The Northern Indiana Power from the Past is kicking off its 48th annual antique power show from July 17-20 at the fairgrounds located in the Winamac Town Park.
This years NIPFP antique power show comes after last years cancellation in 2024 due to following at the park venue. In the past the show had been cancelled on four separate occasions, with other years cancelled being in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2015 due to soggy conditions in the park from heavy rains in June resulting in flooding of the Tippecanoe River at the show site that month and in 1996 the annual antique power show was cut short due to river flooding in the park.
Despite the occasional cancellations, the power show continues to bring a a large gathering of old equipment enthusiasts and a wide variety of vendors, drawing thousands of visitors each year for one of Pulaski County's largest annual events. This year's featured machinery will be Ford Tractors. Events include a large flea market, a quilt show, active demonstrations, antique chainsaws, hit-and-miss engines, corn elevator, mini straw baler, saw mill, threshing exhibits, vintage tractors, steam engines, garden tractors, Baker Fan, baling equipment, corn shredder and sheller, shingle mill and planer-edger, children's activities, Tippecanoe Valley Woodworkers, blacksmithing, leather crafting, printmaking, wagon wheelwright, and more.
Daily Admission is $5 and children under age 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. A preview night for the show ($1 admission) will be Wednesday, July 17. A Winamac Deli pulled-pork dinner will run from 4:30 to 7 p.m., sponsored by Boy Scout Troop No. 229. There will be a $10 charge for golf carts and gator-type vehicles brought to the show. Off road vehicles must show proof of insurance to enter the event.
Exhibitor campers needing plugged in for RV/camper hook-ups will have a $50 electricity fee. More information can be found for campers at the Exhibitor Camping page.
Show organizers work to create a learning experience through its Antique Power Show where the future meets the past. The functional purpose of this annual show is to "preserve, rejuvenate, and display antique farm machinery and any other form of machinery utilized in the growth of the U.S.A. Further, it is the intention of the corporation to foster and perpetuate in the minds of all Americans respect, interest, and recognition of the vital role that different forms of machinery, no matter what their power source, have played in the development of our society as a whole."
Wanting to cultivate a love and passion for the next generation, the NIPFP also awards up to three scholarships annually to high school seniors going into agricultural trades.
For more details on this week's event you can visit the official Northern Indiana Power From the Past, Inc. website at www.winamacpowershow.com.
