Whether you’re an avid die cast toy collector, memorabilia collector, or just remember visiting Grandpa’s farm and want to recapture the nostalgia, there’s something for everyone to see at the 35th Annual Lafayette Farm Toy Show, Friday through Sunday, March 8-10.

The show will be held at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 2930 Waterfront Parkway West Drive, on the west side of Indianapolis just off I-74/I-465 at Crawfordsville Road.

The Lafayette Farm Toy Show – the second oldest hotel farm toy show in the U.S. – features room trading as well as banquet room sales and displays. “Room trading allows the toy dealers to set up in their hotel room,” says Alan Chesnut, toy show director. “Folks can go from room to room down the hall and see the various toys and toy parts on display by the vendors.”

Room trading opens at 5 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. “An advantage to the room trading is that many venders will keep their rooms open past the closing time of the banquet room,” Chesnut added. “This allows you to see the toys if you can’t make it during the stated hours.

Banquet room hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Back this year will be a Consignment Auction, beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday. “The auction is not limited to toy show vendors. Anyone can enter an item in the auction,” Chesnut said. Consignment items will be accepted Friday evening for the Saturday auction.

In addition to the toy show vendors, there will be a model contest including categories for trucks and farm machinery, as well as a display contest on Saturday. “The display contest will feature folks that have created a farm display on a large surface, some as large as a sheet of plywood,” Chesnut explains. “They’ll have buildings, fences, and farm toys on the display. It takes you back to your days of playing on the living room rug as a kid.”

New to this year’s show will be workshops on Saturday that focus on custom building farm toys, constructing model buildings, and how to make diorama scenery. Workshops will be held right at the show on Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. by experts in each area.

During the auction, a gold-plated 1/32-scale International 1456 tractor
will be for sale, with the proceeds going to local FFA chapters.

One admission price covers both Friday and Saturday: adults – $2,
children ages 6-12, $1; and under 6 are free. “There is free admission for
everyone on Sunday,” Chesnut notes. “With the low prices, and free admission on Sunday, we hope everyone comes out to see all the farm toys on display.”