Relive the past at Farm Heritage Festival

Walking up to the field of vintage tractors at this year's Farm Heritage Festival held on Saturday and Sunday at the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda, visitors of all ages heard a cacophony of sound as the engines roared, chugged and whistled while the machines worked through the daily chores.

The Lake County Discovery Museum and the Lake County Farm Heritage Association collaborated on the 18th annual festival, which featured more than 200 antique tractors, cars and steam engines.

"Everybody has their own brand of tractor, whether its Case or John Deere or others, which they like," explained Terry Abbott, president of the Lake County Farm Heritage Association. The festival is a good opportunity for the general public to get up close and talk to the owners about how the tractors were built and rebuilt, how they operate and even get a chance to sit on them, he said.

Children grabbed the steering wheels as they jumped high into the seats to pretend like they were driving through the cornfields on the big machines.

"It was fun," said a smiling Joshua Mercurio, 8, of Round Lake. "I've never been on a tractor before. They're big!"

"I was just born with tractors, and I love them," said Larry Michelau of Wauconda while getting a 1954 Farmall Super A ready for the Parade of Tractors. "I'm big on Red and International Harvester. When I was farming as a kid, we started driving tractors when we were 7 years old. We were put on tractors on our own. I can't stress how much I love it. It is something that is in you, and it never goes away."