Motors roar and crowds cheer as the 2025 Arcola National Truck & Tractor Pull returns for its high-octane run this weekend. Branning Park in western Allen County is hosting three adrenaline-packed nights of raw horsepower and small-town Americana from June 26 through June 28.

Now in its 71st year, the annual pull is more than just a motorsport event. It’s the heartbeat of Arcola—and a key fundraiser for the local fire department.

Local pride and diesel dreams

This isn’t your average community festival. What started in 1954 as part of Arcola Days has grown into a nationally sanctioned event under the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA). The Arcola Volunteer Fire Department organizes it, blending local pride with professional-grade competition.

Every evening, gates open at 5 p.m., and by 7 p.m., engines are firing, fans are hollering, and the dirt is flying.

You’ll see everything from suped-up diesel trucks to modified tractors that shake the ground as they haul massive sleds down a packed track. It’s loud, it’s dirty, and people love it.

“It’s tradition. It’s part of who we are,” said one longtime Arcola resident in the crowd Thursday night.

Who’s pulling and what to expect

Each night, the event showcases a rotating set of vehicle classes. The NTPA rules ensure a competitive lineup of:

• Super Stock Tractors

• Modified Trucks

• Diesel 4x4s

• Mini Rods

• Multi-engine tractors

• Semis that defy belief

It’s not just about speed—it’s about torque, timing, and guts. The rules are simple: hook up to a weight transfer sled and drag it as far as possible. Whoever pulls the longest wins. But in practice? It’s a battle between man, machine, and physics.

Kids line the fences, earmuffs clamped tight, waiting for their favorite class to take the line.

One sentence here to break up the rhythm.

“Every pull is different. It can go perfect or it can blow apart in seconds,” said a puller from southern Ohio.

The price of admission and what you get

Ticket prices vary by day:

Food vendors line the park’s perimeter. Think corn dogs, pork sandwiches, funnel cakes, and lemonade so sweet it glues your teeth together.

There’s also a shaded beer garden for the grownups and lawn seating if you prefer to bring your own chairs and coolers.

Some folks don’t even watch the pulls—they just hang out, catch up with neighbors, and enjoy the buzz.

Fueling the fire department

While the engines get the spotlight, the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department is the real engine of this event.

It’s their largest fundraiser of the year. Every dollar from tickets, food sales, and parking goes back into keeping the department equipped and trained.

They’re volunteers—people who might have been pulling tractors a few years ago and are now pulling hoses.

One small paragraph here again.

“This pays for gear, gas, training—everything we need to be there when someone dials 911,” said a fire chief on Friday night.

Pulling as a family affair

There’s also something deeply wholesome about it all. Many of the competitors are families—parents hauling in tractors on trailers with their kids buckled in beside them.

Take the husband-wife duo mentioned in local coverage. They compete together, cheer each other on, and spend their summers traveling from town to town doing what they love.

Some kids as young as 6 are already dreaming of their first pull.

And for those not pulling? They’re helping run the concession stands, sweeping gravel, or holding flashlights for someone fixing a busted hitch in the dark.

A throwback—and a future

In a world sprinting toward electric cars and AI-driven everything, the Arcola Pull feels like a glorious throwback. Gasoline, grit, and human willpower.

Yet, it’s not stuck in time.

Organizers are working on streamlining parking, adding QR code tickets, and even experimenting with live-streaming portions of the pulls online.

Still, the charm lies in the smell of diesel, the thrill of the roar, and the cheers of the crowd when someone makes a perfect full pull.