Central Ohio Car Shows & Motorcycle Events | September 8 – 13, 2026

The second week of September brings another full schedule of Central Ohio car and motorcycle events. There are the usual cruise-ins and bike nights throughout the week, with the schedule really heating up on Friday.

Saturday is packed with events stretching from Bellefontaine to Waverly, with one of the biggest being Lite the Nite in Newark. Sunday features two manufacturer-specific events—the Corvette Gathering XXI in Lancaster and the All Ford Show in Plain City.

Whatever suits your fancy, there are plenty of car and motorcycle events to choose from around Central Ohio this week.

Tuesday (September 8th):

• Der Dutchman Bellville Cruise-In - Bellville
• Euro Bike Night at Grandview Yard - Grandview
• DQ Hot Rod Gathering - South Bloomfield

Wednesday (September 9th):

• DQ Hot Rod Gathering - Baltimore
• Columbus Cafe Racers Car & Bike Lunch Cruise-In - Columbus
• Quaker Steak & Lube Bike Night - Columbus
• Tavern 62 Wednesday Bike Night - Orient
• Lee's Bike Night 2026 - Plain City
• Mundy's Motor Mania - Springfield
• Ruzty Nutz Wed Night Cruise-In - Westerville

Thursday (September 10th):

• Buckeye Lake Wing/Bike Nites - Buckeye Lake
• Qfm96 Bike Night Tour 2026 (Tavern 62) - Orient
• DQ Hot Rod Gathering - Lancaster
• Der Dutchman Weekly Cruise-in - Plain City

Friday (September 11th):

• Music in the Park Cruise-In Car Show - Canal Winchester
• LeaveAMark Car Show - Columbus
• Throttle Company Bike Night - Columbus
• Sonic Friday Cruise-In - Heath
• Uptown Classic Auto Show - Marysville
• Columbus Cars & Coffee (CC&C) at Colin's Coffee - Upper Arlington

Saturday (September 12th):

• First Church of God Car Show - Bellefontaine
• Festival of Hope Car Show - Chillicothe
• Blackwings and Batteries - Columbus
• Columbus Cars & Coffee (CC&C) at 3650 Olentangy - Columbus
• Empty Pockets Show at VFW Post 4931 - Columbus
• Kickstands & Coffee - Columbus
• Route Stars Car Meet - Columbus
• Hater Hot Rods Cars & Coffee - Commercial Point
• Southeast Conservation Car & Bike Show - Grove City [CANCELED]
• Motts Military Driving for Daisy - Groveport
• Destination Auto Series - Jeffersonville
• Red Brick Tavern Cars & Coffee - LaFayette
• Son Shine Car Show - Marengo
• Columbus Cars and Copters - Marysville [CANCELED]
• Springdale Baptist Church Car Show - Marysville
• Retro Car Show - Mt Sterling
• Lite the Nite Car Show - Newark
• Newlex Classic Riders Car & Bike Show - New Lexington [Postponed to October 25th]
• Der Dutchman Coffee & Donut Cruise-in - Plain City
• Vineyard Community Festival Car Show - Reynoldsburg
• South Bloomfield Elementary Car Show - South Bloomfield [POSTPONED]
• Gourmet Food Truck Cruise-In - Springfield
• Springfield Cars & Coffee - Springfield
• Bristol Village Car Show - Waverly

Sunday (September 13th):

• Kermit Vickers Memorial Car Show - Chillicothe [Rain Date]
• Delaware Area Vintage Motorcycle & Coffee - Delaware
• Kickstands & Octane (Main Ground) - Groveport
• Apple Valley Cruise-In - Howard
• Corvette Gathering XXI - Lancaster
• Columbus Euro Trash Cars & Coffee - Mt Sterling
• All Ohio Ford Show - Plain City
• Mill St Grains & Gathering Car Show - Utica
• Columbus Cars & Coffee (CC&C) at Starbucks - Westerville

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

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

It was a HOT 🔥 one Thursday evening. “How hot was it, you ask?” Well, according to the WeatherBug app on my phone, it was 95 degrees at 5 PM and still 93 degrees at 7 PM.

The heat kept a lot of the regulars home. Still, despite the unusually warm—or should I say HOT—temperatures, 193 vehicles attended the weekly cruise-in. No question, the shade trees along Jefferson Ave. (Rt. 42) provided the premium parking spots for the evening. And thanks to a nice breeze, if you could find some shade and just sit there, it was actually tolerable.

Here are some of the vehicles whose owners decided sauna-like temperatures weren’t going to keep them from cruising Thursday evening.

Zucchinifest Car & Motorcycle Show:

The City of Obetz hosts its annual Zucchinifest Festival Friday through Monday of Labor Day weekend at Fortress Obetz. The festival features amusement rides, multiple concerts, plenty of food, and a car show on Friday evening.

The Friday car show dodged some area showers and still had 133 vehicles turn out for the event. All proceeds from the show benefit Honor Flight.

Dan “Boots” Longenette from Auto Smarts Radio presented the awards. Steve Elam’s Simplex Military Motorcycle received the Best Bike award, while Dale Pearce’s 1950 Chevy 3100 took home Best Truck.

Best of Show honors went to Troy Lee and his 1960 Chevy Biscayne.

Conkey Classic Car Show:

After a one-year absence, the Conkey Classic Car Show returned for its fifth edition at a new venue, Hilliard United Methodist Church. The first four shows were held at the Hilliard Historical Society at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, but concerns over the condition of the grass parking area prompted organizers to look for a new location after a participant was seriously injured in a fall during the 2024 show.

The show is put on by the Conkey family to honor the memory of Lou, Judy, and Dave Conkey, who passed away in 2020 from COVID. Proceeds from the show benefit the Conkey Memorial Foundation, which assists people facing medical conditions and challenges.

Registration was only $10 and included a chance to win one of the many door prizes. In addition, there were raffle prizes and a 50/50 drawing. Multiple vendors were also on hand, selling everything from jewelry to clothing.

CJ’s Bitchin Kitchen and Graze & Go Mobile Charcuterie were there for anyone who worked up a thirst or an appetite.

Fast Eddie attended the show with his pet iguana, Ralph, who took advantage of a puddle left behind by the early morning showers to cool off with a quick dip.

Wet roads from early morning rain kept this year’s show to just 39 registered vehicles. There were 18 awards presented, with 17 of those being either a “Best of” or someone’s “Choice” award. The 18th was Best of Show.

Here are the Best of and Choice winners:

The Best of Show honors this year went to Dave Bratton's 1937 Wild Rod Ford convertible.

The Mustang Club of Ohio received the Club Participation Award. David Elliott not only received the People’s Choice Award for his ’57 Chevy Bel Air, but was also recognized for attending all five Conkey Classic shows.

To close out the show, the Conkey family recognized those who had participated in two or more Conkey Classics with a commemorative medal in appreciation of their continued support of the show and the Conkey Memorial Foundation. A nice touch.

2026 Brent Davis Kingston Classic:

Six Hi-Way Starz members made the 50+ mile drive from Newark to Kingston to participate in the 2026 Brent Davis Kingston Classic Car Show and Fish Fry. The show is named in honor of Brent Davis, a lifelong Kingston resident who passed away in 2019.

This year’s show had 50 registered participants. Congratulations to Jeff Tolley, who received a Top 15 Award with his 1965 Chevy C10 pickup.

Bubba Hettinger was one of the Hi-Way Starz members who made the trip, and here are some of the photos he took at the show.

Hometown Heroes Car Show:

The Mechanicsburg Police & Fire Associations hosted their annual Hometown Heroes Car Show on Saturday in downtown Mechanicsburg. This year’s show had 78 registered vehicles.

Gary Hamilton took home a Top 40 award with his 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo SS.

Bobby Wong picked up another Best of Show with his 1967 Chevy Camaro RS.

Jeff Shankle and Tom Lawrence were there, and here are a few of the cars they photographed from the show.

Daryl Ingram Memorial Car Show:

The Daryl Ingram Memorial Car Show took place on Sunday as part of the Milford Center Labor Day Darby Dash Festival. The show registered 64 cars.

Best in Class awards were presented in four categories: Pre-War (1945 and older), 1946–1970, 1971–2000, and 2001–Present. In addition to the class awards, there were the Daryl “Digger” Ingram Award, Mayor’s Choice, People’s Choice, 3rd Place Best of Show, 2nd Place Best of Show, and Best of Show.

Here are the Class winners:

The People's Choice Award went Howard Bostick's 1966 Chevy Corvette.

Ned Baily took home the Mayor's Choice with his 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

The Daryl "Digger" Ingram Award went to the Volkswagen Camper Bus of Joy and Larry Ballard.

3rd Place Best of Show went to Johnny Ferguson and his 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda.

Gregg Mambourg's 1955 Ford Fairlane was selected 2nd Place Best of Show.

1st Place Best of Show went to Rick Smith and his 1955 Chevy 210. Rick’s Chevy also received Runner-Up Best of Show on Saturday at the Hometown Heroes Car Show in Mechanicsburg, making for a pretty successful Labor Day weekend.

Best in Class winner Gary Hamilton all smiles for the camera.

Dublin AM Rotary Classic Car Show:

The Dublin AM Rotary Club set a new attendance record at this year’s car show with 141 vehicles.

According to Dave Bratton, the show was well organized, ran right on schedule, and featured the usual assortment of fine and unusual vehicles. Schmidt’s Sausage Truck was also on hand serving up food throughout the event.

Awards were presented to the Top 30 along with several specialty awards. Best of Show honors went to Bruce Shear and his 1964 Ford Thunderbird.

Unfortunately, Dave wasn’t able to get a photo of the Best of Show winner because the car had already left before the awards were presented. In fact, several award winners had departed before the conclusion of the show.

Dave shared these photos from the event.

Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival Car/Truck/Bike Show:

Shaun “Big Dawg” Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers were back in action on Sunday, helping to host the annual Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival Car, Truck, and Bike Show. They had more than 190 entries, with awards presented to the Top 50 along with several specialty awards, including Best Truck, Best Bike, MoPo/Rat Rod, Mayor’s Choice, Queen’s Choice, and Best of Show.

Dave and Jackie Hiles, Doug Mullen, and Wayne Scott attended the event. Jackie shared these photos from the show.

Rich Street Roar4:

This was the fourth year for the Columbus Police Department’s annual Rich Street Roar cruise-in along Rich Street, Washington Boulevard, and Civic Center Drive in downtown Columbus. I attended last year as a Diamond Member, which included some nice perks. In essence, the event is one big cruise-in that helps raise money for the Columbus Police Foundation.

Little did I know—and apparently much to the surprise of Mike Mathews—the Police Department also presents an award for its “Favorite” Car.

Congratulations to Mike for receiving the Columbus Division of Police 614 Show Stopper Award for his 1947 Ford Special Deluxe.

Angel's and Halo's (Anything on Wheels) Car Show:

The Angels and Halos annual fall Car Show took place on Saturday at Sabina Village Park. Unfortunately, this year’s event also marked the end of the road for the annual show.

Kevin Foust attended and reported that right around 50 vehicles were registered. Awards included the Top 21 along with several specialty awards.

Steve Shorten received the DJ’s Pick with his Coyote.

Shirley and Eugene Thomason received Best Original with their 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28, Steve Elam picked up Best Bike with his Simplex Military Motorcycle, and Kevin Foust took home Best of Show honors with his 1941 Dodge WC 40.

And if there was any question about this being the final Angel's and Halo's car show, the cake pretty much said it all: “Final Car Show — Thank You To All.”

StockHouse Labor Day Car Show:

The StockHouse Bar & Grill in Woodstock hosted its second annual car show on Labor Day.

The Bar & Grill was open for breakfast in the morning and lunch in the afternoon. Dan Herriott Music provided the live entertainment with a mix of country, blues, and acoustic rock.

A raffle drawing split the pot between two winners, with each receiving $150.

This year’s show registered 37 vehicles and presented 10 awards. The awards included Best “Lifted” Truck, People’s Choice, Best Rust Bucket, Best Chevy 210, Best Vintage Truck, Best Old School, Best Motorcycle, Best New School, Best Motor, and Best in Show.

Here are the 10 award winning vehicles:

The Best in Show award went Bryan Mauger and his outstanding 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo.

And sometimes the best part of a car show isn’t the cars or the awards—it’s finding a shady spot, pulling up a chair, and spending the afternoon shooting the breeze with friends.

Pap's Labor Day Bash and Charity Auction:

This year saw a change of venue for Pap’s Annual Labor Day Bash and Charity Auction. For the past several years, the event was held at the Evans Family Ranch in New Carlisle. This year, the Bash moved to the Champaign County Fairgrounds in Urbana. Both Jeff Shankle and Dave Bratton attended and had high praise for the new venue. With 402 registered vehicles filling the fairgrounds, the move certainly appears to have been a success.

Dave described the fairgrounds as a very nice setting with cars everywhere. In addition to the more than 400 vehicles, there was a nice selection of food vendors along with around 10 merchandise vendors. A live auction was held later in the afternoon featuring a number of custom pinstriped pieces.

More importantly, the Bash was once again about raising money for charitable causes. Through the drivers’ pot, raffles, door prizes, a 50/50 drawing, and the auction, the event raised $5,150 for Latish and Todd Fay, who are battling cancer, and another $1,550 for the Champaign County Cancer Society.

The car show portion of the Bash presented 75 awards along with several specialty awards. Best of Show went to Keith Young with his 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe.

With Jeff attending and more than 400 vehicles on hand, you can imagine he took lots of photos. Here’s a small subset of them.

It takes a dedicated team to put on an event with more than 400 vehicles and raise money for charitable causes. Here’s the crew behind Pap’s 6th Annual Labor Day Bash and Charity Auction.

Other Area Shows:

• Jeff Ward’s 2002 Lowrider Chevy S10 took Best Truck at All Out War on Sunday. Jeff’s truck also received the Most Radical Truck award at Friday’s Zucchinifest Car Show. Bling Amobi Breezy's Corvette received the Best Chevy Award.

• The C-Town Cruisers traveled from Canal Winchester to American Legion Post 144 on South High Street in Columbus on Monday to help host the annual Labor Day Car Show. The show had 105 registered entries, with Rick Newsom, Doug Mullen, Dave Hiles, and Wayne Scott all taking home one of the Top 30 awards.

That’s it for the final holiday weekend of the season. Saturday started out wet, but by noon the roads were dry, and the weather for the rest of the weekend couldn’t have been much better. A lot of events were covered this week, and I probably could have covered many more, but I simply ran out of time and, most importantly, energy.

This week’s list of remote reporters includes Jeff Shankle, Doug Glassburn, Dave and Jackie Hiles, Bubba Hettinger, Dave Bratton, Dale Pearce, Kevin Foust, Jeff Ward, Rick Newsome, Mike Matthews, Tom Lawrence, Gary Hamilton, Bobby Wong, and Bling Amobi Breezy. A big thank you to all of you for contributing photos, videos, and information from the events you attended.

Next week I'll return to the normal Monday postings through the end of the season.

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