Get your motor runnin’ at the Sublimity Harvest Festival
In 1973, some Sublimity-area farmers decided to have a friendly competition to see whose tractor could pull the most dead weight.
A sled was hooked to the back of a tractor and farmers and spectators lining the sides of the track would jump aboard to add weight until the tractor could no longer pull. The distance was measured with a hand-held tape.
The event was popular enough to draw crowds year after year. Over time, it has grown to now include hundreds of various vehicles and attracts thousands of spectators.
True to its theme, “Pulling together for the community,” the Sublimity Harvest Festival has become a mainstay of the area’s summer experience.
The 45th annual event, being held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 8 to 10, will see an abundance of trucks, trailers and other things that pull rolling into the Sublimity Harvest Festival Grounds.
“This is obviously the biggest community event in the area,” Harvest Festival Marketing Director Scott Ingalls said. “The attendance has been growing steadily over the years and the sponsorship has grown. Because of the support we get from the community, we, in turn, can give back. We’ve been able to add 16 additional non-profits to the community groups that we assist.”
Each day of the festival, food and vendor booths, an entertainment tent and a Kid Zone with inflatables, water attractions and rides will be available. Various equipment and horse pull competitions provide the entertainment with Monster Truck exhibitions adding to the adrenaline flow.
On Friday, the gates open at 4 p.m. with a Pit Party from 5 to 6 p.m., which is a chance to enjoy some music and meet some of the drivers. In the entertainment tent, Chris Cardiff and Showdown will knock out some honky tonk from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. for those 21 and over.
Saturday will also be a monster day of activities.
A fun run will be held beginning at 9 a.m. at Santiam Elementary School, 376 E. Main St. The competition will be held at three different distances – 10K meters, 5K and 3K – and in several different age divisions. The run is sponsored by Santiam Hospital with benefits going to the Sublimity School Parent Teacher Club. The first 200 who register at www.sublimityharvestfestival.com will receive a free Sunday pass to the festival. Cost is $10 to register, $15 the day of the run. Ages 12 and under can participate for free.
The annual parade follows at 11 a.m., beginning at the grade school and winding through town, and at noon, the Festival Ground gates open for a day of action.
Intertwined with the various pulling competitions taking place, The Dusty Trail Band will entertain with country and rock music and Briana Renea closes out the evening from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Sunday is not only Funday with yard games, it is also Cause Day. Those who bring along five cans of food for the Marion Polk Food Share get $2 off admission to a day of excitement.
Start if off with the Santiam Hospital Auxiliary Harvest Breakfast, from 7 a.m. to noon, at the Sublimity Fire Hall, 115 N. Parker St. The menu includes all-you-can-eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee, milk and juice. The cost is adults $6, seniors 60+ $5, and kids 5-10 $4. Children 4 and under free.
All proceeds and donations help fund the Auxiliary Medical Scholarship Program and purchase needed items for the hospital.
The action starts at 10 a.m. with a variety of competitions throughout the day and the physical comedy of performer Bill Robison in the entertainment tent.
With all that’s going on, Ingalls summed it up as an apt farewell to the season.
“This is definitely the noisiest, funnest way to cap off your summer,” he laughed.
If you go
What:45nd Annual Sublimity Harvest Festival
When: 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, Sept.8; noon to 1 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 9; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 10.
Where: Sublimity Harvest Festival Grounds, 11880 Sublimity Rd SE, Sublimity
Festival cost: Friday - adults (13+) $15, seniors (62+) $8, children (6-12) $5; Saturday - adults $20, seniors $10, children $5; Sunday - adults $12, seniors $5, children $5. On all days, children 5 and under are free and parking is $5.
Discounted event tickets can be purchased in advance at Wilco Farm Store or online at www.sublimityharvestfest.com. There will be free shuttle service from the Sublimity Firehall, Wilco in Stayto and Roth’s.
Contact: For more information on the Harvest Festival, shuttle schedule or to register for events, visit www.sublimityharvestfest.com.
Schedule Friday: 5 p.m. - gates open, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. - entertainment tent open, 6:30 p.m. - pulling competitions begin followed by Monster Trucks, 9 p.m. - live music with Chris Cardiff and Showdown (21+ only)
Saturday: 9 a.m. – Fun Run (Sublimity Elementary), 11 a.m. – Parade (Sublimity Middle School), noon– gates open, noon to 6 p.m. – entertainment tent open (all ages) with the Dusty Trail Band on stage, 1 p.m. – pulling competition begins followed by Monster Trucks, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – live music: with Briana Renea (21+)
Sunday:10am –6pm – Sunday Funday (yard games, all day, Cause Day), 10 a.m. – ATV pulls, 11 a.m. – horse pulls, 1 p.m. – tractor pulls, 3 p.m. – Monster Trucks, 6 p.m. – festival closes.