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NEWS AND NOTES
Dutchman Cruise-In Banquet:
Der Dutchman wrapped up another successful cruise-in season on Thursday evening with the annual end-of-season banquet. A total of 177 people signed up to attend this year’s celebration.
After dinner, Cruise-In Manager Wayne Nisly shared some fun facts comparing the 2024 and 2025 seasons:
Total Number of Cruise-Ins:
2024 - 21
2025 - 22
Total Cars Counted for the Season:
2024 - 5,809
2025 - 4,748
Number of Rain Days:
2024 - 2 days
2025 - 4 days
Lowest Attendance:
2024 - 8 Cars
2025 - 10 cars
Highest Single-Day Attendance:
2024 - 414
2025 - 507
First Time Attenders:
2024 - 353
2025 - 259
Wayne also noted that his database now holds 2,140 names, with records purged for anyone who hasn’t attended in four years.
To close out the evening, every household received a plaque in appreciation for their participation in the 2025 cruise-in season.
The banquet was the perfect way to wrap up the 2025 season and look forward to even more great cruise-ins in 2026.
Columbus Cars and Coffee at Alum Creek Marina:
The corporate-sponsored version of Columbus Cars and Coffee switched things up this past Saturday, hosting its meet at Alum Creek Marina for the very first time. The lakeside venue was a unique choice, giving the event a fresh atmosphere that stood out from the usual spots.
With more than 200 cars in attendance, the lot was overflowing—literally—with rows of vehicles stretching into the grass.
And while the mix of cars was diverse, the morning definitely had a Porsche vibe. From Boxsters and Caymans to an impressive lineup of 911s, the brand dominated the waterfront scene.
Check out this video montage for a taste of Saturday morning's action.
Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride at Massey's Pizza:
Dan “Boots” Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride team hosted their second-to-last car show of the season on Saturday at Massey’s Pizza in Grove City, Ohio, drawing around 106 registered vehicles.
There were about 75 trophies and gift cards awarded to the winners. Some of the standout winners included Dale Pearce, who took home both the coveted Pocket Trophy King and Cruiser of the Year awards.
Bryan Mauger earned an Award of Excellence with his 1970 Monte Carlo, while Doug Glassburn’s 1972 Chevy C-10 Stepside pickup captured Best Truck honors.
The Best of Show award went to Pete Lieb’s 1962 “Big Booty Judy” Hemi Dodge Dart station wagon.
A special thanks to Bryan Mauger and Dave Bratton for sharing their photos capturing the event.
19th Annual Ohio Autism Car, Truck, Motorcycle Show & Cruise-In:
Hosted by the Make It Fit Foundation with support from the C-Town Cruisers, the 19th Annual Ohio Autism Car, Truck, Motorcycle & Cruise-In rolled into the Hartford County Fairgrounds in Croton, Ohio, on Saturday.
The event raises funds for autism-related programs, therapies, educational tools, advocacy efforts, and camps — all aimed at supporting individuals and families affected by autism. This year’s show drew an impressive 123 registered vehicles.
Members of the Hi-Way Startz Car Club — Dave Byers, Bubba Hettinger, Dave O’Brien, Keith Ruhl, Mike Simpson, and Don LaRue (not pictured) — each took home awards for their rides.
Check out the video slideshow below featuring photos captured by Bubba Hettinger from the event.
Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride at Moose Lodge 1427:
The 2025 Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride Tour wrapped up its season on Sunday with a great turnout at the Moose Lodge 1427 in Columbus, Ohio. The tour first fired up back in May at Cars and Condos in Powell and went on to host—or be part of—21 car events throughout the year.
Sunday’s finale brought out 74 cars, setting a new record for shows held at Moose Lodge 1427. As always, proceeds from the event went to support the local chapter of Honor Flight, a cause that means a lot to everyone involved.
It was the perfect way to close out another successful season. Here are some of the standout winners from Sunday’s final show.
Pepsi Pick: 1950 Chevy Peddle Car - Jayleigh Pearce
Best Survivor: 1931 Ford Model A 5 Window - Owner: Robert Brown
Best Bike: 2020 Benilli - Owner: Dale Campbell
Best Rat Rod: 1929 Ford Tudor Sedan - Owner: Gregg Stash
Just Because We Like It: 1955 Chevy 210 - Owner: Wayne Anthony
Best Import: 2024 Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0 - Owner: Kim Hawksworth
Most Unique: 1963 Studebaker Avanti - Owner: Skip Lawell
Jegs Big Pick: 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo - Bryan Mauger
Best Truck: 1950 Chevy 3100 Pickup - Owner: Dale Pearce
Best Street Rod: 1929 Ford Roadster - Owners: Bob & Kathie Roush
Haggerty Pick: 1971 Chevy Chevelle - Owners: The Wahlenmaier's
Auto Smarts Super Pick: 1957 Chevy Bel Air - Owners: Mike Purcell & Debbie Wieduald
Award of Excellence:
- 1953 Chevy 3100 Pick - Owners: Butch & Linda Milliron
- 1969 COPO Camaro - Owner: Dick Kleinhenz
- 1965 Pontiac GTO - Owner: Jess Girard
The final Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride Best of Show for the season went to Scott Mayo and his 1968 Chevy Camaro.
It was a perfect close to the 2025 season—great cars, great people, and plenty of smiles, like the ones in this photo.
Other Area Shows:
- The largest car event in Ohio this week was the 49th Annual Pumpkin Run Nationals at the Clermont County Fairgrounds in Owensville, Ohio. Attendance this year topped 2,544 pre-1974 vehicles. One thing the Pumpkin Run is famous for—besides its size—is the dust, and this year didn’t disappoint. With the dry conditions we’ve had over the past few months, the layer of dust coating the cars throughout the three-day event was especially thick. Here are a few photos Frank Sanborn shared from the show — and let’s just say, my OCD would’ve been in overdrive!
Jeff Shankle was also there and captured the event in full detail — 1,350 photos, to be exact. If you’d like to take a gander at Jeff’s work, check out his Facebook albums using the links below. (As always, you’ll need a Facebook account to view them.)
DAY ONE:
DAY TWO:
DAY THREE:
That’s it for this week’s edition of News and Notes. The Trunk or Treats will be in full swing over the next few weeks, so break out the Halloween decorations, fill up those candy bowls, and get ready for some fun on the show field!
Contributors this week include Dale Pearce, Bubba Hettinger, Bryan Mauger, Dave Bratton, Jeff Shankle, and Frank Sanborn. A big thank you to each of them for their contributions!
Stay safe, stay cool, and keep those wheels rolling!
Just for the record my car and my brides car was up on the blacktop for 3 days at the Pumpkin Run and had very little dust on them we usually park out in front of the bowl with little issues as well so I guess its all on where you park just wanted to give the show a fair shake. GOD BLESS EVERYONE
Long before Frank sent those photos, I’d already heard from quite a few folks who’ve attended the Pumpkin Run that it’s usually on the dusty side. Heck, it’s hard to find a fairgrounds anywhere in the country that isn’t a dust bowl at some point during the year. With the lack of rain these past few months, I’m guessing the Pumpkin Run was a little dustier than usual this time around.
No doubt, where you park makes a big difference in how much dust ends up on your car. I doubt my mentioning the dust on carshowtalk.com will have much impact on attendance, though. The event’s been going strong for almost 50 years and draws thousands of participants every year — clearly, a little dust hasn’t stopped anyone from enjoying it.
Thanks to boots for giving us all a place to share.
I second that. Central Ohio is in a unique position with both Auto Smarts Radio Cruise & Ride and the C-Town Cruisers hosting multiple shows throughout the area every season. I don’t think any other part of the state has anything quite like it.