44th Annual Steam Festival

Roots of motive power is proud to present its 44th Annual Steam Festival! Come see our latest restoration project “The Best #185” Steam Tractor!!!

Help us celebrate 100 years of Caterpillar with the Granddaddy of today’s modern tractors!

This event takes place Saturday September 12th 10am to 4pm and Sunday September 13th 10am to 4pm.

This year the Roots of Motive Power Festival will be our best event ever. The weekend AFTER Labor Day, expect to hear whistles tooting and bells ringing as Roots steams up for the 44th year in a row.

Historic train rides and old logging equipment demonstrations will be going on throughout the Festival featuring: steam locomotives, a steam shovel, steam rollers, stationary engines, Cat & Allis-Chalmers tractors, Mack AC truck, the Keystone steam powered Well Diller and more.

On Saturday, Sept. 12th our Annual Appreciation Barbecue begins at 4:00 p.m. Look forward to our world famous BBQ and live music, a raffle, silent, and live auction will fill the afternoon with cheers.

Don’t miss the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association, our guests in Recreation Grove Park.

This year, with the help of our friends at the Mendocino County Museum, we will have Steam Roller Street Printing. One of our Buffalo Springfield Steam Rollers will be making linoleum prints with the help of talented artists from around the state.

You can try your hand at print-making and say you did it with an antique steam roller!

All in all, it’s a unique show you won’t want to miss! Save the date: Sept. 12th and 13th, 2026 for the Roots of Motive Power Steam Festival.

Directions: Take Willits Main Street and turn on East Commercial Street – you’ll find Roots at 420 East Commercial St. Willits, CA.