Slepicka Tractor Show a hit in Niwot

This past weekend, the Slepicka Tractor Show was held just off 79th Street in Niwot near the Monarch Road intersection. Attendees enjoyed beautiful weather for the show, as they browsed among decades' worth of restored tractors, engines and other farm equipment displayed on the front of the farm of long time Niwotonians, Jerry and Marsha Slepicka, who have owned the property since 1994.

Co-sponsored by the Niwot Community Association, the show gave a peek into a past way of life in the area with 15 full sized tractors and 9 Gibson tractors on display. There was also a 1943 Farmall H model, a 1946 John Deere B, and a 1945 Purple Princess. These were collected and restored by the Slepicka family over time.

Tractor shows like this one also serve as a living, touchable history of how communities, and the country as a whole, grew and changed over decades. This show was no exception not only in its tractor displays, but in other farm equipment.

There were corn-sowing machines that needed to be pulled by horse, reducing hours it took to get farm tasks done and increased yield. Just a few feet away were washing machine engines that most certainly freed up the time it took to do laundry. And it was easy to see the connections between the equipment, the engines, and the automobiles that were developed at the same time, and eventually changed society.

The show was not only a pleasure to view, but it also provided a connection to the past and a reminder of changes the future brings. As technology continues to evolve and impact our lives in decades to come, the Slepicka Tractor Show serves as an annual touchstone to Niwot's agricultural heritage.