HCSEA a tribute to steam and a whole bunch more
Steam will be on display at the annual HCSEA event in Mt. Hope July 31 through Aug. 2. There will be threshing and sawmill demonstrations featuring steam, an evening spark show, plenty of food and live entertainment and more.
Summer can generate plenty of steamy heat, but the steam emanating from Mt. Hope July 31 to Aug. 2 won’t be because of the sultry summer sun, but rather the many big machines rolling into town.
The roar of old engines, the sound of steam, and plenty of competition featuring powerful tractors and horses will invite visitors to experience the thrill of steam days for the annual Holmes County Steam Engine Association show at the Mt. Hope Auction Event Center.
Steam engines, antique tractors, threshing machines, a sawmill and more will soon roll into Mt. Hope for the 2025 Holmes County Steam & Engine Show.
The show will include a sawmill, threshing machines, a power-eater, Baker fans, steam engine games and spark shows at night, and in between is a schedule crammed full of events, food and action.
Perhaps the show’s most anticipated events are the horse pull and the tractor pull. Both have generated huge crowds over the years.
“Those are definitely big parts of our weekend,” said Melvin Wengerd, HCSEA president. “Both horses and tractors are such a big part of our area, and both offer incredible raw power.”
Wengerd said when the top horses and pulling teams show up, the people come out, and when that happens and the purse is large, the top teams tend to find their way to the show.
That’s the case here, with the $10,000 purse featured for the horse pull one of the largest in the state, something that certainly attracts some of the greatest pulling teams.
The horse pull will be Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. and will feature lightweight and heavyweight competition.
Not to be outdone, the tractor pull on Friday, Aug. 1 is equally as exciting, although it features the strength of man-made machines rather than the natural beauty of equine.
The large tractor tour around Holmes County is another activity. Wengerd said dozens of tractors and their drivers will set forth on a grand tour around a path of country roads throughout the area on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
“It’s quite a sight and a really great time,” Wengerd said. “We invite anyone with a tractor to join us for a ride through the rolling hills of Holmes County. All they need to do is come in with their tractor and enjoy the ride.”
Another reason this event has experienced so much success is that is was built to bring together people passionate about steam, tractors and farming. It isn’t unusual to hear plenty of stories being shared from seasoned veterans of tractors and steam in every nook and cranny of the Mt. Hope Auction facility.
Wengerd said the hope is to get young children to come with their families to enjoy the experience because the youth are the future of the HCSEA.
This year marks the final time the HCSEA will be at Mt. Hope, with a move to Harvest Ridge planned for 2026.
Schedule
—Thursday, July 31: gates open at 9 a.m., steam engines power up and sawmill from 9 a.m. to noon, threshing demo from 1-3 p.m., kids tractor pull at 4 p.m., live music by Country Line at 5 p.m., and open horse pull at 6 p.m.
—Friday, Aug. 1: gates open at 8 a.m., steam engines power up at 8 a.m., threshing demonstration from 1-3 p.m., kids tractor pull at 3 p.m., tractor weigh-in at 4 p.m. (ends at 5:45 p.m.), live music by Destiny at 5 p.m. tractor pulling contest at 6 p.m. and steam engine spark show at dusk.
—Saturday, Aug. 2: gates open at 8 a.m., steam engines power up at 8 a.m., garden tractor and mini rod pull at 10 a.m., threshing demonstration at 10 a.m., 90-minute tractor drive through Holmes County at 11:30 a.m. and kids money scramble at 2 p.m.
As the HCSEA continues into its third decade, its members look forward to the challenge of promoting its motto for many future shows, “Dedicated to the Preservation of Antique Farm Machinery.”
The Holmes County Steam & Engine Association held its first summer show in 1993 at an Amish farm near Berlin. From an early membership of eighty members, the association has now grown to over 400 members and had more than 14,000 paid admissions at its most recent show.
The event will close Saturday at 5 p.m. For more information visit hcsea.com or follow the organization on Facebook.