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28

Published on 28 Comments on Central Ohio Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-Ups Recap of the 2022 Season

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.

Not sure what was up with this Jeep
The Jeep's interior was just as intriguing
2001 Panoz Esperante
Camaro + El Camino = Camarmino
Unusual, unique, and odd
Kevin's Towing Heavy Rescue
2008 Ssangyong Actyon Sport
Two 1949 Plymouths (Which is the front, which is the rear?)
Totally air Brushed pickup honoring our military and police
LS Engine in a Porsche
Built by someone with too much time on their hands
Ford F450 Superstretch 8 Door
Subaru Sambar
Home made Woody
Click or tap on a photo to enlarge it

R.I.P.

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

Mike Gibson
Doug Leopard
Jerry Davies
Patrick Petrime
Billy Dean Peterson
Don Newland

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.

7

Published on 7 Comments on Central Ohio Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-ups for August 8 – 14, 2022
1970 Oldsmobile 442
Owner: Aaron Denney

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NEWS AND NOTES

Der Dutchman Thursday Cruise-In:

Not much to report this week from Der Dutchman. Only 53 cars attended the cruise-in on Thursday thanks to scattered showers in the area. Not one drop fell on the cruise-in, however. Jeff Shankle and his Phone stayed dry the entire evening so no car photos were missed because of the weather. 😎

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5601.jpeg

Richwood Bank Coffee and Cars Cruise-In:

With two other events in Delaware, Ohio on Saturday and the threat of morning rain, attendance was light at the Richwood Bank Coffee and Cars Cruise-In. Those that did attend not only got a free cup of their favorite morning beverage but were also treated to a demo of Kevins Towing's "heavy rescue" truck. What an impressive piece of equipment!

At the end of the cruise-in, the bank held a drawing for three door prizes. The top prize was a bucket of car care products and a bottle of Henry McKenna Bourbon Whiskey. As luck would have it Adam Lester, the winner of the top prize, rode his Harley to the cruise-in. The bottle of whiskey made the return trip to the bank in his car well worth it.

The Richwood Bank's next coffee and cars is scheduled for September 3, 2022.

Vettes, Rods, and Classics

The Capital City Corvette Club hosted its annual Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show at the Creekside district in Gahanna, Ohio on Saturday. Proceeds from the show benefit Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The club registered 183 vehicles. As in past years, the rods and classics are judged separately from the Corvettes. Awards are presented to both groups along with a Best of Show winner chosen for each group.

The band Reelin' in the Years made its return to the show as the featured entertainment. If you haven't had a chance to hear the band, you should. They are one of the best local bands in my opinion.

The Best of Show award for the Rods and Classics went to Pat Jackson and his 1954 Chevy 3100 pickup truck.

The 1969 Corvette of Craig Grunkemeyer received the Best of Show award for the Vettes. Craig has the distinct honor of having both of his Corvettes receive the top award at the Vettes, Rods, and Classics show. His 1967 Corvette convertible won the Vettes BOS in 2017.

Here are the "Special" award winners starting with Jim McGruder with the Esoteric Detailing Award.

Mark Lester and his 1967 Chevy Camaro received the Best GM Award.

Gahanna Police Department Award
1969 Chevy Camaro SS
Marvin Rogan
Fun Trails Van Award
1967 Volkswagon Single Cab Pickup
Bruce Paul
Best Veteran Car Award
1930 Chevy 3 Window Coupe
Steve Kidwell & Nancy
Lew Griffin Insurance Award
1935 Ford Cabriolet
Mike Falk

Not pictured:

  • Club Participation Award: Corvette Crew
  • Gahanna Parks and Recreation Award: Ryan Daniels - 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup
  • Best Mopar: Larry Ward - 1983 Dodge Truck D150
  • Best Ford: Phillip Lake - 2018 Ford Mustang
  • Corvette Car Award: Dan Shillingburg - 1965 Corvette
  • Jegs Award: Joel Charriez - 1993 Mazda
  • Mifflin Twp Fire Chief Award: Chris Zigan - 2011 Corvette
  • Mayor's Award: Larry & Vicki Tisdale - 1956 Chevy Bel Air 2 Dr Post
  • Best Import Award: Ryan Daniels - 2019 Honda Monkey
  • Wheel Craft Award: Jeff "Chubbo" Williams - 2016 Corvette Z06
  • Coughlin Chevrolet Award: Jim Van Paepeghem - 1967 Corvette Convertible
  • UBS Muirfield Wealth Partners Award: Cal Berkey - 1957 Ford Thunder Bird
  • ISCO Award: Tom & Brian Scott - 1996 Corvette Grand Sport

To see more cars and scenes from the Vettes, Rods, and Classic Show, CLICK HERE.

Powell Cruize-In & Pig Out

Larry Coolidge and the Powell DT Sertoma Club held its 30th Annual Cruize-In and Pig Out Car Show in downtown Powell, Ohio on Sunday.

This year's show registered 111 cars. Unfortunately, the forecast for a 10% chance of rain turned into 100% around one o'clock.

The rain lasted for about 90 minutes. Nothing is more frustrating than getting your car completely dried off from the first shower only to have another shower come through a few minutes later. Thank goodness the sun came back out in time to dry the roads by the end of the show.

The Sertoma Club presented award plaques to the "Top 50" cars and trucks along with six "Special/Choice" awards and a Best of Show.

Here are the "Special/Choice" award winners:

Firemen's Choice Award
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Best Interior Award
1935 Ford Coupe
Police Choice Award
2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500
Mayor's Choice Award
1957 Ford Thunderbird
Best Engine & People's Choice Awards
1951 Studebaker Champion

The Best of Show Award went to Matt Reed with a 1968 Oldsmobile 442.

CLICK HERE to see more from the Powell Cruize-In and Pig Out.

Vanity Club Heels & Wheels Car Show (July 30th)

Bob (aka Country) sent me more information on the Heels & Wheels Car Show from July 30th.

The show had it's best attendance ever with 81 cars registered. Bob estimated that another 20 cars showed up but didn't register. Eighteen of the club's "Hotties" were in attendance.

Here is the Best of Show winner and a few other cars that attended the show courtesy of MoBear Photography.

Other Area Car Shows

  • The Commercial Point, Ohio Karting Classic Show on Friday registered 87 vehicles. Best of Show went to a Mercury Cougar. Tom Stewart's "Orange Crush" Chevy pickup received a Top 25 award.
  • The Heart of Ohio Antique Center in Springfield, Ohio added a swap meet to this month's cruise-in on Sunday. Approximately 80 cars were in attendance.
  • On Sunday, Dale Pearce and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup took 1st Place honors at the Vineyard Columbus East Campus Car Show in Pickerington, Ohio.
  • The Kenton Moose Lodge Show on Saturday registered 98 cars.

I want to once again thank Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, and Bob (Country) for their help preparing this week's report.

Central Ohio Forecast
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Weather forecast Columbus, Ohio ▸

17

Published on 17 Comments on 2021 Central Ohio Car Show Season in Review

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

No 5. - 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan - Owner: Clement Thurn

No 4. - Restomod 1967 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Ed Stizza

No. 3. - 1962 Dodge Dart - Owner: Steve Brown

No. 2 - 1948 Chevy Pickup - Owner: Sam Parks

No. 1 - Legends of Rock Custom Built Motorcycle - Owner: Unknown

Favorite Photos:

Take 5500 photos and there's bound to be some favorites. Here are the ones that I think best capture the season.

Click or tap on a photo to enlarge and enter slideshow mode.

Final Thoughts:

2021 turned out to be another great year for car events in Central Ohio. Because of the reduced number of events in 2020, the sheer volume of events this season was staggering. There were a lot of Saturdays with more than 15 events on the schedule.

What I really enjoyed most about this year was the opportunity to get to know many members of the car community a little better. The people you meet and the friends you make are the main reasons car cruises are so special.

2021 also gave me a sneak peek at the future. The next generation of car enthusiasts is alive and well. They may not seek awards like our generation. And their autos may not be Chevys, Fords or Dodges, but they're proud of their rides and they like to hang out and talk cars just like we do. And that's what counts.

I want to take a moment to thank some folks who helped me compile the weekly reports. They reported on shows I didn't or couldn't attend (I still haven't figured out how to be in multiple places at once). Without their help the weekly News and Notes would not have been anywhere near as detailed.

My sincerest thanks goes out to:

  • Jeff Shankle - I know for a fact he took more car photos than I did
  • Dale Pearce - If Dale doesn't know about a show, it ain't happening
  • Dave Bratton - Great resource for show information
  • Mark & Cathy Krist - Did a great job of reporting in between planting and harvesting vegetables.
  • Dan Varner - Seems have the scoop before anyone else.

Unless there's some late-breaking news to report, I'm going to take some time off to recharge. I'm leaving for Florida at the end of December. I'll be back just in time for the start of the 2022 car show season. Look for the first installment of "Save the Dates for 2022" sometime in February. The list is already growing.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday season. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

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4

Published on 4 Comments on Central Ohio Car Events for August 9 – 15, 2021
2008 Dodge Viper Convertible
Owners: Bill & Carol Chandler

Mopar fans and their hemi engines will be invading Hebron, Ohio this weekend for the 40th Annual Mopar Nationals. If you're a Volkswagon aficionado there's the Volkfest Car Show and Swap Meet on Saturday in Pataskala, Ohio. And if you're into tomatoes, well, the 2021 Tomatofest Car Meet in Reynoldsburg, Ohio should be right up your alley.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Der Dutchman:

The Der Dutchman cruise-in in Plain City, Ohio returned to form this past Thursday with more than 300 cars in attendance. For some unexplained reason, I photographed a lot of makes and models in pairs this week.

Hosanna Lutheran Church Car Show:

The 8th Annual Hosanna Lutheran Church Car Show in Pataskala, Ohio registered 89 cars on Friday evening. The Church presented awards to the Top 30 cars, a People's Choice award, and Best of Show. Judging was done on a points system.

The People's Choice Award went to Emma Leigh with a 1956 Mercury Monterey. Larry Steffey and his 2013 Roush Stage 3 Mustang took the Best of Show honors.

Click Here, for more photos from the Hosanna Lutheran Church show.

Karting Classic Car, Truck & Bike Show:

The Commercial Point, Ohio Karting Classic 4th Annual Car, Truck, & Bike Show registered around 130 cars on Friday. From the report I got, the show had a bigger turnout than expected. Looks like the organizers had some pretty nice trophies to present. To see more from the Karting Classic show, click here.

Richwood Bank Cruise-In:

The Richwood Bank in Delaware, Ohio hosted their second cruise-in of the season this past weekend. Thirty-two cars turned out for the Saturday morning affair. There were raffle prizes and coffee shop specials for anyone who registered a car. Joey Gill from Chesrown Chevrolet, Buick, GMC brought over a brand new 2021 mid-engine Corvette Convertible for display.

The bank plans to host another cruise-in the first Saturday in September and possibly a Halloween-themed cruise-in in October weather permitting.

Vettes, Rods and Classics Car Show:

After a one-year hiatus because of Covid, The Capital City Corvette Club returned to the Creekside district in Gahanna, Ohio on Saturday with their Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show. The show registered 298 cars. Thirteen short of the previous attendance record. From my casual observation as a spectator, it looked like the number of rods and classics were down a bit from previous years. There were definitely a lot of Corvettes!

Because of the threat of severe thunderstorms in the area, the awards presentation started around 4 PM instead of 5 PM as planned. I stuck around until the thunder and lightning started and then got out of there ASAP so I wasn't around for the Best of Show announcements. I found out later that no one else was around for the BOS announcements either because as they started announcing the C5 Corvette awards the monsoon rain started.

The winners are supposed to be posted to the Capital City Corvette Club's website. As of this writing, nothing has been posted. I'll post a link to the award winners as soon as it becomes available.

I did manage to get a photo of one award winner before the skies opened up. David Zitko and his 1971 Chevy Chevelle received the Gahanna Police Department Car Award.

UPDATE: The list of award winners has been posted to the Capital City Corvette Club website under the Announcements heading.

The Best of Show award for the Rods and Classics went to Kevin Foust and his 1941 Dodge Wc40 Military Weapon Carrier. Paul and Kelly Beck and their 1966 Corvette convertible received the Best of Show for the Vettes.

To see more photos from the Vettes, Rods, and Classics show, click here.

Honor Flight/Vance Outdoors Car Show:

The Honor Flight/Vance Outdoors Show hosted by Pepsi's Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride crew registered 148 cars on Saturday. The show raised $95,000 for Honor Flight. Word has it Boots cut off his beard for charity.

The Best of Show award went to the 1930 Ford Five Window Pickup Truck belonging to Ralph Carle.

Click here, for additional photos from the Honor Flight/Vance Outdoors Show.

Powell Sertoma Cruise-In and Pig Out:

The Powell Sertoma Cruise-In and Pig Out Car Show returned back to the streets of downtown Powell, Ohio on Sunday. The show registered more than 140 cars. The Best of Show award went to Brett Gearhart and his 1967 Chevy Nova SS.

For more Cruise-In and Pig Out photos, click here.

Other Area Shows:

The Baltimore Ohio Festival Cruise-In registered 140 cars on Friday evening. Tom Stewart and his 1982 "Orange Crush" Chevy C-10 pickup received the Best Truck Award.

Dale Pearce and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup took Best of Show honors at the Amvets Post 1776 Red, White & Cruise Show in Logan, Ohio on Saturday.

The Hartford Fair Car Show in Croton, Ohio attracted 169 cars on Sunday. Dawayne Noble's Volkswagon received the Best of Show award.

Special thanks to Dave Bratton, Larry Walters, Dale Pearce, and Jeff Shankle for helping to make this week's News and Notes.

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Published on 7 Comments on Central Ohio Car Events for August 2 – 8, 2021
1953 Ford F100 Pickup
Owner: Dave Mohler

This week Central Ohio has a jam-packed Friday and Saturday line-up of events. Twenty-three events are on the schedule between those two days.

The marquee events this week are the Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show in Gahanna, The Vance Outdoor Car Show in Obetz, and the Powell Cruize-In and Pig Out in Powell.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Rain on Thursday dampened the Der Dutchman Cruise-In in Plain City, Ohio. I received word that only 26 cars braved the scattered thunderstorms and showed up last week.

Shaun "Big Dawg" Saunders and the C-Town Cruisers partnered with the Pharisburg United Methodist Church in Marysville, Ohio for a car show/cruise-in on Friday evening.

The show registered 50 cars. A free-will offering 50's style diner was served.

The Best of Show Award went to Janice and Sam Foos and their 1957 Ford Skyliner.

For the other award-winning cars and trucks and more photos from the Pharisburg United Methodist Church show, click here.

The Vanity Gentlemen's Club in Columbus, Ohio was the scene of the Heels & Wheels Car Show on Saturday afternoon. As you can guess by the location and name, it was not your traditional car show.

The Gentlemen's Club registered a total of 55 vehicles. The $15 registration fee also included a door prize ticket. I've got to say those were some of the better door prizes I've seen this season.

Everyone who registered a car got a chance to vote on awards for their favorite Vanity dancer. Since this is a "G" rated website, I won't list the name of the awards. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

The dancers did all the judging. Their pick for Best of Show was William Brown's 1979 Ford Mustang Pace Car.

To see the other award winners and more cars from the Heels & Wheels show, Click here,

At the other end of the spectrum from the Heels & Wheels show was the Purple Door Cruise-In at the Grove City Methodist Church.

The show busted its previous attendance record of 135 cars by registering 174 vehicles on Saturday.

Best of Show honors went to our good friend, Jeff Shankle, and his 1951 Ford F1 pickup.

See more photos from the Purple Door Cruise-In (thanks Dave Bratton).

The Life City Church in Pickerington, Ohio registered 80 cars on Saturday. Registration and everything else I'm told was free.

On Sunday the Buckeye Rod Builders hosted the 41st Annual Poor Man's Nationals at the Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio. Just like in 2019, the event was free and open to all makes, models, and years. In other words, it was a big cruise-in. And big it was with over 245 cars. Just goes to show trophies aren't necessary to attract a large gathering of cars. Just offer some door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, refreshments, a good location, and some nice weather and they will come.

Click here for more photos from the 41st Poor Man's Nationals.

And finally, The C-Town Cruisers were out at The Point on Main Sunday afternoon for their monthly show at the restaurant. The Cruisers registered a little over 60 cars.

Steve Kidwell received the Best of Show award with his 1965 Pontiac GTO. Charlie Seymour and his 1967 Nova took the Ladies Choice honors.

If anyone has info from the Cardo's Pizza show in Pickerington, please feel free to post it in the comments section.

If you'd like to be notified by email when a new posting appears, click the Subscribe link at the top of the page. 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.

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Published on 9 Comments on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: A Recap of the 2019 Central Ohio Car Show Season

Now that the 2019 Central Ohio car show season has officially come to an end, it's time to take a look back at what was good, what was bad and what was ugly.

I managed to participate in 80 events this year. When you consider there were five weeks during 2019 where I didn't participate in any events, that's a pretty big accomplishment, even if I do say so myself.

I traveled more than 3000 miles to attend events in Centerburg, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Gahanna, Hilliard, Johnstown, Lewis Center, Lockbourne, Marion, Marysville, New Albany, Obetz, Plain City, Powell, Springfield, Westerville, and Worthington.

Throughout the season, I took more than 9200 photos of cars, trucks, and motorcycles from around Central Ohio. Besides my car, Kevin Martin's 1962 Chevy pickup truck wins the award for the most photographed vehicle in 2019.

Before I get deep into the recap of this season, let me take a second to make the usual disclaimer:

The lists I'm about to present reflect my opinion and my opinion only of the events I attended in 2019. If you attended a show or cruise-in not on my list that you thought was exceptionally good, bad or ugly, please feel free to share it in the comments. Also, feel free to post a comment if you agree or disagree with any of my choices.

Okay, let's start with the GOOD.

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The awards presentation at Saturday's Vettes, Rods & Classics show at Creekside in Gahanna, Ohio took a surprising twist when my Camaro was announced as the Best in Class winner for C7 Corvettes 2017 - 2019.

While my car and C7 Corvette Z06 do share the same engine, I doubt many would get the two cars confused.

I suspect my car was accidentally entered into the computer as a Corvette during registration. Someone saw the "Z" on my registration card and thought Corvette Z06 instead of Camaro ZL1.

Anyway, the Capital City Corvette Club handled the error with grace and presented my car with an Award of Excellence plaque. I just feel bad that someone with a very nice 2017-2019 C7 Corvette didn't receive an award.

Aside from the award mix-up, the 5th Annual Vettes, Rods, and Classics show continued to carry on the tradition as one of the best car shows in Central Ohio.

This year the Capital City Corvette Club got the city of Gahanna to agree to close the streets in the Creekside district an hour early - 11 AM instead of 12 Noon. The hour change appears to have made the initial rush of vehicles into the show area a lot smoother than it had been in previous years. I overheard two participants discussing how smooth the parking was this year. I arrived around 11:30 AM and lucked into a "Premo" parking spot at the corner of Mill Street and Ogden Aly.

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Published on 2 Comments on Vettes, Rods, and Classics Heat Up Creekside

The sweltering heat on Saturday didn't stop more than 300 cars from turning out for the Vettes, Rods, And Classics show at Creekside.

It was so warm that at least one participant had to be taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.  I'm pretty sure I lost 10 pounds of water weight just cleaning up my car for the show.  Water and shade were definitely your best friends on Saturday.

This is the 4th year the Capital City Corvette Club has hosted the show at the Creekside business district in Gahanna, Ohio. The district is a great venue for a car show.  Along with plenty of restaurant and shopping choices,  the area also includes a beautiful plaza and adjacent park. In four short years, this show has become one of the premiere car events in Central Ohio.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of 2017

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, It's a good time to take a moment to look back at the 2017 car show season.  I had planned to write this year-end recap  back in November, but family commitments, Thanksgiving, my spouse convalescing from a total knee replacement, and updates to the website delayed this by a few weeks.

Now that things have started to settle down a bit, let's look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2017 season.

I managed to attend 80 events from January through November.  Of the 80 events, only six did I attend as a non-participant.

The list below reflects my opinion of the events I attended. In no way does it encompasses ALL the events that took place in Central Ohio during the season.  If you attended a show or cruise-in not on my list that you thought was exceptionally good or bad, please share it in the comments.  Feel free to also post a comment if you disagree with any of my choices.

Ok, so let's get started with the Good.

BEST REGISTRATION FEE CAR SHOWS:

  1. Champaign Cruisers 4th of July Car Show at Skelley's Lumbar Company in Urbana, Ohio.  You can tell the Cruisers have been doing this for 20 years.  The show is extremely well-organized. The club even goes as far as to mark off parking areas in the grass with spray paint.  There were plenty of food vendors,  nice door prizes, a unique venue, and great mix of vehicles from Ohio and Indiana.
  2. Vettes, Rods and Classic Car Show at the Creekside district in downtown Gahanna, Ohio.  Hosted by the Capital City Corvette Club, this show has grown steadily every year.  The Creekside district makes a unique venue for a car show.  There are plenty of restaurants in the district to meet most everyone's culinary tastes.  Judging is based on a point system, and awards are presented in two categories, one for the Corvettes and the other for the rods and classics.
  3. Cruisin' for a Cause at the Discover Church in Dublin, Ohio.  This show raises money for a different cause each year.  This year the cause was Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.  In addition to the cars, there's also a craft show and model car contest going on simultaneously.  Each year the show offers unique custom hand-made trophies.  All vehicles are thoroughly judged and awards are based on a point system.

Honorable Mention: The Purple Door Cruise In at the Grove City United Methodist Church, Spring Fling All Corvette Show at the Polaris Parkway Quaker Steak and Lube, and Cabela's Charity Car Show and Cruise In at the Cabela's store on Gemini Place in Columbus, Ohio.

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Published on 6 Comments on Creekside in Gahanna Overflows with Vettes, Rods and Classics

On Saturday, the Capital City Corvette Club once again hosted their Vettes, Rods and Classics Car Show at the Creekside district in downtown Gahanna, Ohio.

This is the third year the club has organized the show. The number of registered cars has steadily grown each year. With weather about as perfect as one could ask for, this year's show set a record with 309 registered vehicles!

Much of Mill Street and the adjacent parking areas were closed to the public starting around 10 AM Saturday until the end of the show.  The street and parking areas were reopened at noon for show parking only.  Cars arriving before noon were able to park in several designated lots until parking opened for the show.   I arrived around 11:40 AM and was parked and off to the registration tent about 30 minutes later.  Next year I plan to arrive after show parking is officially open to avoid all the traffic congestion at the beginning.   All in all, I have to commend the club for the job they did getting all the cars parked. It didn't look easy.

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