Wallaces Farmer

Slideshow: Biennial conference for antique John Deere tractor enthusiasts is coming to Quad Cities.

February 5, 2020

5 Slides

Are you an antique John Deere enthusiast? Do you have your tickets for the 2020 reunion? Even if you aren’t a collector or restorer, but just like to look, listen, learn and relive the bygone days of classic tractors and farm machinery, you are welcome and encouraged to attend.

This year’s Gathering of the Green Conference is March 18-21 in Davenport, Iowa. “It will remind you of years ago when friends and families gathered annually at their county fair with a theme of ‘It’s Fair Time,’” says Tony Knobbe, chair of the 2020 event. “Come enjoy the elaborate displays of equipment from the 1930s to the 1970s and the Midway atmosphere as you attend workshops, tours and the vendor area, which has everything green and yellow you might need.”

Alexander “Sandy” Hewitt, son of former Deere & Co. CEO William Hewitt, will be the guest at the Beer & Bull Gears event March 20. This event will be open to full conference registrants only. 

New attractions for 2020

Gathering of the Green has added a new tour at the Figge Art Museum on March 20 to see the new exhibit “Henry Dreyfuss: Designs for the Modern Age.” Dreyfuss was an industrial designer and his firm designed the styled John Deere tractor and other iconic products. Tour attendees will enjoy a Deere-focused narrative from a Figge Museum tour guide, followed by free time to enjoy the rest of the museum exhibits.

There are over 75 workshops on a variety of topics to attend as part of Gathering of the Green, including plows, timber-frame barns, Gators, engine heads, hydraulics, LP tractors, trailers, tires, combines, “G” tractors and more. “It’s not all about machines,” Knobbe says. “You’ll also find workshops about photography, decals, quilting, scrapbooking, beekeeping, toy collection, rock painting and wreath making.”

Conference registration is still $40, same as in 2018, offering extra value. Registration provides multi-day access for enthusiasts and antique equipment restorers who come from all over the U.S. and the world to the conference site at the River Center in downtown Davenport. Register for the conference and find hotel information at gatheringofthegreen.com

For those registering for the full conference, perks include:

  • 2020 themed hat, pin and belt buckle (only available for pre-order)

  • early access to the vendor hall the afternoon of March 18 before the official opening

  • March 18 welcome reception, March 20 event, and March 21 banquet

  • commemorative Gathering of the Green conference booklet

  • ability to attend as many of the 75-plus workshops

  • four evening speaker events

For more information, visit gatheringofthegreen.com, email [email protected] or call 563-845-3296.

Organizers of the event are all volunteers who are members of one of four tractor clubs in the Quad Cities region: Deere Valley Collectors, Illinois Valley Two-Cylinder Club, North Eastern Illinois Twin Cycle Club and Northwest Illinois Deere Collectors.

For information on the Quad Cities and other area attractions, contact “Visit Quad Cities” at 800-747-7800 or go to its website, visitquadcities.com. The Quad Cities is located on the Mississippi River and is made up of the riverfront cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The area is a 2.5 hour drive from Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago, Ill. It’s easily accessible via Interstate 80, I-74, I-88 and several major state highways.

Source: Gathering of the Green, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all of its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

 

 

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like