THERE’S SOMETHING SUBLIMELY SWEET about a kids’ pedal tractor pull. I think it’s an underlying sense of community pulling together, of almost physically placing your feet on the pedals and willing a toy tractor to move forward that endears me to this rural competition.

Spectators, including a reenactor from the nearby Trails of History, line the trail for the pedal tractor pull.
Sunday afternoon in small town Elysian, I first heard the encouraging roar of the crowd before I spotted folks lining a section of the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail for the Kid Power Pedal Pull.
Here, along this paved path, youngsters gripped the steering wheel of a mini White tractor and powered forward, aiming to win a tractor topped trophy.
I especially delighted in the determined and dainty Second Princess of Elysian who settled onto the tractor seat in her fancy lavender dress, grasped the wheel and pedaled in sandals, all the while smiling. If ever there was a princess who owned the moment, it was this sweet little girl.
Equally as memorable was the moment a mother bent to kiss the cheek of her son who’d just received a trophy.
As I watched, I observed not only the contestants but also those watching the competition. These are the moments worth noticing, worth celebrating.
This is what life is all about in small town Minnesota. The moments. The sense of community. The coming together of all ages for awhile on a Sunday summer afternoon to be entertained. Applause. Smiles. Princesses.
FYI: Please check back for more photos from Elysian’s weekend celebration of the Fourth of July.
Click here to learn more about Kid Power Pedal Tractor Pulls.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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