Some Mott area farmers are still busting the clock to get this year's harvest in the bin and it might cramp their Tractor Fest style.

Organizers of Mott's third annual all-about-tractors celebration, which is all day Saturday, say the number of people signed up to drive tractors in the parade is down this year. That could change if they can hurry and get harvest finished.

Late spring rain slowed crop growth and now rains in July and August are slowing harvest.

Deb Marthaller of Mott said she keeps hearing, "I should get 'er done by Wednesday," so she's hopeful numbers will pick up before Saturday.

Anyone who wants to drive a tractor in the parade only needs to show up. Line up will be over the bridge in West Mott and it would help if tractor entries are there around 8 a.m. "The more the merrier," Marthaller said.

The Tractor Fest parade will start at 10 a.m.

A whole day of fun is planned, with food vendors, crafts and a pedal tractor race on Main Street.

The Mott Pedal Tractor Museum, located in the old variety store downtown, will be open and other attractions will include miniature horse and buggy rides and horse handling demonstrations. The swimming pool will be reopened for the day, too.

A rubber ducky race will start at the Main Street bridge at 2 p.m. and end downstream at the dam. Marthaller said there's been some talk about bringing the firetruck down to add more water velocity to the Cannonball River, but one way or another, she thinks a winning duck will emerge.

Another new event will be a Mr. Farmer Contest at 4 p.m. downtown, followed by a family movie at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at dark.

Marthaller said the Tractor Fest is a fun day for Mott and visitors who come from neighboring communities.

"We had a great county fair (earlier this summer) and this is another big day," she said.

Mott's also looking forward to hosting the Bismarck Symphony String Quartet on Oct. 5 and the Harlem Basketball Ambassadors, who will take on a local team "The Motley Crew," on Oct. 9.