Event organizers from all over the county have plans in the works for the upcoming Morgan County Antique Tractor and Power Show that is set to take place on Saturday, June 9 at the AMA Auction and Event Center, located just east of Brush on the junction of highways 34 and 71, at 17906 CR 29.

Formerly known as the Cottonwood Forge Antique Power and Tractor Show, the event was reorganized as of 2011 by a group of devoted Morgan County residents. 

“A group of about 16 of us have gotten together to make everything go," said co-organizer Barb Holter. “It's a real good group and everyone has their own special abilities to make the organization work. We have a lot of support from local groups that are helping us too."

The second annual event is slated to feature the ever-popular Poker-Run which will have participants stopping at local businesses to pick up playing cards for the contest and also to receive special discounts. Tractor games, such as a slow race, pole race and wagon backing as well as vendor booths, entertainment, a parade of power, corn shelling and wheat thrashing demonstrations also are on tap for the festivities. 
Tractor owner and country music singer Sally Goerner will lend her national anthem singing talents to the event once again this year and according to Barb Holter, who co-chairs the organizing committee with several other Morgan County residents.

The live auction is being discussed to include items such as toys, tractor t-shirts and more and gift certificates donated by local businesses will likely be used this year as door and game prizes.

Morgan Community College's Center for Arts and Community Enrichment (CACE) program also has plans to continue the photo contest again this year, featuring pictures taken at the event that will be judged and put on display in July at MCC. The contest is open to people of all ages and includes four categories of photo subjects

including Place and Faces, Preserving the Past, Parade Photos and Personal Perspectives categories.
Entries must be turned in by the end of June and can be sent digitally to MCC Director of Communications and Marketing Katie Barron by e-mail at Katie.Barron@MorganCC.edu or in hardcopy form by dropping them off at MCC. For more information on the photo contest, call Katie at 970-542-3108. 

Last year's first annual event featured 83 tractors and drew participants from Brush, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Alamosa, Yuma, Haxtun, Holyoke, Otis, Akron, Colorado's Front Range area, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.

Attendance in 2011 was at approximately 675 people. After festivities ended that year, co-organizer Barb Holter commented, “I feel it was a great success and we are stoked to do it again next year. We worked so well together as a committee and I would like to thank all that helped”.

She also stated that at last year's event, “We were pleased with how the parade/poker run went and had very positive comments all day from tractor exhibitors and participants that were so impressed with the cooperation we received from the police department”. 

The first annual event enticed 52 sponsors for the event and 25 business donated items to the auction. Door prizes also were donated by businesses such as McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Johns, Sonic, Willow Coffee-Tea & Smoothies, Arby's and Pizza Hut. 

More information and a tentative schedule can be found through the show's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/morgancountytractorshow, or by visiting the Brush Chamber of Commerce website at www.brushchamber.org/events/tractor_show.html
 
Event organizers hope to get the show its own website soon for further information and pictures from past events.