Tractor enthusiasts from across the country will gather in Yorkshire this summer for the Newby Hall Tractor Fest – and its annual ‘March of the Tractors’.
The two-day event at the tourist attraction near Ripon attracts thousands of visitors each year, not just tractor owners, collectors and enthusiasts but families across the UK who are promised a great day out.
Last year organisers staged a ‘March of the Tractors’ from Newby Hall to Ripon market square and it proved such a success that one is planned again this year from 5pm on Saturday 7 June.
A line of tractors and engines will follow a route into Ripon centre where shops, cafes and restaurants will again stay open to mark the occasion. The tractors will be sent on their way back to Newby Hall by the Ripon Hornblower at 7pm.
Despite its name, Tractor Fest is not just about tractors, but also features a wide range of vintage engines and cars from around the UK and Europe. Highlights this year will include some iconic tractors and machinery including an exhibition of vintage Model T’s and other Ford cars through the ages. There will also be an attempt at a world record with a mass gathering of turn of the last century Mogul Tractors, with tractors coming from all over the world. This year’s theme is the ‘Single Cylinder Tractor’ and the Marshall Club will also be exhibiting its vintage tractors.
Other attractions aimed at getting families involved include working machinery, free tractor and trailer rides, cars and trucks, vintage tractor pulling, interactive exhibits, food stalls and trade stands.
Newby Hall estate manager Stuart Gill said: “We’re really excited by our plans for this year’s Tractor Fest which will be our biggest and best ever. The March of the Tractors proved particularly popular addition last year and made for a spectacular evening. Ripon market square full of engines was a fantastic sight and we’re hoping to get even more engines involved this year.”
The Tractor Fest is organised by the Yorkshire Vintage Association which is anticipating more exhibitors and collectors than ever before. Chairman Richard Sturdy said: “The Tractor Fest gets better every year and is a popular fixture in the Yorkshire calendar. This year we want as many people as possible from the region and across the UK to join us at this year’s celebration of all things ‘engine’.
“The Tractor Fest is a great day out for all the family with lots to see and do across the displays of veteran engines to modern day tractors.”
