The Buckley Old Engine Show, held annually since 1967 in Buckley, Michigan, is put on by The Northwest Michigan Engine & Thresher Club. (This year’s show (2020) has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) It started when a few men decided to stop just talking about their antique equipment and old engines and actually do something – they quickly set a date, got their “stuff” together and met at a local farm to run them. Word got out and many came to watch. Due to that and the fact that they had a great time, they decided to start a non-profit club and make the engine show an annual event along with organizing a non-profit club.

A few years into the annual show, they purchased 70 acres of land west of Buckley. They wound up building permanent exhibits such as the sawmill, etc. Nowadays so many people – young and old, men and women – do so much throughout the year planning for exhibits and shows as well as maintaining grounds, buildings, signs, etc.

The club is there to not only educate people on our agricultural and industrial history but also to preserving the historical equipment and entertaining the masses.

There is so much to do during this 4 day show. Parades, farm chore demonstrations, scavenger hunts, “safaris,” poker runs, horse pulls and even a nondenominational church service on that Sunday morning! There is also a large flea market (one of my personal favorite parts of this annual event) as well as two trains that take you around the property. One is a steam train and the other train used to be at the Clinch Park Zoo (which was at one point in time Traverse City’s local zoo).

It is an annual event, this year being held August 15th-18^th. The admission charge is $10 per adult and $25 for a 4 day pass. In my opinion, it is definitely an event you do not want to miss if you are in the Traverse City, MI area (and this coming from someone who knows hardly anything about engines (antique or modern!!!)). Buckley is roughly 20 miles south of Traverse City (should take only about a half hour by car!). You can go to their Facebook page as well as their website to get more information about this event.

If you are unable attend the main event or if you just can’t get enough of it, there are two other events you can attend: a swap meet in the spring time, held in May, and the “Education Days” held in September.

I have attended the main event a few times, and can attest to the fun to be had there. So much to see and do – I’ve hardly hit the tip of the iceberg on this event. As stated before, I am not very knowledgable on engines and that kind of thing, however, there pretty much is something for just about anybody there.

I have yet to to go the May spring swap meet and the September Education Days, however I hope to get to one or the other (perhaps both!) soon!