2025 Central Ohio Car Show Season Recap

It’s that time of year again — the last trophies have been handed out, the lawn chairs and tents folded, and most cruisers have put their cars away in anticipation of another Ohio winter. As the temperatures drop and the show fields go quiet, it’s the perfect moment to pause and look back at the Central Ohio car show season that just wrapped up.

Before I dive in, a quick disclaimer: these opinions are entirely my own, based on the events I attended and the vehicles I personally saw. Agree, disagree, or have your own take? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear it.

This Year's Stats

Coverage Area: Marion (N), Springfield (W), Chillicothe (S), Newark (E)

Total Events Listed: 1,088 (slightly down from 1,133 in 2024
The drop in total events this year was mainly due to the loss of 40–45 Crossroads events after Frank Russell retired — but there were still plenty of great shows to choose from across Central Ohio.

Busiest Months

• August — 216 events - a new champ, knocking July off its two-year streak.
• June — 202
• July — 161

Busiest Week: June 9–15 (57 events)

Busiest Day: Saturday, June 14 (32 events)

Photos Taken

• 9,000+ of my own
• 6,000+ from emails/texts/Facebook

I’m pretty sure I could identify your ride in a police lineup—just don’t ask me to remember your license plate!

Featured Cars at the Start of Each Post: 33

• Oldest: two 1941 Fords
• Newest: 2018 Camaro 2SS

Event Recaps Posted: 269
Community Contributors: 44 — THANK YOU!

Website Stats

• Visitors from January to now: ~90,000 (up 11%)
• Page Views: 195,000 (up 9%)
• Subscribers: 770

Participation Award

Just like last year, I managed to hit 92 car events and one bike event this season. Some folks might think that’s a lot — at least until they hear how many events Jeff Tolley and Dave O’Brien have shown up to. As of November 11th, both of them have logged over 210 events. I even saw on Facebook that they went to a cruise-in at a parking garage in Newark this past Saturday. At this point, I’m convinced they’ve either cloned themselves or outsourced their yard work entirely, because there’s no way they’re mowing grass and doing yard work like the rest of us mere mortals.

Without question, Photographer of the Year goes to Jeff Shankle. No one takes more car photos during the season than Jeff. When he shows up to the big events like Goodguys, James Dean, or the Pumpkin Run, you can count on 3,000-plus photos waiting for you to scroll through afterward.

Honorable Mention Photographer this year goes to Bubba Hettinger. When Bubba attends a show, you can pretty much guarantee he’ll photograph every car, truck, and bike — and probably a few other things that catch his eye at the event.

The Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-ups

The weather did a complete 180-degree turn from spring to summer this year. During the first half of the season, it seemed like it rained almost every weekend. The weekend of May 3rd and 4th was especially rough, with rain falling nearly all day both days — leading to six events being either canceled or postponed.

By the second half of the season, the weather flipped: it became hot and dry, with near-drought conditions — which isn’t such a bad thing for car shows. We also enjoyed some pleasant stretches in August and September, with temperatures in the 70s and low humidity — perfect conditions for cruising and showing off your ride.

There were a lot of great events in 2025, and while it’s always hard to pick favorites because so many are good, after much deliberation, here are mine. I’d love to hear yours, so please feel free to share them in the comments!

• Vettes, Rods & Classics Car Show (August 2nd) – No surprise here—this continues to be one of my favorite shows year after year. Creekside in Gahanna is a fantastic venue for a car show, and Reelin’ in the Years is easily one of the best cover bands in the area. The event is always well organized, and I especially appreciate that the Corvettes and the Rods & Classics are judged separately. It also didn’t hurt that the weather cooperated, with sunshine and temps in the 70s and low humidity — absolutely perfect car show conditions.

• Mt Victory Antique Car Show & Petrolina Swap (May 26th) – Held each year on Memorial Day, this show takes place along Taylor Street in downtown Mt. Victory, Ohio. Every year, it features an impressive array of antique and classic vehicles, along with a few unique and unusual ones. There are also displays of gas, oil, and automotive memorabilia available for show and sale. The event is unique in that residents of Mt. Victory open their yards for cars to park, adding a special local charm. This year, I also enjoyed one of the best chicken and noodles I’ve ever eaten at the Methodist Church.

• Spectrum Support Car, Truck, & Bike Show (September 20th) – This was the second year for the Hi-Way Starz Car Club’s annual show supporting Autism. The Eagles F.O.P. in Newark, Ohio, is a great venue, with a large parking lot and a covered shelter to escape the sun. This year, the Hi-Way Starz presented 94 awards, with the top ones being custom-made. The show also had the largest number of door prizes of any event I attended this year. Steve Kidwell and I nearly had heart attacks carrying our custom-made awards out to Steve’s car for the Best of Show photo — those things were very cool and seriously heavy!

• Columbus Cars & Coffee Meet at Alum Creek Marina (October 4th) – This was the first time the corporate side of Columbus Cars & Coffee hosted a meet-up at Alum Creek Marina, and it turned out to be a fantastic venue — one I really hope they return to next year. With more than 200 cars showing up, the lot was overflowing, literally, with rows of vehicles spilling into the grass. It was an impressive display of cars and people alike, all set against the lake, which made for a beautiful backdrop.

• Empty Pockets Trunk or Treat Car Show (October 18th) – Every year, this show wins hands-down for most decorated cars and most people in costume of any trunk-or-treat in the area. And let’s not forget the ton of kids—they show up in droves. I don’t know what it is about this event, but it seems to flip everyone’s Halloween switch to “full blast.” And a word of advice: bring candy. Lots of it. I went through 300 pieces this year without even trying. Always one of my absolute favorite shows of the season.

• Der Dutchman Plain City Weekly Cruise-In – I’d be remiss if I didn’t include arguably the best cruise-in in Central Ohio — and you could even make a strong case for the entire state. The September 18th cruise-in was especially meaningful, as Phil Spangler and I had the honor of presenting Wayne Nisly with the well-deserved Speak for the Unspoken Lifetime Achievement Award for his tremendous contributions to the Central Ohio car community. An unforgettable moment at an already exceptional cruise-in.

Honorable Mention:

• Speak for the Unspoken Car Show – A great venue, well organized, packed with door prizes, and supporting an incredible cause. And special shout-out to Phil Spangler, who easily earns this year’s award for most flyers handed out — the man was a one-person promotional machine.
• American Legion Post #144 Halloween Show – Another standout Trunk or Treat event. Kids get hayrides, the Legion members put on a terrific buffet, and the whole place is filled with smiles and Halloween spirit.
• Vance Outdoors Classic Cruise-In – Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride Tour’s biggest show of the year, with all proceeds benefiting Honor Flight Columbus. A strong turnout, a well-run event, and an even better cause.
• The Dub Pub Car Show – From his days running the On the Rocks Show, Mike Mitchell has always known how to put on a great event, and this year was no exception. The Dub Pub set a new attendance record with 148 cars, a true testament to Mike’s ability to run a smooth, well-organized, and genuinely enjoyable show.
• Rich Street Roar – The $75 VIP registration fee got you preferred parking, a nice lunch, a t-shirt, and professional photos of your car. Well worth it. The police-escorted procession from the Police Academy to Washington Boulevard and the Rich Street Bridge, however, could have been a little shorter — it felt more like a scenic, drawn-out tour through Downtown and the Short North than a cruise.

Notable Issues This Year

Not every event goes off without a hitch. The weather, the venue, the judging, the awards presentation — any one of them can make or break a show. With that in mind, here are a few of the not-so-great moments from this year.

Condition of the Ohio Expo Center and All American Sunday Controversy

Let’s start with Goodguys.

What a surprise it was to find the Ohio Expo Center in worse shape this year than last. And who thought it was a brilliant idea to lay fresh sod the day before the event—and then water it all three days during the show? Not only did it turn parts of the grounds into a soggy mess, but it also reduced the number of usable parking spaces. The torrential downpour on Saturday afternoon certainly didn’t improve the situation either.

Then there was the confusion over which vehicles were actually eligible for judging on All American Sunday. The Goodguys website clearly states:

“Got a super cool ride that you want to show off? Meguiar’s All American Sunday is open to ALL YEARS of American-made and powered vehicles.”

That same message was even announced over the PA system — All years means all years, right?

Well… apparently not.

Several owners learned after paying the $48 registration fee that judging was only being done for 2000 and newer vehicles. Owners of older rides were turned away, even though their cars met the advertised requirements. And to top it off, Goodguys wasn’t even consistent — some pre-2000 cars were judged, while others were denied.

Frustrating? Absolutely. And completely avoidable.

Multiple Awards

There are still shows that hand out multiple awards to the same vehicle, and the Urban Pineapple Car Show in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, was a prime example. Multiple cars walked away with two awards, and some even received three! What was otherwise a very good show was marred by the awards ceremony — a sure-fire way to discourage attendance at future events.

Announce the Year, Make, Model and Owner's Name

I can’t stress enough how important it is to announce the year, make, model, and owner’s name when giving out awards. This year at the Blackwing Summer Blast Car Show, someone accepted an award that was actually meant for another car — all because the owner’s name wasn’t announced. The Blackwing Shooting Center corrected the mistake, but it wouldn’t have happened at all if the proper information had been announced in the first place.

Missing "Favorite" Awards

The Powell Sertoma Cruize-In and Pig Out Show didn’t have any Favorite Award plaques this year — only the 11 Specialty Awards and Best of Show. Larry Coolidge, who has led the event since its beginning, wasn’t able to oversee things this year due to health issues. He has always handled ordering the plaques, and without him, that detail simply wasn’t reassigned. So, no plaques this time — an honest oversight, and the 136 participants were very understanding of the situation.

Start Door Prize Drawings Immediately After Registration Closes

The weekend of July 5th and 6th was one of the hottest of the year — if not the hottest. At the Stockhands Horses for Healing show, the door prize drawing ended up being a bit of an endurance test. The organizers used rolls of colored raffle tickets purchased from Amazon that all had identical numbers, which meant each drawing turned into multiple mini-draws. The entire process took more than an hour, with everyone standing on hot blacktop in 90-plus-degree heat. Not exactly a great experience.

As a friendly suggestion to all shows: please start drawing door-prize tickets as soon as registration closes. Waiting until right before the awards presentation can turn a fun moment into a long, uncomfortable one — especially in the middle of summer.

Tally Judging Sheets Before Presenting Awards

I hesitated to mention this next one since it was a first-time show and absolutely deserves some wiggle room when it comes to criticism. But the very next day, with temperatures just as warm, the Nic Palmer Memorial Car Show ran into an issue tallying the judging sheets. It took more than 25 minutes to present just seven awards, leaving everyone once again standing out in the heat. Understandable for a debut event — but still a tough situation given the weather.

R.I.P.

Here are the cruisers we lost this year. Each one made a mark on the Central Ohio car community, whether through their incredible vehicles, their passion for the hobby, or the friendships they shared along the way. They will be deeply missed, and their contributions to our car show family will not be forgotten.

• Richard McPeek

• Fred Harrison

• Victor Cunningham

• Dan Fannin

Season Debuts & First Big Wins

Enough of the negative stuff — let’s shift gears to something positive. This year brought several exciting firsts from members of our cruising community.

• David Dipietro earned his first-ever car show award, taking home the MOPO/Rat Rod trophy at the July 6th show at The Point On Main Street.

• Rick Carroll celebrated his first Best of Show award at the Upper Deck Car Show in August.

• After a 10-year restoration, Bobby Wong finally rolled out his beautifully finished 1967 Chevy Camaro RS — and it made an immediate impact, collecting five Best of Show awards this season.

• One of the most touching moments of the year came during the Loser Racing Car & Bike Show in June. Proceeds from the event supported a young child named AJ, who is currently battling leukemia. AJ personally selected Doug Glassburn’s 1972 Chevy C-10 Stepside as his pick, and Doug was both surprised and truly moved by the honor.

Favorite Cars of 2025

After 14 years in the Central Ohio car scene — and thousands of photos later — it’s getting harder and harder to find true standouts I haven’t seen before. But this season still managed to surprise me, and I pulled together a handful of vehicles that really made an impression.

Let’s start with the 1956 Continental Mark II owned by Fred Lasure. I spotted this elegant classic for the first time at the Java Drive-In Car Show at Tri-Village Christian Church in Pataskala, and it immediately earned a place on the list.

Next up is Steve Bechtel’s all-steel 1941 Lincoln Zephyr. This sleek, beautifully executed build took home Best of Show at the Champagne Cruisers Annual Firecracker Car, Truck, and Bike Show in Urbana — and deservedly so.

This stunning 1965 Ford Mustang, owned by Dennis and Teresa Michell, also stood out. It earned both the Pony Car Award and the Artomotive Pick at the Stockhands Horses for Healing Car Show in Radnor. A beautifully presented car that photographs as well as it looks in person.

Gene Flaugher made the list not just for his cool custom Pontiac Safari wagon, but for the dedication it took to get it here — he drove 76 miles from New Lebanon, Ohio, to attend the Der Dutchman Cruise-In in Plain City. That’s commitment.

A 1997 Dodge Neon Custom, owned by Brandon Elliott, grabbed my attention at the Spectrum Support Car, Truck, and Bike Show in Newark. Not a car you see built to this level every day, and it definitely stood out among the field.

Then there was the wild card: a one-of-a-kind 2007 Valarra Corvette with a Procharged LS2 motor and monstrous 25-inch 405-series rear tires. How could it not make the list?

And finally, my overall favorite — and easily the most unique — was the 1929 Graham Paige powered by an LS6 from a 2004 Cadillac CTS-V, which showed up at the September 18th Der Dutchman Cruise-In. I’ll admit, I laughed out loud when I saw the Cadillac “V” emblems on the side. It’s quirky, creative, and unforgettable… everything a standout build should be.

Shout Out to Our Local Event Organizers/Promoters

Even with Frank Russell’s retirement, Dan “Boots” Longenette (Auto Smarts) and Shaun “Big Dawg” Sanders (C-Town Cruisers) delivered 39 combined events.

Putting on a single car show is a massive undertaking; organizing dozens throughout the season is a whole different level of commitment.

A big thank-you to both Dan and Shaun for their hard work, dedication, and continued support of the Central Ohio car community.

Contributors

The support I receive from this community never ceases to impress me. Here are the folks who helped keep the content flowing this year — whether through photos, recaps, flyers, or tips — their help, generosity, and enthusiasm played a huge role in making 2025 the biggest and best year yet for carshowtalk.com.

Final Thoughts

2025 was another fantastic year for Central Ohio’s car and bike community. It always amazes me how, season after season, I meet new friends while getting to know familiar faces even better. It’s one of the things that truly makes this community special.

I’ll be taking a few months off unless something big needs to be announced between now and 2026. Even though there won’t be any new posts for a while, I’ll still be working behind the scenes — cleaning up the website and looking for new ways to enhance the content on carshowtalk. Look for the next post sometime in February 2026, when I’ll publish the first edition of Save the Dates for the new season.

I hope the holidays are special for everyone. Stay warm and safe and enjoy the offseason.

The “look back” video is my traditional sign-off  — a collection of photos that I feel best capture the spirit of the season. The images are a mix of my own and many that were generously shared with me. The video runs just under 12 minutes, and I encourage everyone to give it a watch. I hope it brings back great memories of 2025.

See everyone in the spring.