Honor Veterans and Experience Living History at Santa Margarita Ranch This Memorial Weekend
Arguably the best show in the West, The Best of the West Antique Equipment Show, will be starting its engines on May 25 through May 28 at the Santa Margarita Ranch.
This Memorial weekend, guests are welcome to explore and enjoy the equipment that helped build America into the country it is today. More importantly, the weekend is dedicated to remembering and honoring veterans who have given their lives for our country.
The Best of the West Antique Equipment Show is a Paso Robles Pioneer Day Committee and Rossi Foundation event. Santa Margarita Ranch poses as the perfect location to enjoy a family gathering outside and teach the younger generations about the heritage of our area.
Best of the West coordinator Tara Tedeschi shares her favorite part of the weekend, “I love seeing the kids’ faces and even adults when they see these tractors and these big large pieces of equipment come to life … they come back every single year because it is such a fun family-friendly event to go [to] and hang out.”
At Best of the West, you can go back in time in more ways than one. The train holds plenty of history itself. It was featured in the TV show “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman” and was one of the passenger coaches from Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad from the 1950s. Pretend you are headed out west with a ride on the infamous Santa Margarita Ranch steam engine train. But watch out — word on the street is the Atascadero Trail Riders have plans for robbery!
With Best of the West landing on Memorial Weekend, Tara says it is essential that veterans are honored, “We want to make sure that it’s known that we do this to honor our Veterans and keep their memory alive as well.”
At noon each day, all operations will pause for a military salute and flyover courtesy of the Estrella Warbirds.
Many fan-favorite activities will be back at the ranch, including the Farm Bureau’s tri-tip dinners and other food vendors (including a bar), parades, and the Kid’s Corral.
“I think that farming and ranching and the equipment that has been used for hundreds of years is kind of a dying breed, so it’s important for us to showcase how our ancestors farmed and were able to live on the land,” Tara explained. “I think [its important], especially Paso Robles and the surrounding areas, is such a farming and ranching rich community. It brings all of us joy … doing this to make sure generations to come can still soak up this rich heritage. I think it’s important for us to keep that memory alive.”
In the Kid’s Corral, youngsters can look forward to some unique activities, including gold panning with the Central Coast Gold Prospectors, vintage water pumps, butter making, model trains and tracks, grain buckets, and roping dummies, giant sand pile, and tire climbing gym.
Throughout the day, guests can enjoy a tractor parade, earthmoving demo, plowing demo, blacksmithing, and so much more.
“It’s not just equipment just sitting there. You will see all these old pieces moving and actually in action,” Tara adds that this year the show will be adding harvesting demonstrations with antique equipment.
Coming back to the show is the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owner’s Club (AMOC). Founded in 1991, the AMOC has members all over the world. Several countries are planning to participate in AMOC’s showing at Best of the West in May. Locals from around the county and even folks from across the nation bring equipment and tractors from various decades. It ends up creating a timeline of the mechanized progress of 20th-century America. Of course, none of this would be possible without the help of JB Dewar, who donates fuel for the show.
The Santa Margarita Ranch is home to many landmarks serving as proof of its own rich history. Here, people can find the original El Camino Real, the Asistencia building, the Wells Fargo building dating back to the stagecoach days, and mission vineyards.
Tara and her team are excited for everyone to enjoy Best of the West in May, “Knowing that we can at least bring a little piece of the past back to life is neat to see in person.”
For more information on tickets, trailer camping, volunteering, and all the show has to offer, visit bestofthewestshow.com.
Best of the West Schedule of Events
Friday, May 26
8 a.m. | Gates open
9:45 a.m. | Train Rides begin (Pricing not included)
10 a.m. | Food and Beer open
10 a.m. | Blacksmith Demos begin
10:30 a.m. | Tractor Parade (Tractor area)
12 p.m. | Military Salute (Bar area)
12:45 p.m. | Military Parade
1:15 p.m. | Last Call on Train
1:30 p.m. | Tractor Parade
2 p.m. | Earth Moving Demo (Tractor area)
3 p.m. | Plowing Demo (Tractor area)
5 p.m. | Gates close
Saturday, May 27 & Sunday, May 28
8 a.m. | Gates open
9:45 a.m. | Train Rides begin (Pricing not included)
10 a.m. | Food and Beer open
10 a.m. | Blacksmith Demos begin
10:30 a.m. | Tractor Parade (Tractor area)
12 p.m. | Military Salute (Bar area)
12:45 p.m. | Military Parade
1:30 p.m. | Tractor Parade
2. p.m. | Earth Moving Demo (Tractor area)
2 to 4 p.m. | Airplanes can be viewed at Airstrip (People Movers to provide transportation)
3 p.m. | Plowing Demo (Tractor area)
4:45 p.m. | Last call on Train
5 p.m. | Gates close
Trains leave every 60 min or so (come on, it’s an old train, she gets going when she gets goin’) from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; except during the Military Salute; pricing is not included in ticket admission. Friday Train service is limited. Food Court: Farm Bureau Tri Tip, Heavenly Hot Dogs, Jerry’s Tacos, Bellow Pizza, Templeton Drama Cotton Candy, Cruising Cones Ice Cream
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