| The Gathering of the Green is a biannual event for John Deere two-cylinder and New Generation tractor collectors, restorers and enthusiasts. Over 1,200 are already registered for the conference to spend time with fellow John Deere fans on March 21-24, 2018. You won’t want to miss how the RiverCenter, 136 E. 3rd St. in downtown Davenport, Iowa, is transformed with elaborate displays that focus on the 2018 theme, “Legend, Made Legacy”. This year also commemorates the centennial year of John Deere’s tractor business with iconic tractors and implements. Conference registration ends March 14, 2018, at www.gatheringofthegreen.com. Full conference attendees receive the souvenir program and lanyard. Single day passes are available at the door for $10. Day passes include the on-site workshops by top experts. See a 32’ operating Aermotor windmill, the oldest tractor produced by John Deere in 1918, an early farm house and yard of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and more. There’s a 3,000 square-foot vendor hall with over 80 vendors from across the country with parts, decals, memorabilia, books and manuals, signs, and a lot more. NEW: In conjunction with Gathering of the Green, there is an auction of the outstanding collection of John and Caterpillar toys from Eldon and Kaye Trumm. They have many rare items. The auction is March 23 at 3 p.m. and March 24 at 9 a.m. at the Radisson Quad City Plaza, connected by skywalk to the RiverCenter. 2018’s gathering focuses on the 100th anniversary of John Deere entering the farm tractor business through the acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in 1918. Approximately 596 different tractor models have been designed, produced, and sold during this era including the revered Two-Cylinder, New Generation and Generation II tractors which are collected, restored, and enjoyed by devotees around the world. Once again, members of the four sponsoring John Deere antique clubs located in central and northern Illinois and eastern Iowa have worked for many months to put together another outstanding conference - Deer Valley Collectors, Illinois Valley Two-Cylinder Club, North Eastern Illinois Twin-Cylinder Club, and Northwest Illinois Deer Collectors Club. For more information, visit www.gatheringofthegreen.com, email info@gatheringofthegreen.com, or call 563-845-3296. For information on the Quad Cities, contact the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-747-7800 or visit their website at www.visitquadcities.com. The Quad Cities is located on the Mississippi River and is made up of the riverfront Cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The area is just a 2-1/2 hour drive from Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. It is easily accessible via I-80, I-74, I-88 and several major state highways. |
