Mid Ohio Cruisers Archives

Central Ohio Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-Ups Recap of the 2022 Season 28

Kim Hawksworth11/21/202211/21/202228 Comments

It's that time of the year when the weather turns cold, the cars are put away for the winter, and we impatiently sit and wait for the next car show season to start. Reminiscing about the season that just finished is a great way to pass some of the time.

Before we begin our journey back through 2022, I must state the usual disclaimer that the opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They reflect the events I attended and the cars I saw in 2022. If you disagree with anything I post, please feel to express them in the comments section. If you encountered something particularly good or bad during the past season, please post that in the comment section as well.

With that out of the way, let's begin the journey back through 2022.

Some Statistics:

More than 6000 photos of your cars, trucks, and motorcycles were posted to carshowtalk.com in 2022.
From March through November, carshowtalk.com listed 995 events in the Central Ohio area which includes Marion on the north, Springfield on the west, Chillicothe on the south, and Newark on the east as boundaries.
August had the most events with 232. November had the least with 18.
I personally traveled to 21 different locations to participate in a car event. Der Dutchman in Bellville and the Historic Clifton Mill were the two farthest. Both exceeded 50 miles.
There were 116,175 visits to carshowtalk.com from March through October. The week of August 22-28 had the most visits with 4845. It kind of goes along with August having the most events.

I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting carshowtalk.com in 2022. It was the best year yet for the website.

Favorite Cruise-Ins/Meet-ups:

Der Dutchman Cruise-In - I doubt anyone will argue that the weekly cruise-in at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City, Ohio isn't the best cruise-in in all of Central Ohio. This year 5449 cars attended the cruise-in from May through September. The weekly average of 259 vehicles was an all-time record. Wayne and Luella Nisly along with the restaurant staff do a great job of making the cruise-in a fun and relaxing way to spend a Thursday evening during the summer.

Columbus Cars and Coffee Arena District Meet - There's something about seeing hundreds of classic, exotic, and muscle cars lined up in front of Nationwide Arena. This turns out to be my favorite Columbus Cars and Coffee meet each season. I got so carried away this year that I took close to 300 photos - most of any event.

Jax Wax Street Madness - I didn't go to the two meet-ups this year, however, those that did go reported that the "Street Madness" name is by far the best description for the event. It's crazy and loud! The event has gotten so big the fall/Halloween meet moved from the airport to National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. How you feel about the event will likely depend on your age. If you're under 40, you'll love it. Over 40 and you'll probably never go to another one again.

Goodguys After Hours at the Crown Plaza, Hilton, and Quaker Steak and Lube - No discussion of cruise-ins/meet-ups would be complete without mentioning the after-hours gathering at these three locations during Goodguys weekend. There's definitely a party atmosphere at the Crown Plaza. The Hilton is a little more subdued and Quaker Steak and lube is just plain madness.

Favorite NO Registration Fee Judged Shows:

Rod Knockers Car Club - The club's monthly show at the Rural King in Marion, Ohio continues to be the king of this category. If there's decent weather on the first Saturday of the month from April through October, you can expect well over 100 cars in attendance The club presents around 30 awards each month that always represent a different theme. There are door prizes and 50/50 raffles and music from the 50s/60s along with classic rock. You owe yourself to attend at least one Rod Knockers show during the season. It will only cost you the gas to get to Marion and back.

Cruisin' with the King in 2022 - Runner-up in this category is the monthly show hosted by the Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club at the Burger King on Rt 31 in Marysville, Ohio. On a good Saturday, attendance will push the 100 mark. At the end of the show, awards are presented to the club's "Favorite" 15 cars, trucks, and motorcycles. There are door prizes and 50/50 raffles and music from the 50s and 60s. And if you're hungry, there's Burger King right there.

Summer Jubilee Car Show - Kuhlwein's Farm Market & Deli and the Vienna Door Company sponsored a registration-free judged show this summer at Kuhlwein's Farm Market in Hilliard, Ohio. With assistance from the Empty Pockets Cruisers Car Club, the event attracted 117 cars. Twenty-four awards were presented at the end of the show. Live entertainment was provided by Madeline Rose and the Thorns. There were several food trucks on site. However, the big hit was the free bratwurst sandwiches given out by Lehnerts Meats. I'm told by reliable sources Kulwein's and the Vienna Door Company plan to sponsor more shows like this in 2023.

Favorite Registration Fee Judged Shows:

This was a tough category for me to pick this year. As I looked back over the year, there were a lot of good shows in this category.

Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals - Obviously Goodguys has to be included at the top of this list. It is the largest and most prestigious show in the area. We are blessed to have an event like this to look forward to every year. Receiving an All-American Sunday Award with my Camaro made this year's event even more special.

Empty Pockets Cruisers Trunk or Treat - This show makes my Favorite list year after year. It seems to bring out the Halloween spirit in everyone that attends. More folks dress up in costumes and decorate cars than any other Trunk or Treat show in the area. The volume of children trick or treating is also impressive. This year my 350-piece bag of candy was emptied in record-setting time.

Vettes, Rods, and Classics - This is another show that ranks at the top of my list every year. The Capital City Corvette Club does a great job as a host. Creekside in Gahanna, Ohio is a cool venue for a car show. There are a lot of places to sit and eat. The club presents 80 plus awards. I like that the Corvettes and rods and classics are judged independently of each other and that each category has its own Best of Show winner. This year saw the return of the band Reelin' In The Years for live entertainment. The Capital City Corvette Club can chalk up another successful show with lots of great cars.

Spring Fling All Corvette Show - After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, the Spring Fling All Corvette show returned to Quaker Steak and Lube in Columbus, Ohio this past May. Hosted by the Chosen Few Corvette Club, the show attracts Corvette owners and clubs from all over the country. This year the show registered more than 300 Corvettes and presented 130 awards. If you own a Corvette, this is a show you'll want to attend.

Auto Smarts Radio/C-Town Cruisers - I would be remiss if I didn't mention Boots and Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride and Big Dawg and the C-Town Cruisers. Those two groups were involved in 50 Central Ohio car events in 2022. Add in the new kid on the block, Frank Russell, and Crossroad Events, and you have over 60 shows hosted by those three groups. Having 60 additional shows to choose from each season is a massive bonus for our area. I'm told it's unique to Central Ohio.

Favorite Ten:

Each year I pick my 10 favorite cars, trucks, and motorcycles I saw during the season. I try to limit the picks from Goodguys since one could easily select all ten from there. This year my favorite 10 only includes one car from Goodguys. The rest were all from local shows and cruise-ins.

Without further ado, here are my ten favorites in no particular order.

**1970 Oldsmobile 442 - Owner: Aaron Denny** *(Summer Jubilee)*

**1966 Corvette Stingray Restomod with GM LT5 engine - Owner: Michels Auto Design** *(Goodguys)*

**1968 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Scott Mayo** *(Arthritis Show)*

**1957 Porsche Speedster - Owner: Laurie Hartley** *(Battle of the Brands)*

**1959 Ford F-100 - Owner: Kristin Finnerty** *(Battle of the Brands)*

**1966 Internation Scout - Owner: Unknown** *(Powell Cruize-in and Pig out)*

**2011 Harley Davidson Street Glide - Owner: Coryell Stephenson** *(Performance Charity Car Show)*

**2022 Yenko/SC Chevy Camaro - Owner: Bill Reno** *(Der Dutchman)*

**1934 Packard - Owner: Ray Gosnell** *(Vettes, Rods, and Classics)*

**1991 Chevy Camaro Z/28-1LE - Owner: Dan Varner** *(Chesrown Classic Cruise-In)*

The Unusual, Unique, and Odd:

Each year vehicles show up at shows and cruise-ins that some might describe as unusual or unique while others call them odd. Here are some of the vehicles in 2022 that fit those descriptions.

R.I.P.

This year we lost a number of fellow Central Ohio cruisers. They will all be missed.

Cruisers of the Year:

This year's Cruiser of the Year Award goes to Jeff Tolley. Jeff participated in more than 170 events this season. And I thought my 80 was pretty good.

Runner-up Cruisers of the Year goes to Jeff Shankle and Dave O'Brien. Both attended just under 160 events. Jeff also receives Photographer of the Year. It wasn't even a contest.

Other Notables:

Best Restrooms - Delaware Christian Church
Best Hamburger - Tolles Car and Craft Show
Best "Live" Entertainment - Vettes, Rods, & Classics
Worst Weather - The thunderstorms that roared through Central Ohio on July 23rd
Best Door Prize - The bottle of booze that was part of the grand prize basket at Richwood Bank's Coffee and Cars.
Tallest Best of Show trophy - Still Electric Mods, Rods, & Classic Car Show and Auto Smarts Radio Westerville Moose Lodge Car Show
Most expensive collection of cars at an event not counting Goodguys - $20 million plus at the Unveiling of the Triple F Collection's newest supercar

Final Thoughts on 2022:

I want to thank all those who shared photos and information from events I wasn't able to attend. A special thanks goes to regular contributors Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, and Dave Bratton. Their weekly contributions helped carshowtalk.com reach a whole new level this year.

I'm going to take a few months off. I'll be back in February with the first edition of Save the Dates for 2023. The weekly list of events will resume again in April.

I wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. I'll be leaving for my winter home the day after Christmas.

I'm going to end the year with the final lines from Ohio State University's Alma Mater:

The seasons pass the years will roll
Time and change will surely show
How firm thy friendship...OHIO!

The same can be said about a season of car shows. The friendships we make and the experiences we share with each other will roll on long after the season ends.

This slideshow captures my favorite moments from 2022. Enjoy! I'll see everyone next year.

Central Ohio Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-ups for October 17 – 23, 2022 4

Kim Hawksworth10/17/202212/19/20224 Comments

**2008 Chevy HHR Panel - Owner: Chris Wise**

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NEWS AND NOTES

There were a lot of final shows of the season this week.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show

Creative Automotive and the Advanced Auto Parts Store in Marysville, Ohio held its October car show on Friday evening.

The show had 19 cars in attendance and raised $155 from door prizes and a 50/50 raffle for the local food pantries.

Here are the three vehicles the manager of the Advanced Auto Parts Store picked for awards.

November 11 will be the Last Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car show of the season. I've been told that the wheelbarrow and firewood are ready to go.

Empty Pocket Cruisers Trunk or Treat Car Show

The Empty Pocket Cruisers and the Hilliard Presbyterian Church in Hilliard, Ohio hosted their 9th Annual Trunk or Treat Car Show on Saturday. Not sure what it is about this show, but it really brings out the Halloween spirit in folks to do this to their cars.

The show registered 147 cars. Trick or Treating "officially" took place from 1 -3 PM. And let me tell you there were a lot of trick-or-treaters this year. My 365-piece bag of candy was gone well before the awards were presented!

Speaking of awards, The Empty Pocket Cruisers presented plaques to the "Favorite 40" cars, trucks, and motorcycles along with a Church's Choice, Kid's Choice, DJ's Choice, and Sponsor's Choice. Because of Halloween, there were also award plaques for Best Decoration and Best Costume for both adults and children.

Here are the best-decorated cars:

1969 Mercury Cougar XR7
Owner: Ted Tickle

Here are some of the best costumes:

The Special Award winners:

**KID's CHOICE** - 2012 Mini Countrymen - Owner: Christina Czekalski

**PASTOR'S CHOICE** - 1940 Plymouth P-10 - Owners: Phillip & Julie Miller

**DJ'S CHOICE** - 1946 Ford Coupe - Owner: Bob Kirst

**SPONSOR'S CHOICE** - 1964 Chrysler 300K - Owners: Anthony & Carol Moye

For the rest of the cars and scenes from the Empty Pockets Trunk or Treat Show, CLICK HERE.

Eldorado's Car, Truck, and Bike Show

On Sunday, Frank Russell and the Crossroads Event team hosted their final show of the season at Eldorados Pizza/Spirits in Columbus, Ohio.

With near-perfect weather for October, the show registered 50 cars. There were door prizes plus a 50/50 raffle. At the end of the show, more than 30 trophies were presented including a variety of specialty categories.

The Best in Show award went to Viki and Don Campbell with a 1934 Chevy Master Sedan. Vicki and Don drove 120 miles one-way to attend the show.

CLICK HERE to see all the specialty category winners and the rest of the cars from the Eldorados show.

Cruis'in O'Reilly Auto Parts 2022

On Sunday, the Pastime Cruisers held its final show of the season at the O'Reillys Auto Parts store on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus, Ohio.

The show registered between 35 -40 cars. Awards were presented to the "Favorite" 25 and a Manager's Choice.

The final Manager's Choice award for 2022 went to the 1947 Cadillac of Craig Coleman.

For more cars from the O'Reillys show, CLICK HERE.

Other Area Shows

More than 60 cars turned out for the Mid Ohio Cruisers' final show of the season at the Burger King in Marysville, Ohio on Saturday evening.
Two Rusty Lug Nut members received awards at the New Beginnings Church Cruise-N-Shop Show in Ashville, Ohio on Saturday. Dale Pearce received the Furthest Driven and People's Choice awards and Anthony Musick received the Best Mopar.

Sunday Dick "Hot Dog" Ryman held his annual Wooden Nickel Cruise-In at the Heart of Ohio Antique Center in Springfield, Ohio. There were almost 200 cars in attendance.

The 1965 Ford Falcon belonging to Steven DeMatteo took home the Best of Show honors at the FOP Associate Car Show in Whitehall, Ohio on Sunday.

Special thanks to Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, Brian Thompson, and Dave Bratton for their help in preparing this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast

48°

Rain

7:17 am7:54 pm EDT

SatSunMonTueWed

61/30°F
54/41°F
66/54°F
72/64°F
72/45°F

2021 Central Ohio Car Show Season in Review 17

Kim Hawksworth11/23/202111/25/202117 Comments

After the finish of every season, I like to take a look back at what I think was good and what I think was not so good about it. The opinions expressed are my own and apply only to the events I attended. If you disagree with me or have an event you thought was particularly good or one not so good, please feel free to post a comment. With that said, lets get on with the review of the 2021 Central Ohio car show season..

From April 17 through November 12, I participated in 77 car shows, cruise-ins, and meet-ups and was a spectator in another nine. I took 5500 photos of classic cars, muscle cars, exotics, trucks, and motorcycles. I drove over 2600 miles round trip to report on local car events. This may all sound very impressive until you find out Jeff Tolley and his friends participated in 180 events this season. That's pretty much one every single day!

The Good:

Let's start with some good. The 2021 car show season pretty much returned to pre-pandemic normals. To my knowledge, not a single public health agency forced the cancellation of a car event this season because of Covid. Even the Governor allowed Goodguys to return to the Fairgrounds despite banning the public from attending the Ohio State Fair.

Shaun "Big Dawg" Saunders' C-Town Cruisers and Dan "Boots" Longenette and Pepsi's Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride had a full slate of events this season compared to last year. The two combined to host more than 50 shows in Central Ohio!

Following a two and three-year absence respectively, the cruise-in at Chesrown Chevrolet, Buick, GMC in Delaware, and the car show formerly known as On the Rocks in Dublin returned in 2021.

Unfortunately, not every event came back. Missing this season was the USA Days Car Show in Centerburg, Cruisin' For a Cause, one of my favorites, at the Discover Church in Dublin, the downtown Lithopolis show on Memorial Day, the Canal Winchester Labor Day car show, and the Spring Fling (it plans to be back in 2022) just to name a few of the missing shows this year.

The biggest shocker of the season came in June when it was announced after 12 years that Colo's Classic Car Show at the Columbus Zoo was canceled. A lot of rumors floated around as to the reason for the cancellation but the Zoo never put out an "official" statement as far as I know.

After hosting no shows in 2020, The Rod Knockers Car Club out of Marion and the Mid Ohio Cruisers Club out of Marysville returned with their monthly car shows. The Mid Ohio Cruisers show had a new home at the Burger King on Route 31. It took a few shows for everyone to get adjusted to the new location. No question, both clubs continue to put on the best no registration fee car shows in Central Ohio.

The weekly Thursday cruise-in at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City continued its reign as the king of Central Ohio cruise-ins. The cruise-ins started two weeks earlier this year. It was attended by more than 300 cars seven times during the summer. It set an all-time attendance record of 439 cars on the last cruise-in of the year. A whopping 2900 vehicles were registered in 2021.

Looking back over the year, I can't say there were any shows I attended that were truly outstanding. At the same time, I can't say I attended any that were horrible, either.

The Empty Pockets Cruisers hosted four shows this year instead of their usual three. All four shows were well done. Their Trunk or Treat show continues to be one of my favorites. I always say it takes car people to put on a good car show.

Shows that I participated in for the first time included the All Corvette Gathering, Hosanna Lutheran Church Car Show, Mechanicsburg First Responders Car Show, Blackwing Shooting Center Summer Blast, Farrows Hot Rods and Handlebars, and Tolles Career and Technical Center Car and Craft Show. I was a spectator at my first Italian Gathering and Kreiger Ford Mustang and All Ford Show.

Buckeye Cruzin' at Ohio Stadium gets the award for the most expensive registration fee. Although to be fair, the $175 fee went to support the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. It was a fun event until the engine revving got out of hand and forced me to leave.

The most chaotic event this year was the Jax Wax Street Madness in July. The title gave a pretty good description of the event. Between the steady line of cars trying to get into the parking area and the hundreds of car audio systems blaring, I had a pounding headache by the time I left.

Heels and Wheels at the Vanity Gentlemen's Club was the most "adult" car show I attended. The Mayor had a couple of huge assets that were hard to overlook. Those who attended the show will know what I'm talking about.

Frank Sanborn gets this year's most miles traveled award. Not only did Frank attend shows in Central Ohio, but he also traveled to events in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Fairmount and Gas City Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Not So Good:

Some not-so-good news this year was the loss of some of our car show community members. Larry Bickers passed away in May. Many of you will remember Larry from his 2003 Mustang "Daily Driver" with more than 190,000 miles.

In September, we lost Jim Matheny. I never met Jim, but I'm told he helped organize and run lots of car shows in the Newark/Heath areas. He held positions with the Super Chevy Car Show Organization and Let's Go Cruising Magazine. For many years, he served as chairman for "Lite the Nite" and operated Jim Matheny Kar Shoz.

And finally, Terry McReynolds passed away in October. Terry was the Pace Truck Driver at Columbus Motor Speedway for more than 20 years. He was also an integral part of Pepsi's Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride team and a close friend of Dan "Boots" Longenette.

All three will be very much missed as will others who passed away this year.

This was my tenth year attending car shows and the first time experiencing a collision at one. A car leaving the North Hills Church of God Car and Bike Show in September pulled out in front of an oncoming car and caused it to flip around 360 degrees hitting a motorcycle and car participating in the show. This added a bit more excitement to the show than expected.

Another first in 2021 was my banishment from the Ohio Car Shows and Cruise-ins Facebook group in July. The reason for being banished was my disagreement with their decision not to approve the list of Central Ohio car events for the week of July 12-18. They decided not to publicize any events that might compete with their group car show at Knox County Fairgrounds that Saturday. Seriously? The group's stated purpose is to promote car shows and cruise-ins in and around the state of Ohio.

After 12 years of meeting on Saturday mornings, Columbus Cars and Coffee at Lennox Town Center was abruptly canceled in May after some participants leaving the meet displayed some very poor judgment. In November, the group started meeting on Saturdays again at The City Apartments -- formerly the old University City shopping center.

I know some of you may disagree with me -- especially everyone at the Vettes, Rods, and Classics show in August when a monsoon passed through Gahanna during the awards ceremony. But I thought the weather wasn't as big a factor this season as in prior years. Out of the hundreds of events scheduled only 15 were canceled or postponed becasue of weather. And most were postponed to a later date.

Speaking of postponed. Thanks to a forecast that turned out to be totally wrong (big surprise), the Performance Charity Car Show in downtown Delaware, Ohio was postponed from July to October. And boy did that turn out to be a good move. The weather on the October date was about as perfect as one could expect for a car show. The organizers liked the October date such much, they've decided to hold the 2022 show in October.

Top Ten:

At the end of every season, I post my ten favorite vehicles I saw at a show or cruise-in. Here are the ones that made me stop and take a second, third, or sometimes fourth look.

No. 10 - 2016 EZ Go Golf Cart model "Tow Mater" - Owner: Julie Brown

No. 9 - 1937 Humber Pullman Limo - Owner: Ryan Patten

No. 8 - Restomod 1969 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Unknown

No. 7 - 1959 Desoto Fireflite Sportsman - Owner: Kaylee Bickel

No. 6 - 1950's Jaguar XK 120 Coupe - Owner: Unknown

No 5. - 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan - Owner: Clement Thurn

No 4. - Restomod 1967 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Ed Stizza

No. 3. - 1962 Dodge Dart - Owner: Steve Brown

No. 2 - 1948 Chevy Pickup - Owner: Sam Parks

No. 1 - Legends of Rock Custom Built Motorcycle - Owner: Unknown

Favorite Photos:

Take 5500 photos and there's bound to be some favorites. Here are the ones that I think best capture the season.

Click or tap on a photo to enlarge and enter slideshow mode.

Final Thoughts:

2021 turned out to be another great year for car events in Central Ohio. Because of the reduced number of events in 2020, the sheer volume of events this season was staggering. There were a lot of Saturdays with more than 15 events on the schedule.

What I really enjoyed most about this year was the opportunity to get to know many members of the car community a little better. The people you meet and the friends you make are the main reasons car cruises are so special.

2021 also gave me a sneak peek at the future. The next generation of car enthusiasts is alive and well. They may not seek awards like our generation. And their autos may not be Chevys, Fords or Dodges, but they're proud of their rides and they like to hang out and talk cars just like we do. And that's what counts.

I want to take a moment to thank some folks who helped me compile the weekly reports. They reported on shows I didn't or couldn't attend (I still haven't figured out how to be in multiple places at once). Without their help the weekly News and Notes would not have been anywhere near as detailed.

My sincerest thanks goes out to:

Jeff Shankle - I know for a fact he took more car photos than I did
Dale Pearce - If Dale doesn't know about a show, it ain't happening
Dave Bratton - Great resource for show information
Mark & Cathy Krist - Did a great job of reporting in between planting and harvesting vegetables.
Dan Varner - Seems have the scoop before anyone else.

Unless there's some late-breaking news to report, I'm going to take some time off to recharge. I'm leaving for Florida at the end of December. I'll be back just in time for the start of the 2022 car show season. Look for the first installment of "Save the Dates for 2022" sometime in February. The list is already growing.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday season. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

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Central Ohio Car Events for September 13 – 19, 2021 2

Kim Hawksworth09/13/202102/15/20232 Comments

1968 Buick Skylark
Owners: Chris & Korean Russell

A few weekly cruise-ins have dropped off the schedule, however, this weekend and next still have a full slate of events. Things will begin to wind down in October.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Der Dutchman:

The Der Dutchman Cruise-in experienced another good week of attendance with 287 cars Thursday evening. Two outstanding cars, a 1940 Woody wagon that won best of show at the Zucchinifest and West Jefferson Ox Roast last week, and a 50's Cadillac paid a visit this week.

Only three more cruise-ins left for this year. If you haven't made it to one yet, time is starting to run out.

Speaking of Der Dutchman, they will hold their Coffee and Donuts Cruise-in this Saturday morning. It's a great excuse to enjoy a cup of coffee, one of their famous long John donuts and hang out with your car buddies.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show:

After battling rain the previous two months, The Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show in Marysville, Ohio finally got a descent evening of weather.

Forty-two cars showed up Friday evening for the monthly show with 35 of them registering. The show raised $180 for the Milford Center and Marysville food pantries.

This month the manager of Advanced Auto Parts selected the following four cars for awards.

1970 Dodge Dart Swinger
Owners: Thad & Theresa Roberts

Empty Pockets Cruisers Patriots Day Car Show:

The Empty Pockets Cruisers held their Patriots Day Car Show on Saturday at the Hilliard Community Center in Hilliard, Ohio.

This was the club's third show of the season and the first time hosting a show at the Hilliard Community center. Normally the club hosts three shows a season but in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 they added this extra show.

The Community center turned out to be a nice venue for a car show. There was plenty of parking, clean restrooms and some shade if you wanted it. The club reached out to large number of food trucks but only two showed up on Saturday. I overheard some people complaining that the service from both trucks was a little slow.

The club registered 134 cars and presented 50 awards. The special awards at this event included Most Patriotic, First Responders Choice, Sponsors Choice, DJ's Choice, and Best of Show.

Best of Show award went to Dean and LuAnn Mafsenbacher and their 1953 Chevy 3100 pickup. The Mafsenbacher's truck also took the Best of Show honors at the Empty Pockets Armed Forces Day show in May.

All in all it was another great event put on by the Empty Pockets Cruisers. The club's final show of the season will be their annual Trunk or Treat event, one of my favorites, on October 16.

If you'd like to see more from the Patriots Day Show, CLICK HERE.

Ohio Corvette Club Alliance Corvette Gathering:

On Sunday I had the opportunity to participate in my very first Corvette Gathering in downtown Lancaster, Ohio.

The Gathering is put on by the Alliance of Corvette clubs from around the state of Ohio. It pretty much amounts to a big cruise-in for Corvettes. There's no judging or awards. For the $15 registration fee, you received a nice participation plaque and a raffle ticket for door prizes. The event also included a silent auction. Vendors were there selling Corvette related paraphernalia. After skipping last year because of Covid, this was the 16th year for the Corvette Gathering.

The Alliance registered 310 Corvettes, however, it was closer to 360 that participated. West Main Street in the historic district of downtown Lancaster is where the event is held. The street is closed between S. Columbus Street and S. High Street. There's a nice hill to climb as you walk towards S. High Street.

The newer Corvettes pretty much dominated the Gathering. Someone told me they only counted about 25 Corvettes from 1970 and older. I think there was more than that but the newer Corvettes were definitely in abundance. I saw quite a few out-of-state cars. The farthest away someone traveled that I saw was South Dakota.

If you like Corvettes and want to spend a relaxing day shooting the breeze with other Corvette owners, the Corvette Gathering is the place to be.

CLICK HERE to see a bunch of Corvettes from the Gathering.

Motts Military Driving for Daisy Car Show:

The Pepsi's Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride crew were at the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio on Sunday for the Motts Military Driving for Daisy Car Show.

The show registered around 100 cars. The Best of Show award went to Jim Bickel and his 1969 AMC AMX. Dale Pearce and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup took Best Truck.

CLICK HERE for more scenes from the Motts Military Driving Daisey show.

Other Area Car Shows:

I received word that the Street Elite Corvette Club's Charitable Open Car Show in Sunbury, Ohio on Saturday registered 160 cars. If anyone knows who took Best of Show, please post in the comments.

UPDATE: Sam Parks and his 1948 Chevy Pickup took the Best of Show award.

I'm told the turnout on Sunday for the All Ohio Ford Show at the Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio was not very good. By 1 PM only 35-40 cars had registered. I understand there was no food or drink available. Very disappointing for a show with a $20 registration fee.

I want to again thank Dave Bratton and Jeff Shankle for sending information and photos on the shows they attending this weekend. It's great to have eyes, ears and cameras at the shows I'm unable to attend.

Central Ohio Car Events for August 16 – 22, 2021 17

Kim Hawksworth08/16/202102/15/202317 Comments

1970 Dodge Super Bee
Owner: Greg Jasinski

The big event this week is the 38th Annual Arthritis Foundation Classic Auto Show on Friday and Saturday in Dublin, Ohio.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Der Dutchman:

The 40 cars or so that showed up at Der Dutchman on Thursday evening were treated to a 20 minutes downpour around 5 PM. With more rain threatening the area, the raffle drawing started at 6 PM instead of the usual 7:30 PM.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Show:

A Camaro and a Mustang received awards Friday evening at the monthly Creative Automotive/Advance Auto Parts Show in Marysville, Ohio. The show raised $45 for the Milford Center Trinity Chapel Food Pantry.

Buckeye Cruzin':

On Saturday, more than 125 vehicles registered for Buckeye Cruzin' at Ohio Stadium. Registration was $175. All of it went to Buckeye Cruise for Cancer - a very worthy cause as almost everyone has had cancer touch someone in their family.

Every car that registered got a photo taken of it in front of the rotunda on the north end of the stadium. Registrants were treated to a VIP breakfast provided by Porsche Columbus. There were several food trucks and a refueling station to keep everyone fed and hydrated.

The Triple F brought an assortment of exotic cars from their collection. I got to see a Pagani Huayra BC Macchina Volante in person. Say that five times in a row fast. Only 20 of them were produced at a selling price of $2.6 million each.

It was a great experience until several cars decided to rev engines. It's one thing to do a couple of quick revs but to continue it for 20+ minutes is a little much. One of the cars was behind my Corvette so every time the engine revved it blew black smoke at my car. I finally had enough and left. I hope the organizers put a stop to the revving next year. I will certainly point it out to them should I get the opportunity to do a post-event evaluation. Tell me what you think in the comments. Am I being too much of a "Debbie Downer" or does engine revving at car events annoy you too?

To see a bunch more cars from Buckeye Cruzin', click here.

Blendon Senior Center Car Show:

The Blendon Senior Center in Westerville, Ohio registered 76 cars for their show on Saturday. Food and refreshments were included in the cost of registration. Awards were presented to the top three vehicles in each of five categories - the 1940s and older, the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, and the 1980s and newer.

Our friend, Dave Bratton, and his 1937 Ford convertible received the Best of Show award. Not only did Dave get a trophy but he also received a cash prize as well.

Click Here, for more photos from the Blendon Senior Center Car Show

2021 Tomatofest Car Meet:

More than 120 cars turned out for the Tomatofest Car Meet at Huber park on Saturday. The show, hosted by the C-Town Cruisers, was part of the 2021 Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival.

David Oiler took Best of Show honors with a 1935 Chevy Master Deluxe. The Best Truck award went to Josh Hiles with a 1968 Chevy C-10.

Obetz Nazarene Church Car Show:

Dan "Boots" Longenette and Pepsi's Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride Tour made a stop at the Obetz Nazarene Church on Saturday. The show registered approximately 50 cars and raised $600 for the church.

The Pastor's Choice/Best of Show award went to Brian Spangler and his 1956 Mercury Montclair.

Cars and Cones Ice Cream Cruise-in:

Fifty plus cars showed up Sunday afternoon in the parking lot behind the Coldstone Creamy on Polaris Parkway in Columbus, Ohio. Everyone enjoyed the comradery with friends, the cooler temperatures, and of course, the ice cream.

Cruis'in O'Reilly Auto Parts at Harrisburg Pike:

Ron Wineka and The Pasttime Cruisers hosted their monthly show at the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday. Forty-Four cars attended the show. Dale Pearce and his "Ole Blue" 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup truck received the Manager's Choice award. It was a good weekend for our friends and awards.

Dan Emmett Car Show:

Shame on me, I missed an event last week. The Dan Emmett Car Show, part of the Mount Vernon, Music and Arts Festival took place on Sunday. I didn't see any advertisement for this event on Facebook or any of my other sources for car show information.

Despite an apparent lack of advertising, 120 cars knew about the event. There was no registration, judging, or awards. The organizers blamed Covid and said they hope to return to a normal car show next year. Here are some photos from the event.

Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show Update:

I received an email last week from Bill Boyd of the Capital City Corvette Club. Bill had some updated numbers regarding the Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show in Gahanna, Ohio.

There were 298 registered cars, however, 336 cars actually paid through the gate. The hot rods and classics outnumbered the Corvettes by 5%. Goes to show how well I can estimate. The Best of Show trophies were hand-delivered to the winners. All other award winners were personally called and the club was back at Creekside on Saturday to give out the remaining awards. Of course, all the proceeds from the show went to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Once again I want to thank Dave Bratton, Jeff Shankle, and Dale Pearce for their help in making this report.

Central Ohio Car Events for May 11 – 16, 2021

Kim Hawksworth05/10/202102/15/2023

A big week for events, especially Saturday with 16 events on the schedule. No excuse not to make at least one car show or cruise-in this week.

NEWS AND NOTES:

The former "On the Rocks" car show is back under a new name. The bar and grill at Karric Square in Dublin, Ohio has undergone several owners since the last car show was held there in September 2018. It is now called the Last Call Music Bar & Grill. The show is scheduled for Sunday, June 20. No other show in Central Ohio could spark a stronger reaction from people than the old On the Rocks show. It will be interesting to see how the new show is received.

Despite light showers in the area, the first Der Dutchman Cruise-In of the season registered 117 cars. Five of those cars were first-timers to the cruise-in.

Over the winter, the restaurant built a larger foodshed to better accommodate the large number of people that attend the cruise-in each week.

Columbus Cars and Coffee held their second meet of the season at Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing in New Albany, Ohio. Even with temperatures in the 40s Saturday morning, there was an excellent turnout. If you're into high-end, exotic cars this was the place to be.

Boots and the Auto Smarts Radio team were in Upper Arlington, Ohio on Saturday for the fourth Annual Jim Hamilton Car Show. The show registered 135 cars with a bunch more showing up but not registering.

The Best of Show award went to Perry Lynch with a 1937 Chevy 2 door sedan.

If you grew up in Columbus in the '60s and '70s and you had a "hot" car, you knew Jerry's Drive-In at the corner of High Street and Morse Road was the place to hang out. You couldn't miss the huge pulsating neon red arrow as you drove down High Street.

The last cruise-in at that location took place Saturday evening. The Tee Jayes restaurant currently there now will soon be replaced by a Chic-FiL-A. It's always sad to see an era come to a close. Lots of folks have fond memories cruising through that parking lot. A big shout out to Chad Shirtzinger for organizing this final cruise-in.

Central Ohio Forecast

48°

Rain

7:17 am7:54 pm EDT

SatSunMonTueWed

61/30°F
54/41°F
66/54°F
72/64°F
72/45°F

Central Ohio Car Events for October 12 – 18, 2020 2

Kim Hawksworth10/12/202002/15/20232 Comments

1948 Chevrolet Cabriolet
Owner: Clement Thun

Here are this week's Central Ohio Car events. This will be the last big Saturday of events for this season.

News and Notes:

The Creative Towing/Advanced Auto Parts show in Marysville on Friday evening registered 38 cars and raised $240 for local charities. October award winners were Jimmy Carmean with a 1950 Ford Tudor, Gilbert Meyers with a 1958 Hotrod Short Bus, and Chris Fannin with a 1957 Chevy Pickup.

The Empty Pockets Cruisers hosted their annual Trunk or Treat Car Show at the Hilliard Presbyterian Church on Saturday afternoon. The show registered 154 cars. Once again there was a great turnout of kids for the trunk or treat part of the show. The only disappointment was the absence of the Ohio Zombie Guard due to the health issues of one of its members.

The special award winners Saturday were:

Click Here for more photos from the Trunk or Treat Show.

Jim Cooper reports that the Grace Point Church Car Show in Lewis Center had an excellent turnout for a first-time show. The church registered 102 cars. The church presented Best of Show, Pastor's Choice, and Top 20 awards. Jim says there's plenty of room for the show to grow if the church decides to host it again next year.

Central Ohio Forecast

48°

Rain

7:17 am7:54 pm EDT

SatSunMonTueWed

61/30°F
54/41°F
66/54°F
72/64°F
72/45°F

Rain Dampens 29th Annual Snowball Cruise 2

Kim Hawksworth01/18/202001/18/20202 Comments

For the second year in a row, rain dampened the Annual Snowball Cruise hosted by the Mid Ohio Cruisers at the Burger King restaurant in Marysville, Ohio.

The only sign of snow was a dirty hunk of ice off someone's car sitting in the middle of the parking lot.

Despite the weather, over 30 people turned out for the Saturday afternoon cruise. However, only six cars actually registered to be judged.

Everyone attending the cruise received a 2020 classic car calendar compliments of O'Reilly Auto Parts and a dash plaque.

The Mid Ohio Cruisers raffled off door prizes and held a 50/50 drawing.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: A Recap of the 2019 Central Ohio Car Show Season 9

Kim Hawksworth11/24/201912/14/20199 Comments

Now that the 2019 Central Ohio car show season has officially come to an end, it's time to take a look back at what was good, what was bad and what was ugly.

I managed to participate in 80 events this year. When you consider there were five weeks during 2019 where I didn't participate in any events, that's a pretty big accomplishment, even if I do say so myself.

I traveled more than 3000 miles to attend events in Centerburg, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Gahanna, Hilliard, Johnstown, Lewis Center, Lockbourne, Marion, Marysville, New Albany, Obetz, Plain City, Powell, Springfield, Westerville, and Worthington.

Throughout the season, I took more than 9200 photos of cars, trucks, and motorcycles from around Central Ohio. Besides my car, Kevin Martin's 1962 Chevy pickup truck wins the award for the most photographed vehicle in 2019.

Before I get deep into the recap of this season, let me take a second to make the usual disclaimer:

The lists I'm about to present reflect my opinion and my opinion only of the events I attended in 2019. If you attended a show or cruise-in not on my list that you thought was exceptionally good, bad or ugly, please feel free to share it in the comments. Also, feel free to post a comment if you agree or disagree with any of my choices.

Okay, let's start with the GOOD.

Founder’s Day, Jax Wax, and a Pig Out 5

Kim Hawksworth08/20/201908/22/20195 Comments

Counting Der Dutchman, I did four events this weekend. I'm a little pressed for time this week so I'm going to use a little different format to report on each event.

Here we go:

Founder's Day Car Show 2019

Location: Downtown Marysville, Ohio

Date: Friday, 8-16-2019

Registered vehicles: 137

Awards: Five special; 10 Favorite

Comments: The car show, hosted by the Mid Ohio Cruisers, was part of the Bicentennial Celebration of the founding of the city of Marysville.

Part of east and west 5th Street (State Rt 36) and the surrounding roads through downtown were closed for the event.

I guesstimate a crowd of somewhere between 5 and 10 thousand people attended the event Friday evening.

The celebration included kids activities, zip-lining, vendors, food/beverages to purchase, and live music. McGuffey Lane was Friday's featured band.

Some Statistics:

Favorite Cruise-Ins/Meet-ups:

Favorite NO Registration Fee Judged Shows:

Favorite Registration Fee Judged Shows:

Favorite Ten:

The Unusual, Unique, and Odd:

R.I.P.

Cruisers of the Year:

Other Notables:

Final Thoughts on 2022:

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NEWS AND NOTES

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The Good:

The Not So Good:

Top Ten:

Favorite Photos:

Final Thoughts:

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Founder's Day Car Show 2019

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