On the first day of the 2026 Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, CEO Terry McWilliams announced plans for the Harvest Center, a proposed year-round event venue that would be located east of the museums near the sawmill area.
Terry describes the vision for the facility:
“So there’s a sign out here. It says the future site of the Harvest Center at Midwest Old Threshers. We have our vision of our venue that we’d like to build for year-round type of things with you know meetings and conferences and receptions and you know and all kinds of fun stuff of that nature. And so that’s been in the work for a little while, and it’s going to be a little while yet.”
The proposed facility is expected to accommodate around 400 people and could host meetings, conferences, receptions and other events throughout the year.
Terry says the project is still in the planning stages, but architects have already provided some idea of what it could take to make the vision a reality.
“The Harvest Center is going to be a great addition. We’re hoping to see it around 400 people when this facility goes up. They tell me after meeting with architects and things, it could take about 18 months to build. So we’re we’re a little ways out, but we do have a big campaign ahead that we’re going to be trying to to raise the dollars so that we can make the Harvest Center become reality.”
Terry says construction could take about 18 months once the project gets underway, but there’s still significant work to be done before then — including a major fundraising campaign to raise the money needed for construction.
The Harvest Center is something Midwest Old Threshers has been considering for some time, and officials say the project represents an exciting opportunity to expand the grounds and provide a year-round facility for the community.
Plans are still being developed, but on Day One of this year’s Reunion, Midwest Old Threshers is giving visitors a look at what could be the next major chapter in the organization’s future.