National Farm Machinery Show and Championship Tractor Pull return to Louisville this week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The National Farm Machinery Show and Championship Tractor Pull return this week to the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The event kicks off Wednesday, but organizers provided a sneak peek 24 hours early as crews finished setting up exhibits and tractors began arriving on site.

"You're seeing months and months of work here today," Kentucky Venues President and CEO David Beck said. "People have been planning their exhibits, people have been working hard. You start planning next year's event before this year is over with."

Tuesday was all about set-up: cleaning, vacuuming, getting every piece of equipment in its place. Over the next few days, the empty halls will be filled with hundreds of thousands of guests and more than 900 exhibitors.

"I just love seeing the people," said Ryan Bundy, a warehouse manager at Farm King. "We see people from Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, all over the world."

Bundy said he's been coming to the show since he was in high school. While some he's become friends with over the years are from all over the world, Bundy lives in southern Indiana and has a quick trip across the bridge to get to this event.

"The same people come every year and they recognize you and they'll come up and talk to you year after year after year so it's pretty neat," he said.

Aside from showcasing heavy equipment, the show also includes seminars, a craft & gift market, and of course -- the tractor pulls.

Outside Broadbent Arena Tuesday, teams were already pulling their semis into the parking lot to unload their tractors. Those tractors will be on display in "The Pit" inside Broadbent for the public to see later this week.

An event of this scale going on for so many years is a point of pride for the Expo Center. This is the largest indoor farm show in the country.

"This is one of our in-house shows. This is our show," Beck said. "But we don't take it for granted."

The show runs Wednesday, Feb. 15, through Saturday, Feb. 18.

Admission to the National Farm Machinery Show is free. Parking at the Expo Center begins at $10.60 online or $12 per vehicle at the gate. Bus parking is $25 at the gate.

Tractor Pull tickets are on sale now. A spokesperson told WDRB News that tickets are going quickly for Saturday's Championship.

Tractor Pull tickets can but purchased online or at the Expo Center's Ticket Office.