Over the next few days, many will be flocking to the Mower County Free Fair for rides, games, musical acts and as much deep-fried food they can stomach.

But the Mower County Historical Society will be open throughout the fair with free admission to its buildings.

The MCHS will also be host to the annual Antique Tractor Show, now in its 20th year.

“We started at the fairgrounds,” said volunteer Don Chapek, who was one of the original organizers of the show. “We had a machine show there. We had machinery, tractors, combines, and different equipment, about 20 pieces.”

In 2003, the MCHS invited them to showcase their pieces in the Agriculture Building as a means to introduce the building to the public, Chapek said. The show has been held there ever since.

Since then, the show has grown so much that only tractors are featured due to limited space.

This year’s show includes over 50 tractors, the oldest being a Shepherd Diesel from the 1930s.

The featured tractor for this year will be John Deere. Chapek said there will be older two-cylinder models as well as newer six-cylinder models started in the 1960s.

“People tell me when they come out here that their grandfather used a tractor like these,” Chapek said. “If your grandpa had a tractor like this, if your father had a tractor like this, come out and see them. It’s something to see and it’s a lot of history.”

The Mower County Historical Society buildings will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Antique Tractor Show is being held in the Agriculture Building. For more information, call 507-437-6082.

Schedule of Events

Friday, Aug. 10

• Mower County Free Fair, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Mower County Fairgrounds. Free admission to all the fun you can stand. Fair food, grandstand shows and events, midway, animals, horticultural displays, art and photos, games, entertainment and more. Don’t forget the free admission to Mower County Historical Society buildings and exhibits. For more information, call 507-433-1868.

• Annual Lauren Schwab Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter “Austin HS” to schedule an appointment. For more information, call 507-481-7645.

• Junkdrawer Cardboard Creations – Shoebox Harp, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library. Sign-up required – limited to 12 participants. Must be grade 4 or above, or accompanied by an adult who will do the cutting. For more information or to sign up, call 507-433-2391.

• Collections Building Dedication Ceremony, 5-6 p.m. at the Mower County Historical Society.  Come see the new shelving as we celebrate the completion of this project. Special thanks to all the Collections Building Contributors. For more information, call 507-437-6082.

• Knights of Columbus Bingo, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Knights of Columbus will be running bingo games at the Senior Center now. Cost is $12 for 12 games. For more information, call 507-219-2884.

• Chateau Speedway – Weekly Racing and Mini-Mods, 7 p.m. at Chateau Speedway in Lansing. USRA Modifieds, USRA B-Mods, WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, Hornets and Pure Stocks plus Mini-Mods. For more information, go to www.chateauspeedway.com or call 507-433-8238.

Saturday, Aug. 11

• Mower County Free Fair, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Mower County Fairgrounds. Free admission to all the fun you can stand. Fair food, grandstand shows and events, midway, animals, horticultural displays, art and photos, games, entertainment and more. Don’t forget the free admission to Mower County Historical Society buildings and exhibits. For more information, call 507-433-1868.

• Craft Time: Water Bottle Wind Spirals, 10:30 a.m. at the Austin Public Library. Bring one or more empty plastic bottles (each person will need 5 – 6 bottles) and learn how to create a fun and attractive wind spiral. All ages welcome. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

• Family Art Studio, 1-3 p.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Studio. Drop in as a family and get creative with materials provided. Free, all ages encouraged to attend and create together. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Funded by a grant from the Austin Area Foundation. For more information, call 507-434-0934 or go to www.austinareaarts.org.

Sunday, Aug. 12

• Mower County Free Fair, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mower County Fairgrounds. Free admission to all the fun you can stand. Fair food, grandstand shows and events, midway, animals, horticultural displays, art and photos, games, entertainment and more. Don’t forget the free admission to Mower County Historical Society buildings and exhibits. For more information, call 507-433-1868.

• Knights of Columbus Bingo, 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Knights of Columbus will be running bingo games at the Senior Center now. Cost is $12 for 12 games. For more information, call 507-219-2884.