When the 5th Annual Churchville Lions Country Fair opens Saturday, August 18 bigger and better than ever, it will prove that a few Lions had the right idea five years ago, and that there is a place for simple old-fashioned fun and traditional values in today’s society.

The Churchville Lions Club took the fair over years ago when it was a carnival and ran it that way for three years, according to Lion and country fair organizer Rick Elliot. But the club immediately started looking for a new theme, something different.

"The object when we started out was to have a family-oriented festival," said Lion Peter Neidrauer. The Lions were unhappy with the carnival atmosphere, he said, but were warned, "You can’t have a fair without the beer and gambling."

Well, they did it anyway, hitting on the antique tractor and tractor pull theme and gearing the two-day event toward low-cost, family fun -- and they have been wildly successful. Although nobody keeps count, Elliot estimates 10,000 people attended last year’s event and the number seems to grow every year.

"We keep getting compliments from people," said Neidrauer. "They can bring their kids, there’s things for them to do, and at a reasonable cost … I think that’s why the village and the town get behind it and support it."

Neidrauer’s youngest son, and fellow Lion, Steve Neidrauer, said the fair is really geared toward children and families. "We want to get the kids out," he said. "No carnies, no rides, your kids won’t be all over you to buy $25 worth of ride tickets. That’s what differentiates our fair. It’s a step back in time."

With a petting zoo put on by Springdale Farm, a story time by the Newman Riga Library, pony rides, an air castle, a large sandbox, hayrides, and various children’s games such as a fish pond offered by the Union Congregational Church, there will be plenty for kids to do. Most activities are free, some charge a nominal fee of 50 cents to a dollar.

The fair is an easy destination, on West Buffalo Street at Park Road in the village of Churchville. The county-owned fairgrounds are just south of Black Creek and Churchville Park. As always, parking is free.

Churchville Lions Club members promise the fireworks show on Saturday night will be bigger than last year, and there is more free music and dancing on the entertainment slate than ever.

Starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, kids can compete in a pedal tractor pull according to weight class - the child’s weight that is - for trophies just like the big guys.

The tractor pull and the antique tractor show are the real draw for the fair, bringing people from all over Western New York, Canada, and Pennsylvania, according to Elliot. The antique steam tractor from the New York State Steam Engine Association in Canandaigua, a major hit, is still scheduled to be at the fair.

Although an antique steam tractor exploded in the Midwest earlier this summer, Elliot said steam engines in New York state must meet rigorous standards and are always inspected before being used.

It’s the tractor theme that really sets this fair apart and gives it its identity. When club members were originally searching for new direction for the fair, "The village and the town asked us to do something to put us on the map," said Peter Neidrauer.

The tractor pull and parade seem to have done it, and the club members’ antique tractors have become a hit in other local parades as well. "This seems to fit our image," he said.

The younger Neidrauer said the emphasis on farm machinery reflects Churchville's and Riga’s rural roots. "Once a week you can still get caught behind a tractor in our town," he said. He said the country fair is a celebration of that, "It’s a step back in time for a real old-fashioned country fair."