Four days of steam and fun

The hilly, rural area surrounding the quiet hamlet of Rollag, Minn., will transform during this Labor Day weekend, as thousands of people from all walks of life gather for a multi-day happening to enjoy food, music and … steam engines?

That’s right. The 62nd Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR) – Minnesota’s other great get-together – runs from Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 a.m.through the afternoon parade on Monday, Sept. 7. WMSTR has officially assembled every year since 1954, and now roughly 100,000 people attend over the four days of the event.

At WMSTR, the past is very much alive, but it’s also an enormous undertaking.

“All of these people get together and work on these engines. It’s amazing how they find each other,” said Crystal Aakre, an active member of the WMSTR organization. “It’s baffling that we pull it off every year.”

Crystal Aakre has been involved with WMSTR her entire life. Aakre’s great uncles were the very “Nelson boys” who fired up an old Garr-Scott steam engine to thresh grain back in 1940 as a way to relive the past and connect with family and friends. That tradition continued, and in 1954 the event became a public gathering, marking the first-ever annual WMSTR. The engine extravaganza has been building steam ever since, and now it is recognized as being among the largest gatherings of its kind in the entire U.S., possibly even the world.

These days Aakre works on the graphic design and advertising for the event. During the reunion, she works at WMSTR’s vintage (1890s to modern) style show, and she participates in the tractor pulls, operates steam engines and … she basically does a little bit of everything.

“It’s a really buzzing, magical place because there are all kinds of people from everywhere and everyone is working very hard,” Aakre told HPR. “All of the machines are actually running, unlike in a museum. It’s stuff you won’t see anywhere – a living look into the past.”

The fairgrounds covers over 200 acres and a lot goes on within that area.

Apart from the many working antique steam engines is the iconic 353, a full-size steam locomotive that traces a two-mile loop around the grounds, providing scenic transportation for visitors. Other attractions include a mini steam locomotive and Miniatureland, where the pint-sized steam tractors and sawmill tend to be popular with kids (and adults). There will be three full-size steam-operated sawmills, the largest operating steam shovel in the world, hundreds of tractors, active threshing throughout the weekend, a working antique steam-powered carousel, two parades daily, and an old-timey Main Street with its obligatory ice cream parlor. And the list goes on.

“Having breakfast is a must,” Aakre recommended. “All of the area churches have their own stands – there’s a lot of hearty stuff. The spark shows every night are also a favorite.”

The unique feature in this year’s event is blacksmithing, which will include a complete line-shaft driven machine shop, and a bevy of portable forges set up, with blacksmiths showcasing their specialized skills. The smiths will be open to suggestions as to what they should forge, and according to the chair of the feature, “if you bring them an idea, they’ll try to make it.”

Another big draw is the Murray Iron Works Corliss, one of the larger stationary steam engines, which happens to be celebrating its 100th anniversary. Aakre assured it’s hard to miss. “It runs off the Montana boiler – that’s the loud one you’ll hear with a low rumbling. They call it the Montana boiler because it was literally found in a roadside ditch in Montana.”

Amid the rumbles and clangs, live old-fashioned bluegrass and folk music will add to the lively din each day. “There is an open-floor policy,” said Aakre. “The music is performed by a lot of people who just want to come and play.”

According to Aakre, this unique steam-threshing get-together derives a lot of its allure from the community that gathers at “the Hill” every year.

“There are many different reasons why people come. It’s a family thing and a community too, with people returning to the event year after year,” said Aakre. “It becomes kind of a utopian Rollag family, with a potluck on Saturday and a picnic on Sunday. I suggest camping or finding some way to stay the night. New things are added all the time, but it’s new ‘old’ stuff … there is no shortage of things to do.”

IF YOU GO:

What: 62nd Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion

When: Sept. 4 at 6 a.m. to Sept. 7 at 2 p.m.

Where: Rollag, Minn. (27488 102nd Ave South, Hawley, Minnesota 56549)

How much: Daily tickets $12 / $20 for whole weekend / Ages 14 and under free / Camping $35

http://www.rollag.com/