A steamy six decades in Blyth

Alittle more than 60 years ago, a group of people interested in steam engines and threshing machines met at a home in Blyth to organize a club that became the Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association.

Over the next six decades, that club has held an annual reunion at the Blyth Community Centre and Campground that has grown to an almost-week long event held every September that attracts attendees from across the province and beyond.

The event in 2023 will run from September 8 to 10, but campers will begin to arrive on September 5. Some are volunteers who work hard to get the grounds ready for the crowds, but all are here for the atmosphere.

The campground will be full of music and reminiscing about childhoods spent in the fields, and long-past harvests with parents, grandparents and extended families and neighbours. The event is about celebrating our rural heritage and reminding present generations of the traditions of the past, the importance of agriculture and the hard work that our ancestors took on to bring us to our modern way of life.

The highlight of the show will be Saturday, when thousands of visitors will descend on the grounds to take in the music, food and the sights and sounds of the steam engines, antique tractors and cars. Vendors will hawk wares from painted saws to local books and more, while the Lifestyle tent will give demonstrations on a variety of items. Threshing and other demonstrations will be running throughout the weekend, and a parade of tractors and antique cars each day is a must-see.

The popular fiddle and step dance competition takes place over Saturday and Sunday. The kids’ pedal tractor pull is a big hit with all ages.

The residents of Blyth jump in with a village-wide yard sale held on September 9 (and many running all week), all set to the joyous sound of steam whistles echoing through the village.

With 30 committees of volunteers overseeing every aspect of the event, this is truly a community-led event.

For a full schedule of events, visit www.blythsteamshow.com Blyth Community Centre and Campground, 377 Gypsy Lane, Blyth

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