This was a first for me. I spent the afternoon watching a parade of tractors and farm equipment drive Downtown Montgomery, NY and I have to say that it was a fun parade. I never realized there were so many different types of tractors.
I came across this poster at the Ulster County Fair and thought this might be fun to see
When I was at the Ulster County Fair earlier in the month, I came across this poster at the Agricultural Museum of Ulster County (see review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com) and thought this might be an interesting display to see.
I had been to many niche parades before like the Barnacle Parade in Brooklyn and the Sinterklaas Parade in Rhinebeck but never a parade dedicated solely to tractors. It harks back to the county’s rural past (which more than a few people explained to me is slowly disappearing noting luxury McMansions opening across from the high school).
I got there early not knowing what type of crowd I would see and got into Downtown Montgomery early. Since they did not advertise where to park, I found the local park at the end of the downtown and found plenty of parking there. I got there that early.
First arriving in Downtown Montgomery, NY
This tractor tour started in 2007 thanks to the combined efforts of Norbury “Skip” Chambers, the owner of Chambers Tractor Sales, and Grand Hollow Old Time Power Associate, an antique tractor club that provided much of the equipment for the event (HudsonValleyTimes.com/Jared Castaneda 2023)
It was a gloomy afternoon but the crowds of locals did not seem to mind
The parade was founded to remind every one of Orange County’s rural past and people to showcase their antique equipment. It really is just a nice way for the community to get together and have some fun. The evening would conclude with a Barbecue Chicken dinner and Square Dancing.
The crowds started to get bigger as the morning continued on
The crowds lining Downtown Montgomery, NY
The parade started with a lot of antique farm equipment trucks and tractors
Tractors from the 1970’s made their way up the Main Street
My video of the start of the parade:
One by one the tractors drove through the downtown
Tractors from various years made their way up through downtown
Owners proudly showing off their equipment
Equipment from various years were showcased
Generations of family members drove together up the Main Street
A parade of tractors from the 1970’s
My video on the parade:
Multi families having a good time
Antonio’s Family Restaurant at 118 Clinton Street
https://www.antoniosmontgomery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/antoniosfamilyrestaurant/
My review on TripAdvisor:
In the middle of the parade, I saw several people stopping in Antonio’s Family Restaurant for pizza and they were walking out with the most amazing looking slices that I had to go in and get some myself. Their cheese pizza is delicious.
The Cheese slices here are over-sized and their sauce is delicious
I went back outside and enjoyed my pizza while I watched the rest of the parade. What a way to watch a parade. That was a good idea everyone had.
The last of the parade passed by at around 2:00pm
The parade ended around 2:00pm and with lunch out of the way, I decided to explore Montgomery’s historic downtown. Like most small towns in the Hudson River Valley, the ‘Brooklynification’ of the downtown and the surrounding historic homes has renovated the downtown with antique stores, some upscale restaurants and gift shops. I am beginning to see more and more restaurants with Manhattan prices on their menus.
Downtown Montgomery, NY in the Summer of 2024
The historic buildings in Downtown Montgomery, NY in the Summer of 2024
A bookstore Christmas tree
Downtown Montgomery has a lot of historic architecture and charming shops which were unfortunately closed that day. I headed across the street where all the parade goers went after the parade to see all the tractors. When I went over to the field across the street, all the equipment was lined up by sections. Some of the participants were giving a demonstration while I saw some of the guys from the fire department cooking batches of chicken for the barbecue chicken dinner later that afternoon.
The tractor demonstration in the field
Since the dinner was sold out, I stopped by the concession stand the firefighters were holding and I had a hot dog and a Pepsi while I watched other parade goers look over the equipment.
My hot dog and Pepsi were a great lunch
I don’t know why a hot dog tastes so much better when you are at an outside event
For a small town in a rural county, Montgomery has three museums you can visit, two of which were closed (but should have been open that day), the Orange County Farmers Museum and the Orange County Firefighters Museum. Both historical museums display the counties past.
The Orange County Farmers Museum
Review on TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/12939899?m=19905
The historic brick house on the property
The sign welcoming you to the museum
The other museum I was looking for was the Orange County Firefighters Museum at 141 Clinton Avenue, which was also closed as well.
The Orange County Firefighter’s Museum
https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyFirefightersMuseum/
Review on TripAdvisor:
The museum is housed in the historic firehouse which was the second one built in town in 1913
Since they were both closed, I came across the Montgomery Village Museum just across the street from the fire department museum. It opened later in the afternoon at 3:00pm and was having a concert at 3:30pm so I stayed and toured the museum before the concert. What a wonderful museum. It tells the interesting history of the Village of Montgomery.
The Montgomery Village Museum
https://www.facebook.com/MontgomeryVillageMuseum/
https://www.villageofmontgomery.org/our-community/village-history/523-museum-hours.html
My review on TripAdvisor:
My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:
The sign welcoming you to the museum
The galleries are filled with displays of memorabilia and artifacts of the Village of Montgomery and of the County of Orange, NY. Each display is a treasure trove of information on the community.
The front gallery of the museum
The middle part of the gallery
The front part of the museum
After I toured the museum and watched the video on the history of the town, the museum had a very nice concert in their garden with a delicious assortment of refreshments.
The gardens to the side and back of the museum
The gardens in full bloom
I ended my evening in the gardens with the concert
Video on the Concert:
It was really a nice day and I look forward to my next trip to downtown Montgomery and continue to explore the area.
The Tractor Parade in Montgomery, NY takes place each year at the end of August.
Places to Eat:
Antonio’s Family Restaurant
118 Clinton Street
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 769-7716
https://www.antoniosmontgomery.com/
Open: Sunday 12:00pm-8:00pm/Monday 11:00am-8:00pm/Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm
My review on TripAdvisor.com:
Places to Visit:
Montgomery Village Museum
142 Clinton Street
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 457-7576
https://www.facebook.com/MontgomeryVillageMuseum/
https://www.villageofmontgomery.org/our-community/village-history/523-museum-hours.html
Open: Sunday 3:00pm-6:00pm/Monday-Saturday Closed
Admission: Free but donations are accepted
My review on TripAdvisor:
Orange County Firefighter’s Museum
141 Clinton Street
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 457-9654
Open: Sunday-Friday Closed/Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm
Admission: Free but donations are accepted
My review on TripAdvisor:
Orange County Farmer’s Museum
850 Route 17k
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 615-3830
https://www.orangecountygov.com/1469/Brick-House-Museum
Admission: Adults $5.00/Children $3.00/Groups $4.00
My review on TripAdvisor:
mywalkinmanhattan 
This was a fun parade and a nice afternoon out. The Tractor parade in Montgomery, NY takes place every August. Try not to miss it!
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Montgomery is in Orange County not Ulster County as the writer listed in one paragraph. We are trying not to become a Brooklynification , we like Montgomery just the way it is. Especially after I see the results of that up in Kingston .
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Dear Judy,
I was not implying that it was but I have also seen the prices of homes and the prices at the local restaurants and they are getting like Westchester. I walked all around the downtown and in the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown. I also noticed the McMansions being built across from the high school. The community is changing around you as the City is creeping up to this area.
It is the same where I live as well. I have never seen prices rise like this since COVID and I do not think they are going down anytime soon. Let’s both hope it does not change the complexity of this wonderful town. It is such a beautiful community that I enjoyed so much that afternoon. Please read my blog on the Montgomery Village Museum. I will adding to this with the other two museums in town in the future.
Thank you for your insights. I appreciated them.
Sincerely,
Justin Watrel, Blogger WordPress.com
VisitingaMuseum.com/MywalkinManhattan.com
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Thank you for visiting Montgomery ! I really enjoyed your article!
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Dear Sue,
It is a great community and everyone is so friendly. It was a nice afternoon. Please also read my blog on the Montgomery Village Museum. It is a great place to visit.
Have a good morning.
Sincerely,
Justin Watrel, Blogger
VisitingaMuseum.com/MywalkinManhattan.com
LikeLiked by 1 person