For close to 100 years, Tracy’s community festival has been bringing people together. Organizers of events at Box Car Days hope to keep that tradition going this weekend.

Community members helping to organize festival events said it’s the people that make Box Car Days special. “I just think it’s being together with friends and family, and people coming back to town,” said Natalie Ollien.

The 98th annual Box Car Days festival will include a carnival, and a mix of fun activities through Labor Day weekend. The festival starts Friday, with the Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce burger night, and music by a D.J.

Also starting up Friday and running all weekend is the antique tractor show, at the Wheels Across the Prairie Museum. The museum and the Wheels Across the Prairie Heritage Center will be open durng the festival, with a pork sandwich meal available on Saturday.

Jeff Meyer said organizers were hoping for a good turnout at the show. “Last year, we had 67 (tractors), and we’re hoping for more this year,” he said. People from the Tracy area and communities like Wabasso, Slayton and Revere all bring vehicles to display.

“We’ll do a tractor drive every day,” that travels around Tracy, Meyer said. You don’t have to have a tractor to take part – visitors can take a ride on a “people mover,” he said.

The carnival and a variety of other activities start on Saturday. The schedule includes a 5K road race, softball and beanbag tournaments. A farmer’s market will also be held at the Cinnamon Hen on U.S. Highway 14. The annual Box Car Days kiddie parade will start at the Sanford Tracy hospital parking lot on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday night will feature a street dance, featuring live music by Rhino.

Sunday events begin with mud volleyball and pickleball tournaments. This will be the second year there has been a pickleball tournament at Box Car Days, Oellien said.

“There was a good turnout last year, and we hope we have a good turnout again,” she said. “I think people just enjoy it,” Oellien said of pickleball. “You can be any skill level and still have fun.”

Also on Sunday, inflatables and kids’ activities like a pedal pull will be held at Tracy’s Central Park. Tracy area youth will be sharing their tae kwon do skills in martial arts demonstrations, Meyer said. “We’ve got a really good bunch of kids,” he said.

One of the big events in the evening Sunday is the Miss Tracy Scholarship Program. The program will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Tracy Area High School auditorium.

The final day of the festival, Monday, includes a few crowd-favorite events. Monday morning starts with a fly-in and drive-in breakfast at the Tracy airport.

“Traditionally, we get about 600 to 700 people that are there,” said Neil Daniels, president of the Tracy airport committee. Visitors enjoy seeing the different airplanes that come to the event. This year, Sanford will have aircraft like a medical helicopter on display, Daniels said. A flyover of vintage planes is also planned as a salute to veterans.

Monday’s festival events build up to the Box Car Days grand parade, which starts at 1 p.m. An after-parade party will follow at the festival beer tent.