Sun Shines on Tractor Cruise-In

After two straight washouts, a throng of tractor enthusiasts and curious onlookers gathered Sunday at the Durham fairgrounds on a near picture-perfect day for the 11th annual Durham Fair Foundation Tractor Cruise-In.

More than 150 antique and modern tractors were on display for the organization's largest fundraiser.

"It's a day full of fun," said event organizer Karen Thody. "You look around and you see a lot of smiling faces because everybody's having fun."

The event featured an antique tractor pull competition, the backseat driver contest and a tractor "slow race," a competition where speed is the enemy.

This year, organizers added a women's skillet throw which ended abruptly when the first two skillet's tossed in the competition broke unexpectedly.

The day wrapped up with the traditional tractor parade.

"We get tractors from all over. We've had people all the way from Vermont come down, from New York," said Thody.

Each year, the Durham Fair Foundation — the charitable arm of the Durham Fair Association — donates several thousand dollars to organizations in Durham and Middlefield, including the Boy Scouts, Project Graduation, the community's Local Wellness Council and Durham and Middlefield's food pantries to name a few.

The foundation also sponsors seminars to promote it's mission of preserving and promoting the agricultural and rural heritage of Connecticut.