Since 1947, when the Butler Farm Show began as a plowing contest, the event has been a tradition for families across Butler County.

The tradition will continue from Monday, Aug. 10, through Aug. 15, when the 77th annual Butler Farm Show will give families the chance to have fun while learning more about Butler County’s agriculture industry.

The event, held at the Butler Farm Show grounds, 625 Evans City Road, will include plenty of activities, such as 4-H project exhibitions, livestock shows, arts and crafts and live demonstrations.

At the grandstand, several fan favorites, such as tractor pulls and the Friday night demolition derby, will return. Meanwhile, the Armstrong Pavilion will host a mix of returning musical acts and new bands.

The farm show grounds will also host some events before the show officially begins Monday. The Armstrong Pavilion will host the Little Miss 4-H Butler Farm Show and Little Miss Butler Farm Show contests Saturday.

Then, on Sunday, Dan Schall will lead the annual “Come As You Are” worship service before the main event begins.

Just like the farm show, agriculture is a family tradition in Butler County, according to Ken Metrick, secretary of the farm show’s board.

“There’s a lot of heritage, a lot of families, multiple generations that are on the same farms as their grandparents and their great grandparents,” Metrick said.

Agriculture is more than just a tradition. It’s an important part of Butler County’s economy. In total, there are 903 farms in Butler County that produce more than $71 million in farm products, according to USDA data.

In addition to the farms themselves, agriculture provides many other related jobs, including meat processing and farm equipment manufacturing, according to Metrick.

With agriculture being so important to Butler County’s economy, educating people about it while they have fun at the same time is especially important to the farm show organizers.

“There is a future here in agriculture in Butler County and the farm show is just a way to communicate that to the public,” Metrick said.

The Butler Farm Show is a special tradition for the visitors and exhibitors alike, according to Metrick.

“They enjoy showing their cattle,” Metrick said. “People enjoy bringing their baked goods. They enjoy bringing the vegetables out of their garden, their quilts, their photography, their paintings, their crafts.”

For those who display their livestock at the farm show year after year, the event is “like a family reunion for them,” according to Metrick.

“They’re not only there to show cattle, but they’re there to be together,” Metrick said.

The exhibitors use the event as a chance to get together, catch up on life and share a meal together.

On the last night of the farm show, one person takes a group picture of everybody in the livestock barn.

Over time, the group photos show how much the exhibitors and their families have grown and changed over the years.

“It’s kind of neat to see how, over the years, how things have changed and the kids have grown, and now some of those kids have kids and some of those kids have grandkids,” Metrick said.

Those photos show how, just like farming, participating in the farm show has become a time-honored tradition passed between generations.

Like any good tradition, the Butler Farm Show continues to evolve with the times.

Several new food vendors, bands and midway acts will participate this year. For example, for the first time, the Farm Show will host The Cool Change Band, which plays a mix of classic rock, yacht rock and country music.

However, just like any other tradition, there are some things that cannot be changed.

“You can’t take away the demolition derby,” Metrick said. “You can’t change the super stock tractors.”

Similarly, farm show favorites, such as the famous doughnuts, the fiddling contest and the junior livestock sale, will all return for another year.

With so many longtime favorites returning and new things to do at the farm show, there will be something for everyone, according to Metrick.

“Everybody has their own reason to be there,” Metrick said.