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Crowds flock to Mt. Pleasant as Old Threshers marks 75 years
Record crowds enjoy food, music, steam power, and family traditions at Midwest Old Threshers
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT — For 75 years, the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion has pulled people back to Mt. Pleasant with the sound of steam engines, the smell of turkey legs, and the comfort of tradition. This year, that pull drew 38,007 visitors — from nearby families to out-of-state travelers — making the anniversary one of the biggest celebrations in reunion history.
The five-day event broke records on back-to-back days. Friday brought 7,077 people through the gates, a single-day high until Saturday surpassed it with 11,495 attendees. Families also embraced a new option for children’s wristbands, with 6,853 kids under 10 taking part in games, rides and activities between Thursday and Sunday.
For Benton Smeets of Mt. Pleasant, the reunion means wooden toys and a caricature with his mom — a tradition he repeats every year. For others, it marks a seasonal milestone.
“Midwest Old Threshers Reunion,” said Jessica Laing. “It's a tradition. One of our favorites. It marks the end of our summer each year, and now we start looking forward to next year. This year we saw Jeff Foxworthy, Priscilla Block, many tractors, lots of steam engines, and so much more. We had a yummy turkey leg., delicious watermelon beer, and many other goodies. We played games, met new friends, loved cousin time, and shared lots of laughs.”
Some visitors traveled hundreds of miles to be part of the 75th and enjoy family time much like Laing. Carol Carvalho of Warwick, Rhode Island, came with relatives from Massachusetts and Kansas to celebrate her sister’s 70th birthday and explore the Reunion.
“It’s totally different for me, but it’s interesting learning all the older ways and seeing everything,” she said.
Carvalho said her grandchildren loved the Western village, the log settlement, and the steam-powered carousel.
The reunion also continues to carry meaning for longtime Iowans.
“Safe to say that the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant is one of my favorite places on the planet,” Ben Mueller of Bettendorf posted to social media following the Reunion. “My dad started taking me when I could hardly walk, and in the last 30-40 years the only time I've missed was the pandemic when they canceled. When I leave this Earth, the smell of steam power will be one of those things I'll miss.”
Guests like Mueller, Carvalho, Laing and Smeets took in a variety of activities and sights as they made their way across the Reunion grounds. Many enjoyed train and bank robberies, simple train rides, music of all kinds, and a whole lot of tractors, engines, and history.
Organizers have already set next year’s dates. The 2026 Midwest Old Threshers Reunion will return Sept. 3-7 in Mt. Pleasant.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
