Originally published on June 16th at 12:48 p.m.
MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — The 2026 National Red Power Round Up is pulling into South Dakota with International Harvester, Steiger, and Case IH collectors and vendors from across the country taking part.
Steve Masat is the president of South Dakota Chapter #21, the organizing group for this year’s show. He tells Mitchell Now it is a privilege to be selected, and the bid process began three years ago. Red Power will be at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron. The venue last hosted the event in 2020, and 2014 before that. South Dakota’s first time holding Red Power was in 1997.
The roundup is expected to bring about 20,000 people to the fairgrounds. Some of the equipment set to be displayed include tractors, harvesters, combines, a crawler tractor, road construction machinery, milking and dairy refrigeration equipment, and more. Masat says the array of machinery will trend to be jumbo-sized.
South Dakota is known for its wide-open spaces and flat terrain, especially in the eastern half of the state. That allows for large equipment on a scale not effective elsewhere to tend to the land where the deer and the antelope play.
Masat says the unique thing about Red Power is its willingness to cater to what showcase what makes farming different in each region where it is held. When Iowa hosted, there was an emphasis on pork production. Down south in Alabama, it was cotton picking. In Carolina, Masat got a crash course on tobacco growing and processing. He is looking to show off what farming means in South Dakota.
The event runs from June 25-27, with fun planned for the whole family. Gates open at 7:00 a.m. each day. The Steiger Legacy gathering is scheduled for Thursday at 9:00 a.m. The parade and opening ceremony steps off at 10:30. That evening at 5:00, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association is holding a steak feed. Pre-registration is required so that they don’t have to turn anyone away with an empty stomach.
Friday will have demonstrations on amateur radio, quilts, and Magnum tractors. At 6:00 p.m. in the grandstand, the fair is putting on a truck pull. Saturday brings the event to a close with an auction.
