that the Wakarusa Historical Museum created its annual fall festival known as the “Vintage Power Show.”

This year, the museum will be hosting the show Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17. The event is a joint endeavor between the Wakarusa Historical Society and the Wakarusa Chamber of Commerce. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. Friday and will continue through dusk, while the Saturday hours are set for 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Vintage Power Show is located at 403 E. Wabash Ave., near downtown Wakarusa.

The featured manufacturers for 2024 are those encompassed by Massey, Harris-Massey Ferguson and Ferguson brands, although there will be agricultural machinery on exhibit from a wide range of companies. There will be a tractor pull on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m., and guided museum tours will be given on Saturday. Guests can meet at the gazebo at either 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. for the start of the tours, which will provide opportunities to see the museum complex in its entirety.

Other features that will take place at the museum include food and craft vendors, demonstrations in wheat threshing, wood carving, saw mill, blacksmithing and corn shredding, among others.

Visitors can sample a taste of freshly pressed apple cider, witness a nightfall spark show on Friday evening and view a Civil War re-enactment encampment and cannon firing.

For more updates or details, visit the Wakarusa Historical Museum or Wakarusa Chamber Facebook pages, or call (574) 575-3744.