Organisers of this year’s Tractor Fest are expecting a bumper crowd at the annual show held at Newby Hall, near Ripon over the Bank Holiday Jubilee weekend.
The UK’s largest tractor festival takes place from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 June – in celebration of the Queen’s 70th anniversary as monarch.
Tractor Fest – organised by the Yorkshire Vintage Association – celebrates all things tractor, showcasing both vintage and modern marques, cars, lorries, stationary engines, commercial vehicles and motorcycles from around the UK and abroad.
In readiness for the Jubilee themed Tractor Fest, members of the West Yorkshire group of the National Vintage Tractor & Engine Club brought together red, white and blue tractors. Chairman Mark Nicholson and his wife Mary, drove from Littlethorpe to Newby Hall on their 1960 red International B275 and a blue Fordson Dexta from 1958.
Joining them was Les Goforth of Ripon on his white 1969 David Brown Selectamatic 780, a working tractor used for ploughing.
More than 1,500 exhibits are expected at this year’s festival which will showcase vintage tractors, machines and vehicles. Highlights of this year’s show include:
- The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) flying a Hawker Hurricane and Spitfire over the show (on Friday 3 and Sunday 5 June respectively)
- A display of 70-year-old Jubilee and Coronation vintage tractors including a gold tractor
- 100 pre-1922 vintage tractors
Victorian engines - 100-year-old stationary engines
- 100 years of the Austin 7 car.
Tractor Fest makes for a great family day out. Admission includes access to Newby’s award-winning gardens, adventure playground, dolls house and teddy bear exhibitions.
Other fun activities for families over the weekend include mini tractor driving, face painting, colouring, interactive exhibits and working machinery. There are also trade stands, crafts and a choice of street food.
Tractor Fest is sponsored by Europe’s leading agricultural and machinery auctioneer Cheffins, The National Vintage Tractor & Engine Club (NVTEC) and Econ Engineering. The show is also supported by Ripon Farm Services.
Yorkshire Vintage Association chairman Kevin Watson said: “Cheffins is our headline sponsor once again, having supported the show for the last six years. Their sponsorship, along with our other supporters, means the show gets bigger and better every year, making it a great family day out.”
Cheffins chairman Bill King said: “Cheffins has strong links to Yorkshire through our annual summer Harrogate Vintage auction and regular on-site sales which we host throughout the region, so we are delighted to continue our sponsorship of Tractor Fest. The event provides an excellent opportunity to catch up with friends, colleagues and clients and we are looking forward to returning to God’s Own County to support the event in June.”
WHEN? Friday 3 June – Sunday 5 June 2022, 10am-5pm
WHERE? Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon, North Yorkshire
COST £16 for adults. £12 for children (4-16 years) – under 4’s free. A family
ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) £50
TICKETS To be purchased online only at https://www.newbyhall.com/event/tractorfest-3rd-4th-5th-june-2022/
