Rollag steam threshers reunion to honor military veterans (2024)

DETROIT LAKES — A Labor Day weekend tradition since 1954, the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion brings 40,000-50,000 visitors to the tiny town of Rollag, Minnesota, each year it is held. (WMSTR, like most popular, large-crowd events, went virtual in 2020 due to pandemic safety concerns.)

This year's WMSTR — pronounced "Whim-ster" by the locals — promises to be one of its biggest to date: Organizers plan to honor area military veterans past and present with a variety of commemorative events, including the annual machine expo.

"We'll be featuring vintage military vehicles," says WMSTR President Duane Hovelsrud, adding that there will be everything from a Sherman tank to Howitzer artillery on display.

"We have a Sherman tank on the grounds that's a running exhibit," he said, noting that most of the machines and equipment on display during the show are working models, as opposed to static displays. "We want things running and operating, doing things on the grounds."

That goes for everything from the scale model vehicles in Miniatureland to the full-size, steam-powered carousel, tractors, steam shovels, and even a full-size steam train, which runs on a track around the showgrounds.

Dubbed "The 353," this vintage, full-size Alco locomotive takes hundreds of Rollag visitors on trips around the show grounds throughout the four-day weekend. There are horse-powered options for transportation as well, Hovelsrud said, including a wagon that takes visitors from their parking area to the entrance gate, and back again at the end of their day.

And that's not all. There's something for visitors of all ages to be found on WMSTR's sprawling, 210-acre showgrounds.

"We have a pioneer village, with everything from soap making to blacksmithing," Hovelsrud said. "There's a turn-of-the-century farmstead. You go down into that area and you're removed enough from the rest of the show and all the noise that you'll think you're in a whole different era. It's very relaxing."

Rollag's "Main Street" includes everything from a general store and mercantile, to a post office where you can actually drop off letters and postcards for mailing, complete with a Rollag postmark. Though not only women can be found working there, the nearby Ladies' Activities building is the place to go to see sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving demonstrations, just to name a few.

Vicki Gerdes / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Most of the working-model steam and gas vehicles will be leaving their spot on the show grounds at least twice a day to take part in the parades. "We have two parades, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily," Hovelsrud said, adding that the 2 p.m. parade on Monday, Sept. 4, will put a cap on the weekend's activities, as most choose to go home after its conclusion.

Though there are plenty of familiar favorites for WMSTR fans to choose from, there are a few new attractions as well. In the Ortner Train Park, some new buildings have been added to match the size of the Ortner train, which is a favorite hangout for young Rollag visitors, Hovelsrud noted.

"We've even added a dining car (to the Ortner train)," he said, adding that the new train car and buildings were constructed with meticulous detail.

Several new attractions have also been added to showcase this year's military theme, Hovelsrud said, from displays of authentic service uniforms — many of them donated by WMSTR members — to a flag retirement ceremony scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. A new flag display has also been added, including flags from all six branches of military service as well as the national flags of both the U.S. and Canada and the state flag of Minnesota.

Contributed / Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion

"That whole display was donated," he said.

"Our show book has a bunch of veterans' stories, where they served and so forth," he added — and all veterans who attend the show (members, exhibitors and guests) are also eligible to receive a special commemorative WMSTR button, thanking them for their service. All they have to do to receive it is go to the Expo Building (where the military vehicle display is located) and register.

Hovelsrud said that the military vehicle focus of this year's WMSTR Expo has been a bit of a departure for them. "We know how to do tractor expos," he said. "This one had a little bit of a learning curve. But the support from the Legions and the VFWs ... has been just overwhelming. It's humbling."

A reporter at Detroit Lakes Newspapers since relocating to the community in October 2000, Vicki was promoted to Community News Lead for the Detroit Lakes Tribune and Perham Focus on Jan. 1, 2022. She has covered pretty much every "beat" that a reporter can be assigned, from county board and city council to entertainment, crime and even sports. Born and raised in Madelia, Minnesota, she is a graduate of Hamline University, from which she earned a bachelor's degree in English literature (writing concentration). You can reach her at 218-844-1454 or vgerdes@dlnewspapers.com.