URGENT UPDATE: The highly anticipated 131st annual Plowing Match and Festival is set to ignite Big Rock this Friday, September 19, running through September 21. This cherished event celebrates agricultural traditions while introducing fresh attractions designed to engage younger audiences.
Get ready for a weekend filled with excitement as the village transforms into a lively hub featuring tractors, carnival rides, and a plethora of engaging activities. The festival will showcase its signature plowing competition alongside a bustling carnival, craft and vendor shows, and a lively watermelon-eating contest. According to the Big Rock Plowing Match Association, attendees can also look forward to a pedal tractor pull, mud volleyball, a bicycle parade kicking off Friday, and train rides from the Prairie State Railroad Club.
Denise Farrugia, secretary of the Plowing Match Association, emphasized the festival’s unique charm, stating, “We celebrate a plowing competition, and it’s just very unique. It’s a plowing match and a festival wrapped around agricultural activities.” The blend of traditional games and modern attractions aims to attract families and younger generations alike.
Local culinary offerings include mouth-watering dinners from 5B’s Catering, featuring pork chop and chicken dinners on Saturday and turkey with ham dinners on Sunday. For the first time, festival-goers can enjoy French fries as part of the menu, further enhancing the culinary experience.
Farrugia highlighted the importance of maintaining the event’s agricultural essence: “If it means bringing in mud volleyball to engage those in their 20s and 30s, then that’s what we’re going to do.” This year, a crowd of 1,000 to 1,500 attendees is anticipated, reflecting a growing interest in the festival as the community rebounds from the pandemic.
A notable highlight this year is the dedication of the Davis Field sign, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday before the plowing begins. This sign commemorates the Davis family’s contribution and signifies the historical significance of the field, which has been hosting plowing competitions since 1961.
Farrugia remarked, “This has been a year-long project from idea to dedication, made possible by tremendous effort and generosity.”
With a wide array of activities, food options, and a celebration of agrarian roots, the Big Rock Plowing Match and Festival promises to be an unmissable event for families and community members. For more details, visit https://bigrockplowingmatch.org/festival-details%2Fschedule.
Don’t miss out on this weekend of fun and tradition in Big Rock!
