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Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for April 27 – May 3, 2026

Published on 8 Comments on Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for April 27 – May 3, 2026
1963 Chevy SS - Owner: Bill Albert

The Central Ohio car show season shifts into high gear this weekend as we roll into May. The threat of snow and freeze warnings is finally in the rearview mirror, and for the next six months, it’s all about sunshine, pavement, and polished sheet metal. If your car is still sitting under a cover, now’s the time—get it out and get it on the road.

This week also marks my return to the Buckeye State after spending four months escaping Ohio’s winter. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and catching up with everyone in the weeks ahead.

Monday (April 27th):

  • No Events Found

Tuesday (April 28th):

Wednesday (April 29th):

Thursday (April 30th):

Friday - (May 1st):

Saturday (May 2nd):

Sunday - (May 3rd):

Be sure to check out the Save the Dates for 2026 page for the most comprehensive, best-organized list of upcoming Central Ohio car shows, cruise-ins, meet-ups, and bike events you’ll find anywhere online.

Don’t miss a single event — bookmark it and stay in the loop all season long.

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NEWS AND NOTES

Before getting into this week’s News and Notes, I want to touch on something that comes up often—the next generation of car enthusiasts.

It’s easy for our generation to take shots at the younger generation and say they’re just not into cars the way we were. I’ll admit, the percentage might be a little smaller, but the idea that the car culture is dying off just doesn’t hold up—at least not from what I’ve seen.

A perfect example is the Import Face-Off. People sometimes look at me a bit sideways when I say it’s the second-largest car event in Central Ohio behind Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals—and it makes two stops in the area every year. That kind of turnout doesn’t happen if the next generation isn’t showing up.

The cars may look different than what many of us grew up with—Chevys, Fords, Dodges, and Plymouths—now joined by Hondas, Subarus, Lexus, and Nissans. But the passion is still there. It just wears a different badge.

The bottom line: the next generation of car enthusiasts is alive and well. And if there’s any doubt, just take a look at the crowd from last weekend’s Import Face-Off. Even on a cold, blustery April Sunday, they showed up in force.

Car show organizers might want to take note.

Calvin Rowland Memorial Car Show:

Friday evening, the 2nd Annual Calvin Rowland Memorial Car Show was held at Precision Fleet Repair in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

For those who may not know, Calvin Rowland was a longtime member of the Central Ohio car community who regularly brought his two trucks to car shows until his passing in 2023.

Friday’s show drew 43 cars. Our good friend Jeff Shankle and his “Green Goblin” took home one of the Top awards.

Here are more rides from Friday's show courtesy of Jeff.

Roundtown Cruisers Monthly Car Show:

The Roundtown Cruisers Car Club kicked off its 2026 show season Friday with a strong turnout at the AMVETS Post in Circleville.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the first annual Roundtown Cruisers Automotive Trade Scholarship Award worth $500 to Ian Gordon—an excellent addition that reflects the club’s support for the next generation of automotive enthusiasts.

Special thanks to David M. Brown Photography for sharing his photos from the evening. Lots of beautiful rides!

Columbus Cars & Coffee Season Opener:

Due to the weather, the corporate version of Columbus Cars and Coffee postponed its season 18 opener a week. The location was also moved from Alum Creek Marina to Polaris Fashion Place—a change that didn’t seem to hurt attendance one bit.

Estimates had turnout in the range of 300 cars, with every parking space outlined in red below filled. A tremendous kickoff for the season and another reminder of just how strong the enthusiasm remains for these large-scale Cars & Coffee gatherings.

Bryan Mauger captured some great photos during the morning and was kind enough to share them.

Bryan also put together a short video showing just how many cars turned out for the event.

The next Cars & Coffee event is scheduled for May 9th at Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing in New Albany, Ohio.

Honda Heritage Center Cars, Bikes, & Coffee:

Another Cars & Coffee meet-up on Saturday morning took place at the Honda Heritage Center in Marysville. This inaugural event had a slightly different twist, featuring motorcycles alongside the cars.

The event is planned as a monthly gathering on the last Saturday of the month from April through August, and again in October. Guesstimates put attendance at around 150 cars and bikes for this first event—a strong debut for a new meet-up.

Thanks go to Jeff Shankle for the photos:

Gears for Growth Car Show:

The annual Gears for Growth Fundraiser Car Show, hosted by Newark City Schools’ NCS Digital, took place Saturday and drew 73 registered vehicles—up about 25 cars from last year. A nice jump in participation for a great cause.

Top honors went to Rod Scott and his beautifully restored 1958 Dodge D-100 Sweptside, which earned Best of Show.

Here are more rides from the show, thanks to Bubba Hettinger.

Central Crossing HS Marching Band Car Show:

The Central Crossing High School Marching Band hosted its car show Saturday to help raise funds for the band. For Dave Bratton, it marked his first show of the season.

Dave reported the show was well run with only a couple minor glitches. The show featured 16 trophy awards, three food trucks, and roughly 25 vendors. Judging was by popular ballot, with participation from entrants and spectators alike.

Dave also had a successful day, taking home both Best Paint and Best of Show. Other award winners included Rob Buck (Best Import), Doug Glassburn (Best Truck), Tom Lawrence (Best Theme), Jim Hostas (Best American Muscle), Ronald Cupp (Best Original Post-1949), John Stills (Best Engine), Ryan Hoetger (Most Unique), Jim McGruder (Best Modern and Principal’s Choice), Ann Price (Band Choice), and Doug Blevins (Director’s Choice).

Here are combined photos from the show courtesy of Dave Bratton and Tom Lawrence—including Fast Eddy’s friend Ralph.

  • Best theme - Tom Lawerence
  • Best truck - Doug Glassburn
  • Best Modern/Principal's Choice - Jim McGruder
  • Best Paint & Best of Show
  • Best Original after 1949 - Ronald Cupp
  • Director's Choice - Doug Blevins

Maverick's Sweet 16 Car Show:

Seventy-nine cars turned out for Maverick’s Sweet 16 Car Show in Urbana on Sunday.

Top honors went to Kevin Foust and his 1941 Dodge WC40, which was selected Best of Show.

Here are more vehicles from the show thanks to Jeff Shankle’s phone.

American Legion Veteran Fundraiser Car & Craft Show:

Dan “Boots” Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride Tour kicked off their season Sunday by hosting the American Legion Veteran Fundraiser Car and Craft Show at the American Legion Paschall Post 164 in Grove City.

The show registered 55 vehicles, with Tom Lawrence, Gary Hamilton, and Richard Jones all going home with some hardware.

Best Truck honors went to Dale Pearce and his 1950 Chevrolet 3600.

Doug Glassburn’s 1972 Chevrolet C-10 Stepside pickup earned Best of Show honors.

Here are scenes from the show through the lens of Tom Lawrence.

American Legion Canteen Post #144 Spring Warm Up:

Just six miles away from the American Legion Paschall Post 164, Shaun “Big Dawg” Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers kicked off their season at another American Legion Post. This one was the American Legion Canteen Post 144 on South High Street in Columbus.

The show drew around 60 cars. Gerald Wicker, Jackie Rolfe-Hiles, Dave O'Brien, and Jeff Tolley all drove home with Top 35 awards.

Jeff Tolley captured a great selection of cars from the show.

I hate to end on a sad note, but the Central Ohio car community lost one of its own this past week. Pat Crum passed away on April 23. Many of you may recognize Pat from his 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air. Pat was a devoted car enthusiast who participated in countless shows around the area and was a familiar face to many in the hobby. He will be missed.

I have a long list of people to thank for contributing photos. Special thanks to Jeff Shankle, David M. Brown Photography, Dale Pearce, Bryan Mauger, Dave Bratton, Bubba Hettinger, Jeff Tolley, Doug Glassburn, Kevin Foust, and Tom Lawrence for their help capturing and sharing the weekend’s events.

Have a great week, stay safe and keep those wheels rolling.

8 thoughts on “Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for April 27 – May 3, 2026”

  1. Joe estes

    You are right about the import cars, I attend shows with my import every weekend and get alot of dirty looks and comments from some of the older folks, not all but there definitely is a problem with it

    1. Kim Hawksworth Post author

      I hear you, and honestly I’ve seen some of that too. I’ve had similar experiences showing my newer cars. There can still be a mindset among some that if it isn’t old Detroit iron, it somehow doesn’t belong, which is unfortunate.

      The hobby is a lot bigger than that. Whether it’s classics, muscle, imports, exotics, trucks, or bikes, enthusiasm is enthusiasm. Some of the biggest crowds I see at events include a vast variety of cars from old to new, domestics to imports. Just look at events like Import Face-Off—that alone tells you the passion is there.

      Thankfully, I also think the attitude is slowly changing as more shows become inclusive. Car culture is better when there’s room for everyone.

    2. Adam Squier

      I’m one of the weird people who’s attracted to the imports. Especially the uncommon ones. So bring your Citroen, Skoda, Toyota, Nissan, JDM Leo, Volkswagen, Volvo, Fiat, etc. There’s usually a lot of us who appreciate them.

      And if there’s one thing I hate about car shows it’s when I hear people say “THAT doesn’t belong here.” Really grinds my gears.

      1. Kim Hawksworth Post author

        I’m with you. A good car is a good car, regardless of what badge is on the hood. Some of the most interesting things at a show are the uncommon imports and oddballs because they break up the sameness. I always tell people variety is what makes a car show worth walking.

        And I’m with you 100% on the “that doesn’t belong here” comments — that mentality has always bothered me as well. If someone has the passion to preserve it, modify it, or simply enjoy it, it belongs. Period. Some of the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds I see now are around imports and newer performance cars, which tells me the hobby is bigger than some people want to admit.

  2. Mark Garrett

    I've been in the VW scene since the mid 80s and believe me when I started showing up at cruise ins with my Cal Look 68 Beetle, it was not very well received. It has improved significantly since then. You still have the few that don't want to accept it. I can walk through a show an appreciate everything there.

    1. Kim Hawksworth Post author

      Great perspective. Funny enough, when my wife and I got married she had a 1972 Super Beetle—she had traded in a ’63 Beetle she drove from Florida to Ohio when she moved here. I ended up driving that ’72 Super Beetle 51 miles each way to Galion for my first job after pharmacy school, so that car and I had a pretty close relationship for about 14 months. Didn’t particularly love it in winter, but it survived the Blizzard of ’78, so I have to give it credit.

      And if you want to get technical, my ’24 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is an offshoot of the Volkswagen Group. VW has been making great cars a long time. I’m with you — I can walk through a show and appreciate everything.

  3. Frank Russell

    Hi Kim I just attended a show in Berlin CT. Mostly young enthusiasts. $5 entry fee. No judging. No trophies. No loud music. Just 500 + cars of all kinds shapes and sizes and prices. People hung out all day just looking at cars and talking with owners. More people asked me about my Shelby than any other show I've ever been to. Maybe because we were fellow car crazies and my competitors. I've thought for a while that our "old style" days are numbered. I think the car culture will grow and thrive long after us old geezers are gone. We should all be happy to see the next generation take the ball and run with it. And why not.
    Respectfully,
    Frank Russell

    1. Kim Hawksworth Post author

      Hi Frank, I enjoyed reading your comment and I think you’re onto something. I do think we old-timers can go a little over the top with awards sometimes. One of the things I like about park-and-chill gatherings and Cars & Coffee events is the lack of competition seems to make everyone relax and just enjoy the cars and camaraderie. I think that’s a big reason you see such huge turnouts at those events.

      I don’t think traditional judged shows will ever go away entirely, especially since many are tied to fundraisers and community causes, but I do think we may see fewer of them over the next 10 years. The hobby feels like it’s evolving more toward experiences and community, and honestly that may be a healthy thing.

      And I agree completely—the next generation taking the ball and running with it is something we should celebrate.

Comments are closed.