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NEWS AND NOTES
Der Dutchman Cruise-In:
Attendance was back up Thursday evening at the restaurant’s weekly cruise-in, with 313 cars on display—25 of them making their first appearance.
Among the first-timers was Gene Flaugher, who rolled in behind the wheel of his stunning 1956 custom Pontiac Safari. His journey? A cool 76 miles one way from New Lebanon, Ohio—west of Dayton. When people are driving that far, you know this cruise-in’s reputation is shifting into high gear and reaching well beyond Central Ohio!
Creative Auto Group/Advance Auto Parts Car Show:
Twenty cars rolled into Marysville, Ohio, on Friday evening for the August Creative Auto Group/Advance Auto Parts monthly car show.
Door prize and 50/50 raffle sales brought in $70, which will go to support the Trinity Chapel Milford Center food pantry.
This month’s “Favorite” picks were:
- Jerry Covert’s beautifully kept 1929 Ford Model A
- Don Potter’s striking 1968 Ford Mustang GT/CS
- Justin Miller’s wild 1953 Willys M38 Jeep with a twin-turbo Texas Speed LSX motor.
- Kim Hawksworth’s sleek Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0
The next Creative Auto Group/Advance Auto Parts car show will be Friday, September 12, 2025, from 5–8 PM in Marysville.
Vance Outdoors Classic Cruise-In (Benefitting Honor Flight):
With the help of Auto Smarts Radio, the Vance Outdoors store in Obetz, Ohio, hosted its 10th Annual Classic Car Cruise-In on Saturday, with all proceeds benefiting Honor Flight Columbus.
A highlight of the day was the drawing for the Auto Smarts Radio street-legal Epic EP EV golf cart, which took place during the event. The raffle alone raised over $50,000 for Honor Flight.
The first 100 vehicles to register received a Vance Outdoors Car Show Trophy. This year, 148 vehicles were registered, with every registration fee going toward the Fill the Plane Campaign for Honor Flight Columbus.
When all was said and done, the event raised an impressive $157,000 to support Honor Flight Columbus and its mission of honoring our nation’s veterans.
The awards were a little different this year, with an emphasis on honoring our veterans. Three towering 6-foot trophies were presented—one each for Vance Outdoors’ pick, the Honor Flight’s pick, and Best of Show. In addition, 23 category winners took home trophies.
Here are the category winners:
The Big Three winners:
- Vance Outdoors Pick: 1965 Pontiac GTO — Owner: Art Persinger
- Honor Flight Pick: 1941 Dodge WC 40 — Owner: Kevin Foust
- Best of Show: 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo — Owner: Bryan Mauger
This event has been on my “to-do” list for several years, but something always seemed to get in the way. I’m truly grateful that this year I finally had the chance to take part and help support Honor Flight and our veterans—it was an honor to be involved.
Choctaw Lake Car Show:
The show debuted in 2023 to positive reviews, but some residents of Choctaw Lake voiced concerns afterward, leading to no event in 2024. This year, however, it’s clear that the organizers and residents have resolved those issues, with the 2nd Annual Choctaw Lake Car Show returning on Saturday in London, Ohio.
Sponsored by the Choctaw Lake Booster Club, Tim and Joy Grace, and the Choctaw Lake Car Club, the event drew 103 cars.
Awards were presented to the Top 20 entries, along with honors for the Choctaw Lake Car Club Choice and Best of Show.
Rod Scott, Doug Glassburn, and Russ Annis each received a Top 20 Award.
The Choctaw Lake Car Club’s Choice went to Rick Ridenour for his beautifully restored 1946 Hudson pickup.
Best of Show honors went to Dean Maisenbacher’s stunning 1959 Ford Galaxie Fairlane 500 Retractable.
Thanks to Doug Glassburn, we also have photos of several more standout cars from the show.
Hot Summer Nights Cruise-In:
By far the biggest car event in Central Ohio this past weekend was the 25th Annual Hot Summer Nights Cruise-In in Bellefontaine, Ohio, on Saturday evening.
What makes this show truly special is how it kicks off — every car must register at the Logan County Fairgrounds. Then, right at 5 p.m., the parade roars to life! This year, 432 cars rolled out and made their way to downtown Bellefontaine, where the cruise-in officially begins once all the vehicles are parked and ready to shine.
The Hot Summer Nights Cruise-In does not present a Best of Show award. Instead, the event celebrates a broad array of vehicles by honoring the Top 50. In addition to the Top 50 awards, the event features a Drivers Pool, a 50/50 raffle, and cash raffles totaling $2,500.
Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival Car and Bike Show:
The Annual Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival took place this past weekend, with the C-Town Cruisers once again hosting the Saturday car and bike show at Huber Park in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Eighty cars turned out for the event, with awards going to the Top 35 along with specialty honors for Best Truck, Best Motorcycle, Most Potential/Rat Rod, Junior Cruiser, and Best of Show.
Best of Show went to Fred Lasure and his beautiful 1956 Continental Mark II.
A big thanks to Robert “Bubba” Hettinger for capturing the action—here’s a look at more cars from the show.
Volksfest 34:
On Saturday, the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio, played host to Volksfest 34, the much-anticipated vintage Volkswagen show that brings together an incredible variety of classic and modern vehicles. Celebrating all things Volkswagen, this year’s event showcased a broad spectrum of cars, from the iconic air-cooled Beetles and buses to the more recent water-cooled models, along with Audi and Porsche vehicles, reflecting the full family of the Volkswagen Group.
Tom and Betty Lawrence’s 2008 Volkswagen Beetle was a standout feature at the event alongside Lifeline of Ohio.
Tom kindly shared his photos, and judging by the shots, the event drew an excellent turnout with lots of enthusiastic participants and spectators.
The Point on Main Street Car and Bike Show:
Shaun “Big Dawg” Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers rolled back into The Point on Main Street Sports Bar & Grill on Sunday for the August Car & Bike Show.
With the thermometer flirting with 90 degrees, 42 cars stepped up and registered to be part of the fun. Then there were about a dozen or so—lingering in the heat, taking in the sights and sounds, but never bothering to make it official. (Apparently, paperwork was hotter than the pavement.)
To spare everyone a little more time in the swelter, Shaun kicked off the awards about 30 minutes early, sending folks back to the comfort of air conditioning—whether in their cars or elsewhere. Honors included the Top 35, plus Ladies Choice, Most Potential/Rat Rod, and the coveted Best of Show.
This month’s Ladies Choice award went to David King’s 2002 Pontiac Trans Am.
The Most Potential honor was given to Dave O’Brien’s 1989 Buick LeSabre equipped with the rare T-Type package.
Taking home Best of Show were Steve and Nancy Kidwell with their beautifully restored 1955 Chevy Bel Air.
Here are the rest of the cars from the show.
Please note: The remaining The Point on Main Street Car & Bike Shows in September, October, and November (weather permitting) will move from Sunday to Saturday.
The Real Story About American Graffiti:
The American Graffiti Cruise-In took place on Sunday at the Hilliard (OH) Fairgrounds. In addition to the car gathering, attendees enjoyed a screening of the classic film American Graffiti and had the chance to purchase raffle tickets for a tribute Milner 1932 Ford five-window coupe street rod. Raffle ticket sales will continue through the end of the fair next year, when the winning ticket will be drawn. Marty Ruiz was on hand and shared photos from the event.
Other Area Shows:
- The Baltimore, Ohio, Festival took place this weekend with a full lineup of events. On Friday evening, attendees enjoyed a lively car show as part of the festivities. Saturday evening featured a Truck Show, which included four awards: Newest Truck, Best Farm Truck, Best 4x4, and Most Unusual. Dale Pearce’s 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup earned the Most Unusual Award.
- O’Reilly Auto Parts in Marysville, Ohio, hosted its first annual car show on Saturday morning. The event drew 28 cars, with Greg Barcus’s 1966 Ford Fairlane GTA taking home the Best of Show award.
- The St. Josephine Bakhita Classic Car Show took place Saturday evening at St. Elizabeth Church in Columbus, Ohio, drawing a light turnout with just 17 cars in attendance. Dave Bratton’s striking 1937 Wild Ride Ford earned the Best of Show honors.
- The Carroll, Ohio, Community Car Show, held in conjunction with the Carroll Community Festival, took place on Saturday. Hosted by the Lancaster Car Scene (LCS), the event registered 65 cars. Tracy Fields’ 1960 Cadillac Eldorado had a standout week—not only was his Cadillac featured on last week’s carshowtalk.com post, but it also took home Best of Show honors at the Carroll Community Car Show.
I’ll wrap up this week’s News and Notes with a look at some of the cars that turned out for the Cars & Coffee meet-ups at Destination Outlets in Jeffersonville on Saturday morning, and at Starbucks in Westerville on Sunday.
While the highlights in this week’s News and Notes capture only a small portion of the many car and bike events that took place across Central Ohio, we hope they offer a glimpse into the variety and enthusiasm that define our local car scene. We’re grateful to everyone who shares event details, photographs, and results—your contributions help keep our community informed and connected.
This week’s News and Notes contributors include Dale Pearce, Jeff Shankle, Robert "Bubba" Hettinger, Tom Lawrence, Doug Glassburn, Dave Bratton, Chad Herrick, Jim Sradeja, Arch Mayer, Russ Annis, Marty Ruiz, and Cindy McBee. A big thank you to each of them for their contributions!
Stay safe, stay cool, and keep those wheels rolling!