Local Toy Show Draws Big Crowd

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Trucks, tractors and trains took over the Red River Valley Fairgrounds as the Sugar Valley Toy Show brought hundreds into the area.

The Zink brothers are toy enthusiasts and they traveled three hours from Freeport, Minnesota to the 23rd annual Sugar Valley Toy Show.

Zach Zink started collecting at an early age.

“When I could start walking I was getting farm toys, my dad had a little Velveeta cheese box with his toys when he was little and we fascinated over them. As soon as we could get toys, we bought toys,” said Zink.

Their uncle built farm displays.

“We just thought it was really cool and started playing with them once in a while and then we started taking a couple and then we took all of them, and then we decided we should probably buy our own,” said Zink.

The show always offers a variety of toys.

“And then there’s people like me that, I’m a truck nut and I have only trucks,” said Organizer Bob Johnson.

Johnson enjoys seeing people of all ages come to the show.

“It’s kind of pleasing to see that you know these young kids are into anything but playing with their telephones,” said Johnson.

Many people are lifelong collectors and something that keeps them in the hobby is the people.

“A lot of these people, they are really friendly and they’ll just talk to you, and it doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from,” said Zink.

“Oh you meet a lot of people, a lot of different vendors and it’s good people to deal with,” said Tom Heine of Drayton, North Dakota.

It’s a show for people to practice their favorite hobby.

“It’s kind of the one thing I got to go with a childhood still, playing with farm toys and buying them and stuff,” said Zink.

Organizers say this was one of their biggest shows yet.