Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Show 2026: 65th Annual Blyth Steam Show
Three days of steam engines, antique tractors, and threshing history in Huron County
Dates
Sep 11–13
Cost
$15/day
Where
Blyth, ON
No dogs
Service only
Steam engines, threshing demonstrations, and daily antique and modern tractor pulls anchor this 65th annual reunion — with a parade every afternoon, pipe bands and country music on the Main Stage, and a full weekend of jam sessions and dances for the evening crowd.
🚂 Steam engines
🚜 Tractor pulls
🎪 Daily parade
🎻 Fiddle competition
💡 Gates open at 8 AM all three days and stay open until 8 PM Friday and Saturday — plan a full day if you want to catch the morning demonstrations through the evening dance.
✨ Why This Show Is Worth the Trip
Blyth is a small village in Huron County, about 30 minutes from Goderich and an easy day trip from London or Kitchener-Waterloo, and its Thresher & Hobby Show has been running since 1962 — making 2026 its 65th reunion. It started as an informal gathering of a handful of steam engine and threshing machine owners who wanted a place to show off their equipment, and it’s grown into one of the largest heritage machinery shows in Ontario without losing that founding spirit.
The steam engines are still the heart of it. Watching a century-old steam tractor fire up and drive the grounds is the kind of thing you don’t see anywhere else, and the daily threshing demonstrations show visitors exactly how grain was separated from straw before combines existed. Alongside that living history, there’s a genuinely packed schedule of modern entertainment: antique and modern tractor pulls run most of each day, a parade rolls through the grounds every afternoon, and pipe bands, country acts, and fiddle competitions fill the Main Stage.
Evenings bring a different energy entirely — jam sessions in the sheds, old-time dancing, and full dances in the Arena Auditorium running past midnight on Friday and Saturday. It’s rare to find an event that satisfies both a serious antique-machinery enthusiast and a family looking for a full day of country fair activities, but Blyth manages it.
📅 Show Schedule
The core structure repeats each day — gates, vendors, tractor pulls, and threshing demonstrations run continuously, with a parade and 50/50 draw every afternoon.
Friday, September 11
8:00 AM — Gates Open
9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays, Antique Vehicles
10:00 AM — Fun Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration (all day)
11:00 AM — Threshing Demonstration
12:30 PM — Opening Ceremony
1:00 PM — Tractor Pull Resumes, Special Events
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
6:00 PM — Twilight Serenaders (Lifestyles Tent)
7:00 PM — Stoneboat Pullers Modified Lawn Tractor Pull
8:00 PM–Midnight — Evening Dance (Arena Auditorium)
9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays, Antique Vehicles
10:00 AM — Fun Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration (all day)
11:00 AM — Threshing Demonstration
12:30 PM — Opening Ceremony
1:00 PM — Tractor Pull Resumes, Special Events
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
6:00 PM — Twilight Serenaders (Lifestyles Tent)
7:00 PM — Stoneboat Pullers Modified Lawn Tractor Pull
8:00 PM–Midnight — Evening Dance (Arena Auditorium)
Saturday, September 12
8:00 AM — Gates Open
9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays, Antique Vehicles
10:00 AM — Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration (all day)
10:30 AM — Threshing Demonstration
12:00 PM — Pierce’s Country Music (Main Stage)
12:30 PM — Fiddle Competition
1:00 PM — Clinton Pipe Band, Tractor Pull Resumes, Kid’s Lawn & Garden Tractor Rodeo, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull
1:30 PM — Pioneer Games (Log Sawing, Bag Tying, Belt Setting)
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
3:00 PM — Clinton Pipe Band, Kid’s Lawn Tractor Pull
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
6:00 PM — Twilight Serenaders (Lifestyles Tent)
8:00 PM–Midnight — Evening Dance (Arena Auditorium)
8:00–11:00 PM — Live Band (Harvest Stage)
9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays, Antique Vehicles
10:00 AM — Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration (all day)
10:30 AM — Threshing Demonstration
12:00 PM — Pierce’s Country Music (Main Stage)
12:30 PM — Fiddle Competition
1:00 PM — Clinton Pipe Band, Tractor Pull Resumes, Kid’s Lawn & Garden Tractor Rodeo, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull
1:30 PM — Pioneer Games (Log Sawing, Bag Tying, Belt Setting)
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
3:00 PM — Clinton Pipe Band, Kid’s Lawn Tractor Pull
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
6:00 PM — Twilight Serenaders (Lifestyles Tent)
8:00 PM–Midnight — Evening Dance (Arena Auditorium)
8:00–11:00 PM — Live Band (Harvest Stage)
Sunday, September 13
8:00 AM — Gates Open
9:00 AM–4:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays
9:30 AM — Church Service (Shed #3)
11:00 AM — Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration & Threshing Demonstration (all day)
12:00 PM — Country Versatiles (Main Stage)
12:30 PM — Step Dance Competition
1:00 PM — Tractor Pull Resumes, Kid’s Lawn & Garden Tractor Rodeo, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull
1:30 PM — Pioneer Games (Log Sawing, Bag Tying, Belt Setting)
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
3:00 PM — Kid’s Lawn Tractor Pull
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
9:00 AM–4:00 PM — Indoor & Outdoor Vendors, Working Displays
9:30 AM — Church Service (Shed #3)
11:00 AM — Tractor Pull, Horse Demonstration & Threshing Demonstration (all day)
12:00 PM — Country Versatiles (Main Stage)
12:30 PM — Step Dance Competition
1:00 PM — Tractor Pull Resumes, Kid’s Lawn & Garden Tractor Rodeo, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull
1:30 PM — Pioneer Games (Log Sawing, Bag Tying, Belt Setting)
2:00 PM — Cider Press Demonstration
3:00 PM — Kid’s Lawn Tractor Pull
4:00 PM — 50/50 Draw & Parade
🎻 Music, Jams & Dances
Beyond the Main Stage acts, the grounds fill with informal jam sessions every evening, and both Friday and Saturday close with a full dance in the Arena Auditorium.
Friday Evening
Jam sessions in Shed #2 & Shed #3
Twilight Serenaders, Lifestyles Tent, 6–8pm
Evening dance, Arena Auditorium, 8pm–midnight
Twilight Serenaders, Lifestyles Tent, 6–8pm
Evening dance, Arena Auditorium, 8pm–midnight
Saturday Evening
Jam sessions in Shed #2 & Shed #3
Twilight Serenaders, Lifestyles Tent, 6–8pm
Harvest Stage live band, 8–11pm
Evening dance, Arena Auditorium, 8pm–midnight
Twilight Serenaders, Lifestyles Tent, 6–8pm
Harvest Stage live band, 8–11pm
Evening dance, Arena Auditorium, 8pm–midnight
Sunday
Church Service, Shed #3, 9:30am
Country Versatiles, Main Stage, 12–4pm
Grounds close at 4pm — no evening programming
Country Versatiles, Main Stage, 12–4pm
Grounds close at 4pm — no evening programming
📋 Essentials
🎟️ Admission
General admission $15/day. Children 12 & under $2, or free with an accompanying adult. Seniors $10 on Friday only.
⛺ Camping
On-site camping is available from September 8–13, 8am–8pm, with 15 and 30 amp hydro service ($40–$45/day). No arrivals before Tuesday, September 8.
🕗 Gate Hours
8 AM–8 PM Friday and Saturday, 8 AM–4 PM Sunday.
👥 Best For
Antique machinery and steam engine enthusiasts, families, heritage and history fans, and anyone who enjoys a genuine small-town country weekend.
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The show grounds sit at 86 Blyth Road in the village of Blyth, about 30 minutes southeast of Goderich and an hour and a half from either London or Kitchener-Waterloo — an easy day trip from most of southwestern Ontario.
📍 Get Directions to the Show Grounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🐶 Leave pets at home. Only service dogs are permitted on the show grounds.
👴 Seniors should plan for Friday. The $10 senior admission rate only applies on Friday, so it’s the cheapest day to visit if you qualify.
🌙 Sunday wraps up earlier. Gates close at 4 PM on Sunday, with no evening dance or Harvest Stage programming, so save Friday or Saturday if you want the full late-night experience.
⛺ Camping books up. If you want to stay on-site, arrivals aren’t accepted before Tuesday, September 8, and lots are first-come, first-served.
🚜 Give yourself the full day. Past visitors consistently note it takes at least half a day to see the whole show properly — there’s genuinely a lot of ground to cover.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsHuron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association Grounds, 86 Blyth Road, Blyth, ON, N0M 1H0
