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1976 Plymouth Duster - Owner: Matt Strauss

This is the busiest week of Central Ohio car events so far in 2023. There is something to do every day.

If you waited to Register for the All Ford Show at Krieger Ford on May 21, you're out of luck. The show has been sold out for over a week.

Enjoy the week and happy cruising.

Monday (May 15):

Tuesday (May 16):

Wednesday (May 17):

Thursday (May 18):

Friday (May 19):

Saturday (May 20):

Sunday (May 21):


For the most comprehensive list of future events in Central Ohio, check out the "Save the Dates for 2023" page. There's also a quick link in the menu at the top of the page.


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:

Perfect weather this past Thursday resulted in 322 cars turning out for the Der Dutchman weekly cruise-in in Plain City, Ohio.

Per usual, there was a great variety of fantastic rides. Here is a small sampling.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Monthly Car Show:

The Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts monthly car show was a little shorter this month thanks to rain that started about an hour into the show. The event still managed to raise $70 for the local food pantries.

This month's Manager's Picks were:

Spring Fling All Corvette Show:

Despite morning drizzle, the Chosen Few Corvette Club still managed to have over 200 cars attend its Spring Fling All Corvette Show at Quaker Steak and Lube in Columbus, Ohio.

Bling Amobi Breezy's Corvette received the Manager's Choice Award. The Longest Distance Traveled award went to a Corvette owner from Austin Texas.

Carroll Lions Car Show:

With the help of the C-Town Cruisers, the Carroll Lions Club held its car show in downtown Carroll, Ohio on Saturday. The show had over 40 cars in attendance.

The Best of Show honors went to Brianna and Dylan Elsmore and their 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger.

Conkey Classic Car Show:

The third annual Conkey Classic Car Show took place on Saturday at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. The event registered 37 cars. The Best of Show award went to Mike Mathews and his 1947 Ford Special Deluxe.

Yabo's Tacos Weekly Car Meet:

Yabo's Tacos in Powell, Ohio had about 25 cars show up Saturday evening for its weekly car meet. The mix of cars included classics, muscle, and imports.

One car owner having an issue with his car's AC unit created the most excitement during the evening when he ran up and over a set of ramps he just happen to have in his car. Another car owner came to the rescue with a car jack. I can't say I've ever seen that happen before at a car event.

Lewis Center Wings and Rings Car, Truck, & Bike Show:

Frank Russell and the Crossroads Event team hosted the only judged show on Sunday at the Wings and Rings Restaurant in Lewis Center, Ohio.

The show registered 35 cars. Mark Lester's 1967 Camaro took the Best Car Award. The Best of Show honors went to Dave Bratton with a 1937 Ford convertible.

Here are a few more cars from the show you might recognize:

Due to the rain Saturday morning, the Columbus Cars & Coffee Meet at Esoteric Fine Auto Detailing in New Albany, Ohio has been rescheduled for this coming Saturday (May 20).


A big thanks to Dale Pearce, Bling Amobi Breezy, Dave Bratton, Anthony Musick, Jeff Shankle, and Katie Marie for their contributions to this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast
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6:06 am8:52 pm EDT
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88/59°F
90/63°F
91/64°F
91/66°F
88/63°F

1987 GMC Pickup Truck - Owner: Cal Rowland

This week has a car or bike event every day except Tuesday. The week finishes off with a good selection of events on Saturday.

A change for this week is Yabo's Tacos in Powell, Ohio has moved its weekly car meet from Friday to Saturday. Here's the updated flyer.

Monday (April 10):

Tuesday (April 11):

  • No Events Found

Wednesday (April 12):

Thursday (April 13):

Friday (April 14):

Saturday (April 15):

Sunday - (April 16):


For the most comprehensive list of future events in Central Ohio, check out the "Save the Dates for 2023" page. There's also a quick link in the menu at the top of the page.


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

The cruise-ins and meet-ups this past weekend got a significant bump in attendance from the improved weather.

About 50 cars turned out for the River Pop-Up Meet in Upper Arlington on Friday evening.

The Marysville Mustang Club had a very successful season opener on Saturday. At one point during the afternoon, there was a line of cars 30-40 deep entering the parking lot at C&N Motor Cars.

When there's decent weather on a Saturday morning, you can count on a packed parking lot at Columbus Cars & Coffee at the City Apartments in Columbus. This past Saturday was no exception.


That's it for this week. A big thanks to Jeff Shankle for sharing his photos from this past weekend. And to Marco Gallardo for sharing the aerial photo of the Marysville Mustang Club's season opener.

Central Ohio Forecast
72°
Sunny
6:06 am8:52 pm EDT
WedThuFriSatSun
88/59°F
90/63°F
91/64°F
91/66°F
88/63°F

28

It's that time of the year when the weather turns cold, the cars are put away for the winter, and we impatiently sit and wait for the next car show season to start. Reminiscing about the season that just finished is a great way to pass some of the time.

Before we begin our journey back through 2022, I must state the usual disclaimer that the opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They reflect the events I attended and the cars I saw in 2022. If you disagree with anything I post, please feel to express them in the comments section. If you encountered something particularly good or bad during the past season, please post that in the comment section as well.

With that out of the way, let's begin the journey back through 2022.

Some Statistics:

  • More than 6000 photos of your cars, trucks, and motorcycles were posted to carshowtalk.com in 2022.
  • From March through November, carshowtalk.com listed 995 events in the Central Ohio area which includes Marion on the north, Springfield on the west, Chillicothe on the south, and Newark on the east as boundaries.
  • August had the most events with 232. November had the least with 18.
  • I personally traveled to 21 different locations to participate in a car event. Der Dutchman in Bellville and the Historic Clifton Mill were the two farthest. Both exceeded 50 miles.
  • There were 116,175 visits to carshowtalk.com from March through October. The week of August 22-28 had the most visits with 4845. It kind of goes along with August having the most events.

I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting carshowtalk.com in 2022. It was the best year yet for the website.

Favorite Cruise-Ins/Meet-ups:

  • Der Dutchman Cruise-In - I doubt anyone will argue that the weekly cruise-in at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City, Ohio isn't the best cruise-in in all of Central Ohio. This year 5449 cars attended the cruise-in from May through September. The weekly average of 259 vehicles was an all-time record. Wayne and Luella Nisly along with the restaurant staff do a great job of making the cruise-in a fun and relaxing way to spend a Thursday evening during the summer.
  • Columbus Cars and Coffee Arena District Meet - There's something about seeing hundreds of classic, exotic, and muscle cars lined up in front of Nationwide Arena. This turns out to be my favorite Columbus Cars and Coffee meet each season. I got so carried away this year that I took close to 300 photos - most of any event.
  • Jax Wax Street Madness - I didn't go to the two meet-ups this year, however, those that did go reported that the "Street Madness" name is by far the best description for the event. It's crazy and loud! The event has gotten so big the fall/Halloween meet moved from the airport to National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. How you feel about the event will likely depend on your age. If you're under 40, you'll love it. Over 40 and you'll probably never go to another one again.
  • Goodguys After Hours at the Crown Plaza, Hilton, and Quaker Steak and Lube - No discussion of cruise-ins/meet-ups would be complete without mentioning the after-hours gathering at these three locations during Goodguys weekend. There's definitely a party atmosphere at the Crown Plaza. The Hilton is a little more subdued and Quaker Steak and lube is just plain madness.

Favorite NO Registration Fee Judged Shows:

  • Rod Knockers Car Club - The club's monthly show at the Rural King in Marion, Ohio continues to be the king of this category. If there's decent weather on the first Saturday of the month from April through October, you can expect well over 100 cars in attendance The club presents around 30 awards each month that always represent a different theme. There are door prizes and 50/50 raffles and music from the 50s/60s along with classic rock. You owe yourself to attend at least one Rod Knockers show during the season. It will only cost you the gas to get to Marion and back.
  • Cruisin' with the King in 2022 - Runner-up in this category is the monthly show hosted by the Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club at the Burger King on Rt 31 in Marysville, Ohio. On a good Saturday, attendance will push the 100 mark. At the end of the show, awards are presented to the club's "Favorite" 15 cars, trucks, and motorcycles. There are door prizes and 50/50 raffles and music from the 50s and 60s. And if you're hungry, there's Burger King right there.
  • Summer Jubilee Car Show - Kuhlwein's Farm Market & Deli and the Vienna Door Company sponsored a registration-free judged show this summer at Kuhlwein's Farm Market in Hilliard, Ohio. With assistance from the Empty Pockets Cruisers Car Club, the event attracted 117 cars. Twenty-four awards were presented at the end of the show. Live entertainment was provided by Madeline Rose and the Thorns. There were several food trucks on site. However, the big hit was the free bratwurst sandwiches given out by Lehnerts Meats. I'm told by reliable sources Kulwein's and the Vienna Door Company plan to sponsor more shows like this in 2023.

Favorite Registration Fee Judged Shows:

This was a tough category for me to pick this year. As I looked back over the year, there were a lot of good shows in this category.

  • Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals - Obviously Goodguys has to be included at the top of this list. It is the largest and most prestigious show in the area. We are blessed to have an event like this to look forward to every year. Receiving an All-American Sunday Award with my Camaro made this year's event even more special.
  • Empty Pockets Cruisers Trunk or Treat - This show makes my Favorite list year after year. It seems to bring out the Halloween spirit in everyone that attends. More folks dress up in costumes and decorate cars than any other Trunk or Treat show in the area. The volume of children trick or treating is also impressive. This year my 350-piece bag of candy was emptied in record-setting time.
  • Vettes, Rods, and Classics - This is another show that ranks at the top of my list every year. The Capital City Corvette Club does a great job as a host. Creekside in Gahanna, Ohio is a cool venue for a car show. There are a lot of places to sit and eat. The club presents 80 plus awards. I like that the Corvettes and rods and classics are judged independently of each other and that each category has its own Best of Show winner. This year saw the return of the band Reelin' In The Years for live entertainment. The Capital City Corvette Club can chalk up another successful show with lots of great cars.
  • Spring Fling All Corvette Show - After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, the Spring Fling All Corvette show returned to Quaker Steak and Lube in Columbus, Ohio this past May. Hosted by the Chosen Few Corvette Club, the show attracts Corvette owners and clubs from all over the country. This year the show registered more than 300 Corvettes and presented 130 awards. If you own a Corvette, this is a show you'll want to attend.
  • Auto Smarts Radio/C-Town Cruisers - I would be remiss if I didn't mention Boots and Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride and Big Dawg and the C-Town Cruisers. Those two groups were involved in 50 Central Ohio car events in 2022. Add in the new kid on the block, Frank Russell, and Crossroad Events, and you have over 60 shows hosted by those three groups. Having 60 additional shows to choose from each season is a massive bonus for our area. I'm told it's unique to Central Ohio.

Favorite Ten:

Each year I pick my 10 favorite cars, trucks, and motorcycles I saw during the season. I try to limit the picks from Goodguys since one could easily select all ten from there. This year my favorite 10 only includes one car from Goodguys. The rest were all from local shows and cruise-ins.

Without further ado, here are my ten favorites in no particular order.

1970 Oldsmobile 442 - Owner: Aaron Denny (Summer Jubilee)
1966 Corvette Stingray Restomod with GM LT5 engine - Owner: Michels Auto Design (Goodguys)
1968 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Scott Mayo (Arthritis Show)
1957 Porsche Speedster - Owner: Laurie Hartley (Battle of the Brands)
1959 Ford F-100 - Owner: Kristin Finnerty (Battle of the Brands)
1966 Internation Scout - Owner: Unknown (Powell Cruize-in and Pig out)
2011 Harley Davidson Street Glide - Owner: Coryell Stephenson (Performance Charity Car Show)
2022 Yenko/SC Chevy Camaro - Owner: Bill Reno (Der Dutchman)
1934 Packard - Owner: Ray Gosnell (Vettes, Rods, and Classics)
1991 Chevy Camaro Z/28-1LE - Owner: Dan Varner (Chesrown Classic Cruise-In)

The Unusual, Unique, and Odd:

Each year vehicles show up at shows and cruise-ins that some might describe as unusual or unique while others call them odd. Here are some of the vehicles in 2022 that fit those descriptions.

R.I.P.

This year we lost a number of fellow Central Ohio cruisers. They will all be missed.

Cruisers of the Year:

  • This year's Cruiser of the Year Award goes to Jeff Tolley. Jeff participated in more than 170 events this season. And I thought my 80 was pretty good.
  • Runner-up Cruisers of the Year goes to Jeff Shankle and Dave O'Brien. Both attended just under 160 events. Jeff also receives Photographer of the Year. It wasn't even a contest.

Other Notables:

  • Best Restrooms - Delaware Christian Church
  • Best Hamburger - Tolles Car and Craft Show
  • Best "Live" Entertainment - Vettes, Rods, & Classics
  • Worst Weather - The thunderstorms that roared through Central Ohio on July 23rd
  • Best Door Prize - The bottle of booze that was part of the grand prize basket at Richwood Bank's Coffee and Cars.
  • Tallest Best of Show trophy - Still Electric Mods, Rods, & Classic Car Show and Auto Smarts Radio Westerville Moose Lodge Car Show
  • Most expensive collection of cars at an event not counting Goodguys - $20 million plus at the Unveiling of the Triple F Collection's newest supercar

Final Thoughts on 2022:

I want to thank all those who shared photos and information from events I wasn't able to attend. A special thanks goes to regular contributors Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, and Dave Bratton. Their weekly contributions helped carshowtalk.com reach a whole new level this year.

I'm going to take a few months off. I'll be back in February with the first edition of Save the Dates for 2023. The weekly list of events will resume again in April.

I wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. I'll be leaving for my winter home the day after Christmas.

I'm going to end the year with the final lines from Ohio State University's Alma Mater:

The seasons pass the years will roll
Time and change will surely show
How firm thy friendship...OHIO!

The same can be said about a season of car shows. The friendships we make and the experiences we share with each other will roll on long after the season ends.

This slideshow captures my favorite moments from 2022. Enjoy! I'll see everyone next year.

4

2008 Chevy HHR Panel - Owner: Chris Wise

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NEWS AND NOTES

There were a lot of final shows of the season this week.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show

Creative Automotive and the Advanced Auto Parts Store in Marysville, Ohio held its October car show on Friday evening.

The show had 19 cars in attendance and raised $155 from door prizes and a 50/50 raffle for the local food pantries.

Here are the three vehicles the manager of the Advanced Auto Parts Store picked for awards.

1948 Chevy Coupe - Owner: Rex Dillon
1977 GMC 4x4 Pickup - Owner: Tim Inscho
1948 Ford F1 - Owner: John Cordell

November 11 will be the Last Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car show of the season. I've been told that the wheelbarrow and firewood are ready to go.

Empty Pocket Cruisers Trunk or Treat Car Show

The Empty Pocket Cruisers and the Hilliard Presbyterian Church in Hilliard, Ohio hosted their 9th Annual Trunk or Treat Car Show on Saturday. Not sure what it is about this show, but it really brings out the Halloween spirit in folks to do this to their cars.

The show registered 147 cars. Trick or Treating "officially" took place from 1 -3 PM. And let me tell you there were a lot of trick-or-treaters this year. My 365-piece bag of candy was gone well before the awards were presented!

Speaking of awards, The Empty Pocket Cruisers presented plaques to the "Favorite 40" cars, trucks, and motorcycles along with a Church's Choice, Kid's Choice, DJ's Choice, and Sponsor's Choice. Because of Halloween, there were also award plaques for Best Decoration and Best Costume for both adults and children.

Here are the best-decorated cars:

Here are some of the best costumes:

The Special Award winners:

KID's CHOICE - 2012 Mini Countrymen - Owner: Christina Czekalski
PASTOR'S CHOICE - 1940 Plymouth P-10 - Owners: Phillip & Julie Miller
DJ'S CHOICE - 1946 Ford Coupe - Owner: Bob Kirst
SPONSOR'S CHOICE - 1964 Chrysler 300K - Owners: Anthony & Carol Moye

For the rest of the cars and scenes from the Empty Pockets Trunk or Treat Show, CLICK HERE.

Eldorado's Car, Truck, and Bike Show

On Sunday, Frank Russell and the Crossroads Event team hosted their final show of the season at Eldorados Pizza/Spirits in Columbus, Ohio.

With near-perfect weather for October, the show registered 50 cars. There were door prizes plus a 50/50 raffle. At the end of the show, more than 30 trophies were presented including a variety of specialty categories.

The Best in Show award went to Viki and Don Campbell with a 1934 Chevy Master Sedan. Vicki and Don drove 120 miles one-way to attend the show.

CLICK HERE to see all the specialty category winners and the rest of the cars from the Eldorados show.

Cruis'in O'Reilly Auto Parts 2022

On Sunday, the Pastime Cruisers held its final show of the season at the O'Reillys Auto Parts store on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus, Ohio.

The show registered between 35 -40 cars. Awards were presented to the "Favorite" 25 and a Manager's Choice.

The final Manager's Choice award for 2022 went to the 1947 Cadillac of Craig Coleman.

For more cars from the O'Reillys show, CLICK HERE.

Other Area Shows

  • More than 60 cars turned out for the Mid Ohio Cruisers' final show of the season at the Burger King in Marysville, Ohio on Saturday evening.
  • Two Rusty Lug Nut members received awards at the New Beginnings Church Cruise-N-Shop Show in Ashville, Ohio on Saturday. Dale Pearce received the Furthest Driven and People's Choice awards and Anthony Musick received the Best Mopar.
  • Sunday Dick "Hot Dog" Ryman held his annual Wooden Nickel Cruise-In at the Heart of Ohio Antique Center in Springfield, Ohio. There were almost 200 cars in attendance.
  • The 1965 Ford Falcon belonging to Steven DeMatteo took home the Best of Show honors at the FOP Associate Car Show in Whitehall, Ohio on Sunday.

Special thanks to Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, Brian Thompson, and Dave Bratton for their help in preparing this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast
72°
Sunny
6:06 am8:52 pm EDT
WedThuFriSatSun
88/59°F
90/63°F
91/64°F
91/66°F
88/63°F

4

2014 Chevy Impala LTZ Custom - Owner: Donald Crissinger

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NEWS AND NOTES

Finally got a dry weekend in Central Ohio. And because of the dry weekend, I'm posting lots of photos. If you attended a show or cruise-in this weekend, there's a good chance your car may be in one of those photos.

Der Dutchman Thursday Cruise-In

The weekly Thursday evening cruise-in in Plain City, Ohio continues to inch closer to the 400 mark. This week 355 vehicles attended the cruise-in. Only two more cruise-in left for this season.

On Saturday the restaurant held its second Coffee and Donut cruise-in of the season. The first one was back in July and was dampened by rain. One couldn't have asked for better weather this Saturday morning. More than 100 cars stopped by to partake in a donut and favorite morning beverage for a buck each.

Cruisin' with the King in 2022

The Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club registered 40 cars at the Burger King off St. Rt. 31 in Marysville, Ohio on Saturday evening. The monthly show features free registration, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. The club presents awards to its 15 "Favorites" at each show.

To see this month's "Favorites" and the rest of the cars from the show, CLICK HERE.

The Mid Ohio Cruisers will host its last show of the season at Burger King on October 15. As you can guess, Halloween costumes, decorations, and candy are encouraged

Benny's Pizza Car, Truck, and Bike Show

Marysville, Ohio was a busy place on Saturday. With the help of Big "Dawg" and the C-Town Cruisers, a car show made its return to Benny's Pizza on Columbus Avenue.

The show registered more than 120 cars. Best of Show honors went to Carol Atwell with a 1928 Ford Model A 2 Door Sedan.

Motts Military Driving for Daisy Car Show

The Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride crew made its annual stop at the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio on Saturday.

The show had 84 cars in attendance. Boot's Pick went to our good friend, Dale Pearce, and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup.

Another good friend, Craig Grunkemeyer, took home the Best of Show award with his 1967 Corvette convertible.

First Church of God Fish Fry and Car Show

Saturday turned out to be "Good Friends Award Day". Our good friend, Dave Bratton, drove to Circleville, Ohio on Saturday to participate in the First Church of God Fish Fry and Car Show. The lovely country setting ended up with 68 cars participating in the show.

Not only did Dave rave about the fish and pecan pie, but His 1937 Ford convertible took home the Best of Show trophy.

CLICK HERE, for more photos from the First Church of God Fish Fry and Car Show.

Dub Pub 1st Annual Car Show

After canceling twice because of rain, the 1st Annual Dub Pub Car Show in Dublin, Ohio finally landed on a dry Sunday.

Mike Mitchell who organized the On the Rocks car shows for many years was the primary organizer for this show.

The show registered 78 vehicles. Proceeds from the Door prizes and a 50/50 raffle went to support Back the Blue K9 Units. Thanks to the generous folks at the show the total amount in the 50/50 raffle reached $600. One lucky person went home $300 richer.

Trophies were awarded to the Top 30 cars and trucks. There were also awards for the Best GM, Ford Mopar, Corvette, and import. The top awards were Runner Up Best of Show and Best of Show.

Here are the top award winners from the show:

Runner Up Best of Show - 1968 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Tim Inscho
Best of Show - 1932 Ford Coupe - Owner: Don Benedick

For more from the 1st Annual Dub Pub Car Show, CLICK HERE.

Speak! For the Unspoken Fall Car Show

The Mustang Club of Ohio co-hosted the Speak! For the Unspoken Fall Car Show on Sunday in Hilliard, Ohio. Proceeds from the show went to Speak! for the Unspoken organization which focuses on the rescue of special needs dogs and cats.

The show had just under 200 cars in attendance. The Best of Show award went to Ansel Fox with a 1969 Chevy Camaro.

You can see some of the cars that attended the show by clicking on this LINK.

Other News

  • A couple of weeks ago I asked if anyone knew who took Best of Show at the Mechanicsburg First Responders Car Show over Labor Day weekend. Well Terri Miller, wife of Mike Miller, sent me a photo of Mike and his 1970 Tor Red Road Runner convertible. The car is 1 of 179 produced that year.
  • Some very sad news. Patrick A. Petrime of Ashley, Ohio was killed Sunday evening when his 1975 Corvette Stingray crashed on Liberty Rd near Home Rd. He had just attended the Dub Pub show in Dublin, Ohio that afternoon. Some of you may recognize his car. My condolences go out to his family.

That's it for this week. A big thank you to Jeff Shankle, Dave Bratton, and Dale Pearce for their help in preparing this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast
72°
Sunny
6:06 am8:52 pm EDT
WedThuFriSatSun
88/59°F
90/63°F
91/64°F
91/66°F
88/63°F

2

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NEWS AND NOTES

The rain on Saturday and Sunday canceled several shows and created confusion for one.

Around 10:30 AM on Saturday I received a Facebook notification that the #1Ricart, Car, Truck, and Bike Show at Picktown Palooza was canceled. Turns out the show wasn't canceled only that registration was delayed until the rain stopped. If you didn't go to the show on account of it being marked canceled here, I apologize.

Der Dutchman Thursday Cruise-In:

This week 282 cars attended the cruise-in on Thursday evening at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City, Ohio.

Saturday morning would have been the first of two Coffee and Donuts Cruise-ins this season. I was looking forward to seeing cars and sucking down a big fat cream-filled long john donut and a cup of coffee. The rain quickly shattered my dreams forcing me to eat a relatively healthy breakfast at home. Oh well. The next coffee and donuts cruise-in is scheduled for September.

Sizzlin Summer Season Series Car Show:

The Crossroads Events hosted its second of four scheduled car, truck, and bike shows at the Hidden Lakes Winery in Canal Winchester, Ohio on Friday evening.

Live music was provided by Dwane Haggy & "Shades of Puddy" band (they were really good!). The winery provided a food truck at the car show entrance. The combination of the restaurant, lake, and nice weather made for a great evening for a car show.

The event registered 70 vehicles. Thirty-two awards were presented in a variety of categories. The Best of Show winners for the evening were:

Best of Show Truck:

Best of Show Bike:

2010 Harley Davidson Electric Glide Rat Fink Customs
Owner: Bruce Hoover

Best of Show Car:

To see more cars and the other award winners from the Hidden Lakes Winery show, CLICK HERE.

Music in the Park and Cruise-In Car Show:

A second car show took place in downtown Canal Winchester on Friday evening as part of the Music in the Park Concert Series. This is the seventh year the C-Town Cruisers have hosted the free car show in the park. The Gas Pump Jockeys played live oldies music.

Fifty-plus cars attended this year's event.

The Peoples Choice award went to David and Karen Oiler with a 1935 Chevy Master.

Other award winners included:

  • Farthest traveled - Gary & Betty Parks
  • Band's Choice - Tim Hooten 1973 Chevy Nova SS
  • Kid's Choice- Mark Houck 1988 Pontiac Firebird
  • Mayor's Choice- Laney & Mo Abbott 1955 Chevy Bel Air
  • Sponsors Choice- Patty & Bob Spillman 1937 Ford Pickup

#1Ricart, Car, Truck, and Bike Show at Picktown Palooza:

As I mentioned at the start of this report, the Picktown Palooza Show was not canceled.

Here are some award-winning cruisers who ignored the morning showers and attended the show:

Cruisin' with the King in 2022:

Mother nature paused the rain on Saturday in time for the Mid Ohio Cruisers July car show at the Burger King in Marysville, Ohio.

The club registered 67 cars Saturday evening. There were another 15-20 cars that stopped by the Burger King but did not register.

Award plaques were presented to the club's "Favorite 15" vehicles.

Here are a few of this month's picks:

For the rest of the "Favorites" and other cars from the July show, CLICK HERE.

The rain turned Sunday into a literal washout. I received cancellations for three of the five shows on the schedule. One show was postponed to a later date. And the show I didn't receive any info on, I'm sure was canceled or had very low attendance. Thank goodness that kind of day doesn't happen very often.

I want to thank Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, and Shaun Sanders for their help putting together this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast
72°
Sunny
6:06 am8:52 pm EDT
WedThuFriSatSun
88/59°F
90/63°F
91/64°F
91/66°F
88/63°F

17

After the finish of every season, I like to take a look back at what I think was good and what I think was not so good about it. The opinions expressed are my own and apply only to the events I attended. If you disagree with me or have an event you thought was particularly good or one not so good, please feel free to post a comment. With that said, lets get on with the review of the 2021 Central Ohio car show season..

From April 17 through November 12, I participated in 77 car shows, cruise-ins, and meet-ups and was a spectator in another nine. I took 5500 photos of classic cars, muscle cars, exotics, trucks, and motorcycles. I drove over 2600 miles round trip to report on local car events. This may all sound very impressive until you find out Jeff Tolley and his friends participated in 180 events this season. That's pretty much one every single day!

The Good:

Let's start with some good. The 2021 car show season pretty much returned to pre-pandemic normals. To my knowledge, not a single public health agency forced the cancellation of a car event this season because of Covid. Even the Governor allowed Goodguys to return to the Fairgrounds despite banning the public from attending the Ohio State Fair.

Shaun "Big Dawg" Saunders' C-Town Cruisers and Dan "Boots" Longenette and Pepsi's Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride had a full slate of events this season compared to last year. The two combined to host more than 50 shows in Central Ohio!

Following a two and three-year absence respectively, the cruise-in at Chesrown Chevrolet, Buick, GMC in Delaware, and the car show formerly known as On the Rocks in Dublin returned in 2021.

Unfortunately, not every event came back. Missing this season was the USA Days Car Show in Centerburg, Cruisin' For a Cause, one of my favorites, at the Discover Church in Dublin, the downtown Lithopolis show on Memorial Day, the Canal Winchester Labor Day car show, and the Spring Fling (it plans to be back in 2022) just to name a few of the missing shows this year.

The biggest shocker of the season came in June when it was announced after 12 years that Colo's Classic Car Show at the Columbus Zoo was canceled. A lot of rumors floated around as to the reason for the cancellation but the Zoo never put out an "official" statement as far as I know.

After hosting no shows in 2020, The Rod Knockers Car Club out of Marion and the Mid Ohio Cruisers Club out of Marysville returned with their monthly car shows. The Mid Ohio Cruisers show had a new home at the Burger King on Route 31. It took a few shows for everyone to get adjusted to the new location. No question, both clubs continue to put on the best no registration fee car shows in Central Ohio.

The weekly Thursday cruise-in at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City continued its reign as the king of Central Ohio cruise-ins. The cruise-ins started two weeks earlier this year. It was attended by more than 300 cars seven times during the summer. It set an all-time attendance record of 439 cars on the last cruise-in of the year. A whopping 2900 vehicles were registered in 2021.

Looking back over the year, I can't say there were any shows I attended that were truly outstanding. At the same time, I can't say I attended any that were horrible, either.

The Empty Pockets Cruisers hosted four shows this year instead of their usual three. All four shows were well done. Their Trunk or Treat show continues to be one of my favorites. I always say it takes car people to put on a good car show.

Shows that I participated in for the first time included the All Corvette Gathering, Hosanna Lutheran Church Car Show, Mechanicsburg First Responders Car Show, Blackwing Shooting Center Summer Blast, Farrows Hot Rods and Handlebars, and Tolles Career and Technical Center Car and Craft Show. I was a spectator at my first Italian Gathering and Kreiger Ford Mustang and All Ford Show.

Buckeye Cruzin' at Ohio Stadium gets the award for the most expensive registration fee. Although to be fair, the $175 fee went to support the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. It was a fun event until the engine revving got out of hand and forced me to leave.

The most chaotic event this year was the Jax Wax Street Madness in July. The title gave a pretty good description of the event. Between the steady line of cars trying to get into the parking area and the hundreds of car audio systems blaring, I had a pounding headache by the time I left.

Heels and Wheels at the Vanity Gentlemen's Club was the most "adult" car show I attended. The Mayor had a couple of huge assets that were hard to overlook. Those who attended the show will know what I'm talking about.

Frank Sanborn gets this year's most miles traveled award. Not only did Frank attend shows in Central Ohio, but he also traveled to events in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Fairmount and Gas City Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Not So Good:

Some not-so-good news this year was the loss of some of our car show community members. Larry Bickers passed away in May. Many of you will remember Larry from his 2003 Mustang "Daily Driver" with more than 190,000 miles.

In September, we lost Jim Matheny. I never met Jim, but I'm told he helped organize and run lots of car shows in the Newark/Heath areas. He held positions with the Super Chevy Car Show Organization and Let's Go Cruising Magazine. For many years, he served as chairman for "Lite the Nite" and operated Jim Matheny Kar Shoz.

And finally, Terry McReynolds passed away in October. Terry was the Pace Truck Driver at Columbus Motor Speedway for more than 20 years. He was also an integral part of Pepsi's Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride team and a close friend of Dan "Boots" Longenette.

All three will be very much missed as will others who passed away this year.

This was my tenth year attending car shows and the first time experiencing a collision at one. A car leaving the North Hills Church of God Car and Bike Show in September pulled out in front of an oncoming car and caused it to flip around 360 degrees hitting a motorcycle and car participating in the show. This added a bit more excitement to the show than expected.

Another first in 2021 was my banishment from the Ohio Car Shows and Cruise-ins Facebook group in July. The reason for being banished was my disagreement with their decision not to approve the list of Central Ohio car events for the week of July 12-18. They decided not to publicize any events that might compete with their group car show at Knox County Fairgrounds that Saturday. Seriously? The group's stated purpose is to promote car shows and cruise-ins in and around the state of Ohio.

After 12 years of meeting on Saturday mornings, Columbus Cars and Coffee at Lennox Town Center was abruptly canceled in May after some participants leaving the meet displayed some very poor judgment. In November, the group started meeting on Saturdays again at The City Apartments -- formerly the old University City shopping center.

I know some of you may disagree with me -- especially everyone at the Vettes, Rods, and Classics show in August when a monsoon passed through Gahanna during the awards ceremony. But I thought the weather wasn't as big a factor this season as in prior years. Out of the hundreds of events scheduled only 15 were canceled or postponed becasue of weather. And most were postponed to a later date.

Speaking of postponed. Thanks to a forecast that turned out to be totally wrong (big surprise), the Performance Charity Car Show in downtown Delaware, Ohio was postponed from July to October. And boy did that turn out to be a good move. The weather on the October date was about as perfect as one could expect for a car show. The organizers liked the October date such much, they've decided to hold the 2022 show in October.

Top Ten:

At the end of every season, I post my ten favorite vehicles I saw at a show or cruise-in. Here are the ones that made me stop and take a second, third, or sometimes fourth look.

No. 10 - 2016 EZ Go Golf Cart model "Tow Mater" - Owner: Julie Brown

No. 9 - 1937 Humber Pullman Limo - Owner: Ryan Patten

No. 8 - Restomod 1969 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Unknown

No. 7 - 1959 Desoto Fireflite Sportsman - Owner: Kaylee Bickel

No. 6 - 1950's Jaguar XK 120 Coupe - Owner: Unknown