by Hayley Bedford
On August the 8 this year, John Cinnamon will be leading his 17th Annual Tractor Parade through Winchester.
John is a local farmer, born and raised on the family farm he now owns and runs. When John’s Grandfather bought the farm in 1920, I dare say he couldn’t have dreamt how much farming technology would evolve over the decades. But, if he were to take a look in one particular building on his beloved farm, he would find a timeline in tractor form.
John is a tractor enthusiast, and the contents of the Big Blue Shed at Cinnamon Farm looks more like a museum than a farm building! John has collected tractors of all makes and models over the years, the oldest being a 1940 Case V that belonged to Linda’s (John’s wife), Grandfather, Francis Hess.
Rumours of the collection must have circulated around town. Because back in 2004, the ‘Dairyfest’ committee approached John about organizing a Vintage Tractor Show.
John enthusiastically agreed, but was less excited when he was asked to turn the show into a competition. “I wasn’t going to stand there and tell one guy his tractor was better than the next guy’s”, says John.
From that point on, the ‘show’ turned into a parade.
In its current form, the Parade is organised purely to raise smiles and spirits. The Parade will leave the Big Blue Shed at Cinnamon Farm on County Road 31 near Winchester at 1:15 pm on August 8.
The plan is to then collect more friends from the Country Kitchen parking lot at around 1:30 pm. From there, John will lead the procession into Winchester and down Christie Lane to drive by the Dundas Manor Long Term Care home. The residents will be waiting outside to greet the parade.
The procession will then continue on through town, past the Lions Hall and back down Main Street. The spectacle will then conclude at the Arena car park, where participants are invited to park, chat, and marvel at the machines.
This is a completely free, just for fun event, no registration is required, just turn up on the day!
John would like to stress that passengers should only ride where the tractor allows it, i.e., no riding on fenders etc!
Due to the size of the roads through town, this is a tractor-only event. No sprayers, combines, or other equipment.
