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Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for July 20 – 26, 2026

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1985 ASC McLaren Meet Capri - Owner: Rusty Gregg

Along with the usual weekday cruise-ins and bike nights, this weekend is absolutely packed with car shows, cruise-ins, and motorcycle events across Central Ohio. Highlights include the 46th Annual Poor Man’s Nationals on Sunday, along with Heels and Wheels, Battle of the Brands, and the Blackwing Summer Blast on Saturday, to name just a few. Whether you’re into classics, muscle cars, exotics, motorcycles, or modern performance vehicles, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the hobby all week long.

Monday (July 20th):

Tuesday (July 21st):

Wednesday (July 22nd):

Thursday (July 23rd):

Friday (July 24th):

Saturday (July 25th):

Sunday (July 26th):

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

The big news this week was the cancellation of ALL Friday activities at the Arthritis Foundation Charity Auto Show in Dublin due to an air quality alert from the Canadian wildfires, combined with a dangerously high heat index. I never imagined smoke from wildfires in Canada would be the reason a car show in Central Ohio had to be canceled. Unfortunately, the Arthritis Foundation Charity Auto Show wasn’t alone, as several other events across Central Ohio were also called off.

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

It was hot Thursday evening. How hot was it, you ask? It was so hot that in the 14 years I’ve been attending the Der Dutchman Cruise-In, Thursday was the first time I’d ever seen Wayne trade his trademark jeans and boots for shorts and tennis shoes.

Still, 182 vehicles ignored the sweltering conditions to attend the cruise-in—a testament to just how popular the Thursday night event has become. Not surprisingly, the parking spots beneath the trees along SR-42 were some of the most coveted real estate of the evening.

Here are some of the HOT cars—literally—from Thursday’s cruise-in.

Columbus Cars & Coffee at 3 Easton Oval:

The corporate version of Columbus Cars & Coffee continued its Season 18 schedule on Saturday at 3 Easton Oval in Columbus.

The event drew more than 130 vehicles during the two-hour gathering, with attendance down slightly, likely due to the number of other automotive events taking place around Central Ohio that day. Despite the lower turnout, spectator attendance was as strong as ever.

A DJ kept the music playing while Good Cafe Easton was on hand serving coffee and breakfast pastries. As always, the event had a distinctly European flavor, with Porsches, Ferraris, Audis, and a host of Japanese manufacturers making up the bulk of the vehicles in attendance. Fewer than a handful of classic American cars were on display.

My favorite car was the blacked out McLaren equipped with a child safety seat—proof that even exotic car owners have family duties.

Here’s a video slideshow highlighting many of the cars from the morning.

Plumwood C.C.CU. Car Show:

The Plumwood C.C.C.U. (Church of Christ in Christian Union) hosted its 17th Annual Car Show in memory of Charles Brewer in London, Ohio, on Saturday. This year’s show drew 37 vehicles. Like pretty much every Central Ohio car show on Saturday, participants experienced at least a little rain.

Tom and Betty Lawrence were there with their 2008 Volkswagen Beetle and took home the People’s Choice Award.

Here are the photos Tom took at the show.

Arthritis Foundation Charity Auto Show:

As I mentioned at the beginning of this report, all Friday activities at the Arthritis Foundation Charity Auto Show were canceled due to an air quality alert caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires, combined with a dangerously high heat index. The decision disappointed many participants, and most exhibitors packed up and headed home after learning there would be no judging or awards on Friday.

Rain that moved through Central Ohio Friday evening improved the air quality enough for the concours activities to move ahead on Saturday. I was told that approximately 250 vehicles were in attendance. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Repeated rain showers throughout the afternoon sent many participants home early, leaving only a fraction of the vehicles on the show field for the awards presentation. According to Dave Bratton, the parking lots turned into small rivers. It was an unfortunate outcome for the hundreds of volunteers who worked so hard to organize the event.

Three people who stuck around for the awards ceremony were Doug Glassburn, who received an Award of Excellence in the Modified Trucks class with his 1972 Chevrolet Stepside pickup; Dustin Bowers, who earned an Award of Excellence with his 2008 Ford Mustang GT/CS; and Arch Mayer, who also earned an Award of Excellence with his 1998 Mustang GT.

Here are the combined photos from Dave Bratton and Arch Mayer from Saturday’s show.

Bob Helsel Car Show:

On Sunday, the Buckeye Lake Moose Lodge #2434 in Thornville hosted the Annual Bob Helsel Car Show. 


The event registered 114 vehicles. Everyone who registered received a door prize ticket. In addition to the door prizes, a 50/50 raffle paid out $395 to the lucky winner. A DJ provided the music while the lodge served hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers, and refreshments throughout the afternoon.

Awards included trophies for the Top 24, along with 3rd-, 2nd-, and 1st-place awards for pre-1972, 1973–2000, and 2001-and-newer vehicles, plus a Best in Show trophy. All awards were determined by participant voting.

Here are the Top 3 cars in each category:

  • 3rd Place 2001 & Newer: 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing - Kim Hawksworth
  • 2nd Place 2001 & Newer: 2006 Mustang GT - Kelley Miller
  • 1st Place 2001 & Newer: 2018 Camaro SS - Pam & Randy Bishop
  • 3rd Place 1973 - 2000: 1974 Ford 250 4x4 - Scott Thomas
  • 2nd Place 1973 -2000: 1979 Camaro Z/28 - Christy Schmidt
  • 1st Place 1973 - 2000: 1982 Chevy C-10 - Dave O'Brien
  • 2nd Place Pre-1972: 1970 Dodge D100 - Ty Newberry
  • 1st Place Pre-1972: 1956 Ford Sedan - Scott Arnett

Not pictured:

  • 3rd Place Pre-1972: 1939 Chevy - David Kreagr

The Best in Show honors went to Tracy Pack with a 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe.

Hi-Way Starz members Jeff Tolley (Top 24) and Dave O’Brien (1st Place, 1973–2000) were also among the day’s award winners with their 1965 and 1982 Chevy C-10 pickups, respectively.

All in all, it was a well-run show with lots of beautiful rides in attendance. I’m still not a fan of participant judging, but I understand why many shows choose to use it.

River Valley Athletic Boosters Car Show:

Dave Bratton made the trip to Caledonia on Sunday for the 6th Annual River Valley Athletic Boosters Car Show at River Valley High School. The show registered 252 vehicles this year. According to Dave, this has become one of his favorite shows because of how well it’s organized and run. He singled out organizer Jesse Rowe for doing an outstanding job.

In addition to a large selection of door prizes, the 50/50 raffle paid out more than $750. The awards presentation began five minutes ahead of schedule, and despite handing out 75 awards, everything moved along efficiently.

Dave was especially impressed by the quality of the motorcycles and several beautifully restored semi tractors on display. He also photographed a number of vehicles he considered unique or had never seen before.

Instead of a Best of Show award, the event’s top honor—the Doug Martin Award—went to Danny and Cheryl Akins for their 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Other Area Car Shows:

  • Greenfield Car and Truck Show: Our friend Tim Hooten made the trek to Greenfield on Saturday to attend the 58th Annual Greenfield Car and Truck Show. The event registered 128 vehicles. The drive was worthwhile, as Tim’s 1970 Chevrolet Nova earned a Top 50 award. This was Tim’s second year participating in the show, and he has nothing but high praise for the event.
  • America 250 Anniversary Car Show: Originally scheduled for June 28 at Veterans Park in Millersport, the event was rescheduled to Sunday because of the weather, with the show hours also changing to 1–4 p.m. Despite the postponement, the event still attracted 62 entries. Awards included Top 50 along with several specialty awards. Congratulations to Doug Mullen and Dave and Jackie Hiles on earning Top 50 awards, and to Chuck McKeever, for receiving the Mayor’s Choice Award.

The weather certainly didn’t do the Arthritis Foundation Charity Auto Show any favors this weekend. I can’t say that in all my years of participating in car shows I’ve ever seen one canceled because of an air quality alert. How the event recovers from this will be worth watching. Had the same conditions occurred during the Goodguys Summit Nationals the weekend before, would that event have been canceled? It’s an interesting question. Let's hope this was one of those freak circumstances that we won't experience again for many, many years.

This week’s roaming reporters for CarShowTalk.com include Jeff Shankle, Jeff Tolley, Dave Bratton, Arch Mayer, Dave and Jackie Hilles, Tim Hooten, Doug Glassburn, Dale Pearce, Tom Lawrence, Dave O'Brien, and Dustin Bowers. A BIG thanks to everyone who submitted photos, results, and event information this week. Your contributions help tell the story of Central Ohio’s automotive community and make News & Notes possible.

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

Home » Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for July 20 – 26, 2026

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