Photos: The 78th Annual Banks BBQ Truck & Tractor Pull

The 78th Annual Banks BBQ Truck & Tractor Pull, held last weekend, brought fewer than usual to Banks thanks to a thunderstorm that saw much part of Saturday’s activities cancelled, but still drew a sold-out crowd by the time combines were crashing into each other Sunday afternoon.

After being kicked off Friday night with the annual Texas Hold ‘Em tournament in Schlegel Hall, the event was poised to kick off the first full day of activities Saturday.

But Saturday morning saw a sudden change of plans.

“We are canceling todays truck and tractor pull due to the weather,” Banks Sunset Park said in a statement Saturday morning.

Sunset Park is owned and managed by the nonprofit Banks Sunset Park Association.

While the auxiliary events — vendors, a beer garden and a band — were still on hand, the bulk of the afternoon activities were off.

Moved indoors, the fourth annual cornhole tournament was in Schlegel Hall. Fast becoming a staple of the BBQ, the event benefits Banks Youth Football.

Domanic Vanthom and Todd Toburen (team name “Cornholio”) took the top spot, toppling back-to-back reigning champs Trask and Tater Applegate.

It was their first year playing in the tournament.

The call to cancel due to rain was prudent; the dirt track the truck and tractor pull is held on turned to a mud pit as torrential rain and thunder and lightning struck Saturday afternoon and evening.

A smaller crowd of BBQ attendees huddled under the canopy at the beer garden as lightning flashed in the Banks sky above

The next morning, however, was a different story.

Sunday dawned more or less clear, and one of the marquee events, the parade, began.

Local businesses, school and church groups, two real political candidates and a fake one and more had floats.

The combine derby, always a crowd pleaser, sold out, and this year’s winner was Jared Rigert, driving what he calls the Silver Bullet. He’s been in the event for several years. He remarked that the runner up, a green combine themed after the Hulk, was a hard-hitter. The two vehicles had tangled several times in the derby.

Reached by phone Monday, Banks Sunset Park President David Duyck praised the efforts of the volunteers who made the event happen. But the loss of one day of the truck and tractor pull will be felt.

“A great group of volunteers, everyone contributes,” he said, thanking those who came, and those who donated time and money to the event.

“Saturday was a bit of a disappointment,” Duyck said of the decision to cancel. The group’s volunteers put trenches in to divert water, and after efforts to prepare the track and a late start, the pull was back on.

“Between beer sales at the track and beer garden and all the tickets, we’re definitely going to be considerably down this year,” he said.

The full tally will be known sometime next week.

A volunteer appreciation potluck (attendees were asked to bring a side or dessert) will be on August 28 at the park starting at 6:30 p.m. A main course and drinks are provided.