Chilly Temps Don’t Stop Trunk or Treaters From a Good Time

The Empty Pockets Cruisers hosted their annual Trunk or Treat Car show on Saturday at the Hilliard Presbyterian Church in Hilliard, Ohio.

With temperatures near 80 on Friday, a cold front moved through the area overnight dropping the high on Saturday into the mid-50s. The drastic change in temperature caused the one car club to cancel their event on Saturday.

Despite the chilly temperatures, the Empty Pocket Cruisers went on with the show and managed to register 137 vehicles. In the afternoon, there were plenty of children dressed up in costumes trick or treating their way through the cars.

Once again the Ohio Zombie Guard was there to protect the crowd from zombies, ghosts, ghouls, globlins, and other unnatural phenomena.

As in past years, members of the church cooked hot dogs, hamburgers, and bratwursts. The $5.50 meal deal got you a cheeseburger, baked beans, chips, cookies, and drink. After two consecutive years of being rated the worst-tasting hamburger of the season, the church finally broke its string. My cheeseburger wasn't too bad this year.

Jim McGruder was in his usual role as master of ceremonies and DJ. As always, he had a great playlist of music.

The Awards

The Empty Pockets Cruisers presented 50 award plaques on Saturday. There were three for Best Costume, three for Best Decorations, a Kids Choice, a DJ's Choice, a Church Choice, a Sponsors Choice, and Favorite 40.

Best Costumes:

Best Decorations:

Here are a few of the Favorite 40 winners:

DJ's Choice:

Kids Choice:

Church Choice:

Sponsors Choice:

Final Thoughts

If you're into Halloween, cars, and kids, this show is one you don't want to miss. It's always great fun. I find the end, however, to be a little bittersweet because it generally means the car show season is winding down. For many, it was the last time to hang out with their car show buddies until next spring. I'm just glad the Empty Pockets Cruisers ignored the cool temps and decided to go on with the show.

Other Area Car Shows and Cruise-Ins

Creative Towing/Advanced Auto Parts:

Rain started falling Friday evening just about the time cars started to arrive at the Creative Towing/Advanced Auto Parts show in Marysville, Ohio.

Only seven cars showed up. Everyone pretty much dried off their cars once the rain stopped, waited for the roads to dry a bit, and headed home.

November 8th will be the last Creative Towing/Advanced Auto Parts show of the year. It's anyone's guess what the weather will be like. Let's hope winter decides to delay its grip on Central Ohio by a week or two.

Cruisin' at Tee Jaye's West Broad Street

Twenty seven cars turned out for the last show of the year at the Tee Jaye's restaurant on West Broad Street.

Best of Show went to this 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28.

All About the Trophy 7

Shaun "Big Dawg" Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers held their All About the Trophy show on Sunday at the Buffalo Wings & Rings on East Broad Street in Columbus, Ohio.

The All About the Trophy show is a way for the C-Town Cruisers to show their appreciation to all those cruisers who have supported them throughout the season. The first 75 to register got to pick out a trophy.

Shaun singled out among others the Misfit Cruisers, Larry Bickers, and John and Denise Malloy for their outstanding support.

William Hubbard and Kenneth Kerr participated in every C-Town Cruisers show this year including events the C-Town Cruisers helped with but where not the primary host.

Shaun presented some bad news at the end of the show. Negotiations between the C-Town Cruisers and restaurant ownership have hit a snag so this was most likely the last show at Buffalo Wings & Rings. For the 84 cars and trucks that registered yesterday the news was bittersweet.

I participated in my first show at the restaurant in October of 2014 with my 2013 ZL1. I managed to make it to at least one show a year at the restaurant.

Other bad news to report is that some hoodlum from the Milford Center area (you know who you are Jeff Shankle) decided to deface my license plate when I wasn't looking.

Fortunately for me, his kind wife ratted him out before I left the parking lot.

I'm going to close this week's report with scenes from what may be the very last show at Buffalo Wings & Rings.