Hayrides in the Houston Heights
About me
Hi! My name is Ulf. I’m a mechanical engineer from Germany and moved to Houston in 2006. Naturally, I’ve always had a passion for engines, vehicles, and anything that goes fast… or slow, like my tractor.
For years, I was on a quest to find an antique Porsche tractor. Finally, my dad located the perfect one near my hometown in Germany. In 2021, it was shipped from Germany to Texas—and that’s where this story begins.
Hayrides
Each holiday season, I offer a few private-party hayrides to enjoy the seasonal light displays in the Woodland Heights—home of the famous Lights in the Heights event.
Here’s the best part:
All rides are donated to local charities to benefit our community. Past beneficiaries include:
- St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
- Woodland Heights Civic Association
- The Parish School
- Trees of Hope
- Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
- And more!
How to ride:
These hayrides are available exclusively through local fundraising events. You’ll need to win a ride at one of these events to take part!
A true neighborhood effort:
While I provide the tractor and lead the rides, it’s the neighborhood that makes it happen. The trailer, hay bales, and lights are all generously contributed by different neighbors.
Lights in the Heights (LITH) Info
• LITH takes place the second Saturday in December.
• I offer hayrides during the week surrounding the event—excluding LITH Saturday (the roads are closed).
• Rides start and end at the Norhill Esplanade, generally around 7 PM.
• Each ride lasts about 45 minutes and can accommodate 15-20 people.
The Tractor
After World War II, Porsche used its engineering expertise to help rebuild a devastated Europe. Between 1956 and 1963, Porsche manufactured around 120,000 tractors, giving farmers across Germany a powerful and affordable workhorse to plow their fields and rebuild their country. This era became known as the Wirtschaftswunder—Germany’s “economic miracle.”
A small number of Porsche tractors made it to the United States. All were air-cooled, 4-stroke diesel engines, ranging from simple 1-cylinder models to robust 4-cylinder versions—every one of them painted bright red.
My tractor is a 1960 Porsche 308 Super Diesel, a 3-cylinder model, and it’s still going strong!