A John Deere rounds the corner onto the 600 block of East Sarnia Street where the drive-in is located.
TRACTORS RUMBLED INTO WINONA’S Lakeview Drive Inn parking lot on a perfect Minnesota evening in late August. Ideal temps. Sun edging behind the bluffs in this Mississippi River town of nearly 28,000.
Drive-in fare served in a paper lined basket.
Folks reminisced and downed burgers, onion rings and more served in red plastic baskets lined with checkered paper.
A few cars, some vintage, managed to sneak into the drive-in among all the tractors.
Just like the old days. Root beer crafted on-site at the 1938 drive-in and served in frosty mugs by car hops.
Rows of tractors ringed Lakeview Drive Inn.
My husband and I happened upon historic Lakeview’s annual Farm Tractor Night while returning from a vacation to Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. What a delight.
One view of Farm Tractor Night.
We were first introduced to Lakeview when our eldest daughter attended Winona State University, several blocks away, 10 years ago. I even wrote a magazine feature article on this vintage drive-in.
One can only imagine the conversation.
There’s something about a classic home-grown drive-in that speaks to summer and the past like no other place…
BONUS PHOTOS:
The oldest tractor, a 1937 John Deere A, at Lakeview.
A sweet vintage Ford.
Even the Winona County dairy princesses showed up for Farm Tractor Night.
A lovely old Oliver parked on the edge of the parking lot across the street from a spacious city park.
Loved the original art on this International tractor.
Come as you are for Farm Tractor Night. So authentic.
Attendees could go on a tractor-pulled wagon ride through the park across the street.
Just arrived at the tractor show.
FYI: The Lakeview Drive Inn closes for the season on September 14.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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