Antique cars, tractors and other farming equipment will take center stage at the Steam and Gas Engine Show, which returns for the 28th year at Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry Saturday and Sunday.
“I think what makes it a fun event is there’s something for all ages and every member of the family,” said Ben Richards, park manager.
The vehicles mostly span the early to mid-1900s, including Ford Model As and Model Ts alongside muscle cars. The event also features tractor pulls for the first time, conducted by the Central Virginia Antique Tractor Pulling Association.
The sawmill, built in the 1930s, will feature live demonstrations. The children’s area includes a pedal tractor pull, a straw fort, tractors and wagons for pictures and stilts on which children can learn to walk.
Live entertainment spans classic rock, folk and country throughout the weekend. Food vendors will offer pizza, burgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes and more alongside craft vendors selling jewelry, handbags and the like.
Richards said the event offers a way for younger people to experience farm life like their grandparents did on a plantation that’s been continuously farmed for 399 years.
“What I like to see are these pieces of equipment still in action,” he said. “I think people can come out and they can see what life was like 100 years ago, 50 years ago.”
Want to go?
The Steam and Gas Engine Show runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Chippokes Plantation State Park, 695 Chippokes Park Road, Surry. $5 per vehicle. For more information, call 294-3728.
