Rollag or Mt Pleasant

I went to Mt Pleasant a couple year ago and was very impressed. I have talked to others and many of them also strongly recommended Rollag. I have been looking online and see a lot of cool steam stuff at Rollag but not many photos of other things. I am mainly a JD person and enjoy seeing early Deere's. While I dont mind seeing steam, I would also like to see some Deere's. Does Rollag have the tractors like Mt Pleasant?

Not having been to Mt. Pleasant, I can't comment on the difference but I am well acquainted with Rolag or more properly the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR) having been a member for 25 years. Yes, publicity promotes the steam aspect as that was the founding basis of the organization, but it is far more than that.

WMSTR showcases virtually every aspect of farm life from the early days of the area. There are hundreds of gas tractors of every make and manufacture including some one of a kind types. Each year a different manufacturer is highlighted with a separate exhibition area set aside just for that type of equipment. This year it is Emerson-Brantingham Engines but there will be no shortage of John Deeres either. There is also 3 large working sawmills, a shed of Otto Engines plus a ton of hit and miss engines, a working horse farm, a Corliss steam engine with a 14 foot flywheel and an Allis Chalmers vertical steam engine from the Pabst Brewery, a large Snow gas engine, an operating foundry and machine shop, a working blacksmith shop and another site doing forge work, plowing done with steam and gas engines as well as combining done with early pull type and self propelled combines, "The Sandbox" with steam shovels, caterpillars, an old trencher and a host of other early construction equipment, there is small scale tractors and steam engines, a miniature steam railroad as well as full size one that circles the grounds, tractor pulls and a whole lot more. Oh, and spark shows every night after dusk, weather permitting.

It's huge and to be honest, one day will not be enough to see it all. Here is the link with info on camping, places to stay and schedules; http://www.rollag.com/

(quoted from post at 08:23:28 08/01/17) ]

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Thank you! I will be coming from about 7 hrs away so I wanted to make sure. Is there a flea market?

Rollag, You won't be disappointed and you will never want to go to Mount Pleasant again. No flea Market on the grounds.

(quoted from post at 11:38:51 08/01/17)No flea Market on the grounds.

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Does that mean there is one off the grounds?

Come to the Rantoul show, the 24 - 27. If you want to see new stuff, the Farm Progress Show is the 29 - 31 at Decatur with a few antiques. I will have my Bs there at both.

Matt, we lived about 30 miles from Old Threshers back in the 70's and 80's and would typically spend several days there. Always thought no show could exceed what that show offered - - until I went to Rollag in 2003 to watch the 50 bottom plow/Rumely reenactment. That place is HUGE. I would guess the show grounds cover over 200 acres. But that includes a big pond where there was a tugboat shuttling logs across the water to some of the sawmills lining the shore. You won't see anything like that at Mt. P. And because it's so spread out, it didn't seem like you fought the crowds as much as you do in Mt. P., either. You won't be disappointed by going there, even if they aren't featuring JD, but you might want to wait a few years until they feature Deere again. (JD was featured in 2008, so it's been 9 years since then....)

Last time I was there, 3 years ago, there wasn't any flea market stuff anywhere. Lot of garage sales around the area. If you blink when going through Rollag, you might miss the town.