Skip to content

Central Ohio Car Shows & Motorcycle Events | August 17 – 23, 2026

Published on Leave a comment on Central Ohio Car Shows & Motorcycle Events | August 17 – 23, 2026
Featured car for August 17 - 23, 2026: 1969 Chevy Nova - Owner: Ed Wilson
1969 Chevy Nova - Owner: Ed Wilson

We enter the third week of August once again with a full schedule of events every day of the week. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t been very cooperative for car shows the past two weeks. Let’s hope the pattern shifts to something a little drier and less humid.

Things start off relatively quietly on Monday and Tuesday before the schedule kicks into high gear on Wednesday and Thursday. Motorcycle enthusiasts have plenty to choose from midweek, with bike nights scattered throughout Central Ohio, while the weekly cruise-in schedule remains just as busy.

Saturday is once again the big day with more than 21 events on the schedule. Chillicothe alone has three shows scheduled, while Delaware and Grove City each have multiple events. Sunday closes out the week with another full slate of car shows, cruise-ins, and motorcycle events spread across Central Ohio.

As always, check the individual event listings before heading out, especially if Mother Nature decides she isn’t finished messing with us yet.

Monday (August 17th):

Tuesday (August 18th):

Wednesday (August 19th):

Thursday (August 20th):

Friday (August 21st):

Saturday (August 22nd):

Sunday (August 23rd):

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.

If you'd like to be notified by email when a new posting appears, click the Subscribe link at the top. This is a non-profit website. Rest assured your email address will NEVER be sold to marketers. There's no risk of more spam mail in your inbox if you subscribe.

NEWS AND NOTES

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

No Der Dutchman Cruise-In to report on this week. Heavy rains earlier in the week saturated the fields, leaving them far too wet to host Thursday’s cruise-in.

Pharisburg UMC Car Show and Cuisine:

Shaun “Big Dawg” Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers started the weekend off on Friday by helping to host the Pharisburg United Methodist Church Car Show and Cuisine north of Marysville.

Along with the car show, attendees enjoyed a meal from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and vintage songs performed by Chuck Magill. The show drew 34 cars, with the Best of Cruise award going to Yancy Smith and his 1972 Chevy Nova.

Here are a few photos from the show taken by Jeff Shankle. Jeff also debuted his new-to-him El Camino at the show.

Vance Outdoors Classic Cruise-In:

This year’s Vance Outdoors Classic Cruise-In to raise money for Honor Flight Columbus and Honor Flight Tri-State turned out to be a soggy affair. Heavy rains earlier in the week left the grass field rather mushy for parking, and off-and-on rain showers Saturday morning certainly didn’t help. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, hosts Dan “Boots” Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride team still managed to register 71 vehicles.

The drawing for the golf cart, which people purchased raffle tickets for throughout the season at Auto Smarts Radio car shows, took place at noon. This year’s lucky winners were David Bratton and Lou.

All told, an impressive $79,000 has been raised for Honor Flight this season.

Everyone who registered a vehicle received a trophy sponsored by Vance Outdoors as a way of thanking them for their support of Honor Flight.

There were also several “Special” Awards presented at the end of the show, along with large trophies for the Vance Outdoors Pick, Honor Flight Pick, and Best of Show.

Here are the "Special" Award winners:

  • BECAUSE WE LIKE IT: 1985 Chevy C-10 - Bill Wharton
  • AUTO SMARTS PICK: 1956 Mercury - Jan Hauger
  • MODERN MUSCLE PICK #1: 2005 Corvette - Mark Enyart
  • MODERN MUSCLE PICK #2: 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing - Kim Hawksworth
  • MODERN MUSCLE PICK #3: 2021 Chevy Camaro - Dennis Call
  • BOOTS' PICK #1: 1973 Chevy Chevelle - Rick Newsome
  • BOOTS' PICK #2: 1979 Pontiac Trans Am - Jay McCallister
  • BOOTS' PICK #3: 1957 Chevy Bel Air - David Elliott
  • BEST IMPORT: 2010 Honda Accord - Anibal Arroyo
  • BEST MOPAR: 2020 Dodge Challenger - Josh Drake
  • BEST TRUCK: 1972 Chevy C-10 Stepside - Doug Glassburn
  • RADICAL TRUCK: 1959 Chevy El Camino - Ralph Carle
  • BEST FORD: 1947 Ford Special Deluxe - Mike Mathews
  • BEST RAT ROD: 1969 Dodge Dart - Rebecca Morrison
  • BEST CHEVY: 1969 Chevy Camaro SS - Mark Evans
  • BEST GM: 1967 Chevy Camaro RS - Bobby Wong
  • LADIES PICK: 1978 Chevy Corvette Pace Car - Frank Deering
  • RADICAL IMPORT: 1993 Mazda RX7 - Joel Charrez
  • VANCE'S PICK: 1970 Ford Torino GT - Chris Kraner
  • HONOR FLIGHT PICK: 1937 Wild Rod Ford - Dave Bratton
  • BEST OF SHOW: 1967 Chevy Corvette - Dale Pearce

Boots presented the awards more than an hour early so everyone could make it home before any more rain moved in. Ironically, by the time it was all said and done, the roads had dried, which was a good thing in addition to all the money raised for Honor Flight.

Tomato Festival Car, Truck, & Bike Show:

The C-Town Cruisers traveled from Marysville on Friday to Reynoldsburg on Saturday to host the annual Tomato Festival Car, Truck, & Bike Show at Huber Park. Just like Vance Outdoors, the park was a little waterlogged from all the rain earlier in the week.

Hi-Way Starz members Dave O’Brien, Roy Fraizer, and Jeff Tolley each received Top 40 Awards, while Keith Lamb took home the award for Best Truck.

Here are Jeff Tolley’s photos from the show.

Blendon Senior Center Car Show:

The Blendon Senior Center in Westerville held its annual car show on Saturday. This year the show had 33 vehicles in attendance. Vehicles were grouped into categories based on model year:

  • 1940s & Older
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
  • 1970s
  • 1980s & Newer

First, second, and third-place trophies were awarded in each category, along with an overall Best of Show award.

Dan Varner took first place in the 1970s category with his 1976 Malibu Classic station wagon.

Best of Show honors went to Rod Scott and his 1958 DeSoto Firedome Sportsman.

Here are the rest of the cars Rod Scott captured at the show.

Carroll Festival Car Show:

One advantage to having your event on Saturday afternoon is the chance to escape the rain, and that’s exactly what the Carroll Festival Car Show, held in conjunction with the Carroll Community Festival, managed to do. The show lucked into a four-hour window with no rain.

Hosted by Trident Customs, the show registered 52 cars and presented 36 awards.

The awards included Top 30, Best Bike, Best Truck, Best Jeep, Best Muscle Car, Best Import, and Best of Show.

Dave and Jackie Hiles, Doug Mullen, Lorrie and Dallas Behrens, and Steve and Nancy Kidwell all went home with Top 30 awards.

Darren Amspaugh received the Best Bike Award.

Best of Show honors went to John Pickens and his 1931 Ford Roadster.

Rod Scott made the trip from the Blendon Senior Center show in Westerville down to Carroll and captured these photos from the show. A big thanks also goes to Jackie Hiles for sharing some of her photos.

Cruisin' With The King:

The Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club hosted its August show at Burger King in Marysville on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, the club wasn’t quite as lucky with the weather as the Carroll show was earlier in the afternoon. The threat of rain kept attendance down to 27 vehicles.

The club presented award plaques to its 15 favorite registered vehicles. Our good friends Russ Annis and Jeff Shankle both went home with Favorite 15 plaques. It might have been more appropriate if the plaques this month said “Bringin’ The Rain”instead of “Bringin’ The Heat.” 😎

Here are the combined photos from Scott Ferguson and Jeff Shankle from the evening.

Igniters Rod Run & Car Show:

The Igniters Car Club out of Chillicothe hosted its 46th Annual Rod Run & Car Show at Yoctangee Park on Sunday.

Luckily, the rain stayed north of Chillicothe for most of the afternoon, allowing the show to stay somewhat dry from start to finish. Still, the weather had an impact on attendance, with 198 entries this year compared to 309 last year.

Doug Glassburn made the drive down to Chillicothe and had a pretty good day. He won a door prize and came home with one of the Top 50 Awards.

Doug noted a couple of things about the show that impressed him. Door prizes are handed out throughout the day, and winners must show the registration card displayed on their windshield to claim their prize. The club does the same thing during the awards ceremony, announcing each winner’s first and last name along with the year, make, and model of their vehicle. Doug said he wishes more shows would give entrants that same level of recognition and respect.

He also mentioned he likes the games the Igniters have for participants, something he hasn’t seen at other shows.

Here’s a short video slideshow highlighting some of what Doug saw at the show.

Larry Coolidge Memorial Cruise-In:

Formerly known as the Powell Cruiz-in & Pig Out, the annual downtown Powell car show was renamed this year the Larry Coolidge Memorial Cruise-In in memory of Larry Coolidge, who passed away last November. Larry played a key role in the creation of the Powell, Ohio SERTOMA Club and was instrumental in bringing the annual downtown car show to life.

Money raised from the show goes to support the Powell-Liberty Historical Society, Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, and Powell SERTOMA Club.

Once again, the weather played a factor in attendance. About 80 vehicles participated this year, roughly half of what the show normally draws. It rained pretty hard around 12:30 p.m. for about 20 minutes, prompting organizers to hold the awards ceremony at 2 p.m., one hour earlier than planned. Best in Show went to Scott Mayo’s 1968 Camaro.

The other big winners of the day were the organizations supported by the Powell show. Our good friend Bryan Mauger participated in the show and had always said that if he ever won a 50/50 raffle, he would donate his half back. Well, guess what? Bryan won the 50/50 on Sunday—and he kept his word. His half was no small chunk of change at $468, but Bryan donated every penny of it back. Way to go, Bryan!

And, of course, Bryan took some photos while he was there. Here’s a look at what he captured at the show.

Aladdin Shrine's Car, Truck, Bike, & Jeep Show:

On Sunday, the Aladdin Shrine in Grove City hosted its annual Car, Truck, Bike, & Jeep Show, which includes the ever-popular chicken and corn roast.

The show had 58 vehicles in attendance, but unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn’t very kind. Organizers tried to get the awards ceremony in early, but a storm hit right in the middle of it. After about 15 minutes, they moved everything inside and finished handing out the awards. Meanwhile, it was coming down in sheets, and the show staff got drenched trying to tear everything down. They definitely deserve some credit for sticking it out!

Tom Lawrence and Tim Hooten participated in the show and sent in this report. Tom and Betty’s Volkswagen Beetle received a Top 30 award, while Tim’s 1964 MG B was selected as the Potentate’s Choice. Tom also shared the photos he took at the show.

Despite the rain, Tim said the chicken and corn were still tasty. Apparently, Mother Nature couldn’t ruin everything. 😁

Battle of the Bands Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Show:

The Franklin Heights High School Band Boosters hosted their second annual Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Show at the high school on Sunday. Jim McGruder switched hats from his usual roles as cruiser and DJ to car show organizer, so you know it was going to be a good show.

This year’s show had 33 registered vehicles. Unfortunately, being the second car show in Grove City on Sunday afternoon came with some risk. The same storm that hit the Aladdin Shrine show roared through the Battle of the Bands with heavy rain and wind. Dave O’Brien posted a couple of photos showing some of the carnage left behind.

Once the storm passed, the skies cleared and the show went on. Dale Pearce’s 1967 Chevy Corvette received the Band Director’s Pick, while his daughter Jayliegh went home with an Honorable Mention of her own.

Dave O’Brien took home Best Truck with his 1982 Chevy C-10 pickup.

Marc Cropper's 1991 Chevrolet Corvette was selected Best of Show.

Jim McGruder said several people donated additional money both before and after the show, so despite the nasty storm, the day still turned out to be a good one for the Franklin Heights Band Boosters.

It was another weekend of the Central Ohio car community versus Mother Nature, and Mother Nature always seems to have the upper hand. Everyone’s lawn usually starts turning brown and dry this time of year, but the current rain pattern has them looking as green as they do in May. What’s great for lawns isn’t necessarily great for car shows. That’s for sure. Let’s hope this weather pattern takes a hike here soon.

Our great group of remote reporters this week includes Jeff Shankle, Tom Lawrence, Jeff Tolley, Tim Hooten, Doug Glassburn, Rod Scott, Dave & Jackie Hiles, Mother Nature, Bryan Mauger, Dale Pearce, Jim McGruder, Dave O’Brien, and Scott Ferguson. Thank you all for your time, dedication, and willingness to share your weekends with our readers.

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

Home » Central Ohio Car Shows & Motorcycle Events | August 17 – 23, 2026

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *