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Tractorcade powered by tradition rolls through Southeast Iowa
The Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade returns to Mt. Pleasant after a decade in other spots around the state
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT — Just after dawn on Monday, with dew still clinging to the grass and a soft haze over the Henry County fairgrounds, more than 325 tractors rumbled to life on the grounds of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. Engines coughed, chugged, and finally settled into their steady rhythm — some smooth and purring, others proud in their gritty rattle — as the 2025 Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade rolled into motion.
The scent of diesel, the chatter of early risers, and the sight of vintage red and green machines lining the fields left no doubt: Mt. Pleasant was once again the heart of Iowa’s rolling tribute to farm life and community.
Organized this year by KXEL/NRG Media, with Matt Kenney at the helm alongside Bill Poston, Jill Masek, Kim Anderson, and Alyssa Huwaldt, the event marks a return to familiar territory.
The 2025 Tractorcade is based out of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion grounds in Mt. Pleasant — a location that hasn’t hosted since 2015 but remains a favorite among organizers. Kenney said the space offers exactly what the event needs.
“It’s ideal because of all the space,” he said. “We only use a fraction of it, but the configuration and the buildings — it just works.”
Tractors this year came from across Iowa and beyond — including Kentucky, Green Bay, California, and Florida — with many participants making the journey in honor of their farming roots, or to reconnect with their home communities.
This year’s iteration even drew a visit from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, who rode along the route spanning Henry, Jefferson and Washington counties Monday morning.
The state official said it offered both a welcome chance to join in a long-running tradition, and new way to carry out some of his official duties.
“It was a little windy and just a little cool this morning, but this is nice, it’s like a family reunion for a lot of folks, and what I love is it’s a celebration of some old iron, the history and the heritage of agriculture,” he said. “And what I got to do was about an 11 mile-an-hour crop check from Mt. Pleasant to Washington, today.”
For 16-year-old Brody Oberbroeckling of Holy Cross, it was about more than just the ride. This year marked his first Tractorcade, and he brought along his grandfather’s International 300.
“My grandpa did it with this tractor, and then he passed away,” Brody said. “We bought one at one of his auctions, and he kept this one for his Tractorcades.”
His grandfather, Pete, used to ride alongside Gene Lake, Roger Hogan, and Mike Meyers — all fellow participants from Holy Cross who’ve taken part in the Tractorcade for years. This time, they’re riding with Brody, who’s taken up the torch.
“It’s great,” said Meyers. “I think it’s wonderful that he did that just in dedication to his grandfather.”
Despite a picture-perfect start Monday morning — mild temperatures, clear skies, and just enough breeze — longtime riders know Tractorcade loyalty isn’t weather-dependent.
“We’ve done it in everything but snow,” said Meyers with a laugh.
Asked what makes the Tractorcade special, the group offered a simple answer: “Scenery. You get to see a lot more things, and you get to view them better going 14 or 11 miles an hour than you do at 55 or 60.”
The event spans three days and makes scheduled stops in small towns across southeastern Iowa. This year’s pit stops include Hillsboro, the Van Buren County Fairgrounds, and Harmony School. These stops are more than just rest breaks — they’ve become community events in their own right.
Kenney explained that churches and local organizations who host the pit stops often raise funds by offering food and drink to passing riders.
“I used to get reported back between four and eight hundred dollars per pit stop,” he said. “The last few years it’s been $1,200 to $2,500.”
One ballpark concession stand reportedly raised $1,500 to help install new lights.
“You know, most of these guys go to a small church or live in a small town,” Kenney said. “They volunteer at home, and they know it takes a lot of work and dedication to put on something like this. So they’re generous — if a sign on the donation bucket strikes a nerve, they’ll throw in a $20 for a doughnut and a cup of coffee.”
The stops are also an opportunity for small-town residents to welcome riders passing through their backyard.
“We always get people who’ve never done it before, but we’re in their backyard,” Kenney said. “There’s a guy coming over from Lockridge — he goes, ‘You’re gonna drive right by my farm there’s no reason I shouldn’t do it.’”
Not every tractor is a showpiece, and not every rider has a farm background. Some, like Brody, are here to keep a legacy alive. Others, like Dick Svoboda of Aurora, are here because they finally found the time.
“This is my 10th year,” Svoboda said. “I kind of wanted to do it, but I never could fit it into my schedule.”
He farmed for decades and later drove a truck — work that left little time for long summer rides.
“I said, if I’m not going to do this now, I’ll never do it,” he said. “So, here I am.”
His tractor — an Allis-Chalmers — sat in a corncrib for 30 years before he brought it back to life.
“It’ll turn over 1,500 hours on the Tractorcade,” he said.
Despite decades of disuse, it’s still in good shape and mostly original, thanks to years of being sheltered from the elements.
Since retiring, Svoboda has crossed off a number of long-held goals — driving to Alaska in a camper, touring China, and returning to Germany 50 years after his military service. He’s also visited Switzerland and Austria. But the Tractorcade holds a different kind of meaning.
He may have gone halfway around the world, but what rolls through southeast Iowa each June brings him something just as valuable: the chance to finally do what he once only dreamed of.
As riders made their way out of Mt. Pleasant, many talked about the friendly rivalries between red and green tractors, the joy of meeting new people, and the small pleasures that come with a long, slow drive.
At its core, the Tractorcade is about connection — to place, to history, to each other. Whether it’s a 70-year-old tractor rescued from a barn or a 16-year-old young man carrying forward a family tradition, each mile tells a story.
And in this corner of Iowa, stories don’t need to be fast — just steady enough to be remembered.
The Southeast Iowa Union’s Kalen McCain contributed to this report.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
