The Central Ohio car show season shifts into high gear this weekend as we roll into May. The threat of snow and freeze warnings is finally in the rearview mirror, and for the next six months, it’s all about sunshine, pavement, and polished sheet metal. If your car is still sitting under a cover, now’s the time—get it out and get it on the road.
This week also marks my return to the Buckeye State after spending four months escaping Ohio’s winter. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and catching up with everyone in the weeks ahead.
Monday (April 27th):
- No Events Found
Tuesday (April 28th):
- Euro Bike Night at Grandview Yard - Grandview
Wednesday (April 29th):
- Learn How Cars are Made - Marysville
- Mundy's Motor Mania - Springfield
Thursday (April 30th):
- DQ Hot Rod Gathering - Lancaster
Friday - (May 1st):
- Sonic Friday Cruise-In* - Heath
- Columbus Cars & Coffee (CC&C) at Colin's Coffee - Upper Arlington
Saturday (May 2nd):
- Cruise for a Cause Pickaway Community Cupboards - Circleville
- Union Township FD Car & Motorcycle Show - Chillicothe
- Columbus Cars & Coffee (CC&C) at 3650 Olentangy - Columbus
- Kickstands & Coffee - Columbus
- Mint Condition Car Show - Columbus
- Hater Hot Rods Cars & Coffee - Commercial Point
- Cruise for a Cure Poker Run/Car Show/Cruise - Croton
- Huber Automotive Spring Cruise-In - Heath
- Park N Chill Mill Run - Hilliard
- Red Brick Tavern Cars & Coffee - LaFayette
- Derby Day Cruise-In - Lockbourne
- Pleasant Music Boosters Car Show - Marion
- Mustang Meetup at B Precise - New Albany
- Horsepower Farms Cars N' Condos - Powell
Sunday - (May 3rd):
- Paul Raduege Memorial Car Show - Carroll
- Circleville First Church Auto Show - Circleville
- Slammedenuff Ohio Car Show 2026 - Columbus
- The Point on Main Car Show - Columbus
- Cruise for a Cure Poker Run/Car Show/Cruise - Croton
- Toy Barn Spring Car Show - Dublin
- Delaware Area Vintage Motorcycle & Coffee - Delaware
- Kickstands & Octane - Groveport
- Martinsburg Car Show - Martinsburg
- Woodside Village Care Center Car & Truck Show - Mt Gilead
- Licking County Cars & Coffee - Newark
- Heart of Ohio Antique Center Cruise-In - Springfield
- 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
Before getting into this week’s News and Notes, I want to touch on something that comes up often—the next generation of car enthusiasts.
It’s easy for our generation to take shots at the younger generation and say they’re just not into cars the way we were. I’ll admit, the percentage might be a little smaller, but the idea that the car culture is dying off just doesn’t hold up—at least not from what I’ve seen.
A perfect example is the Import Face-Off. People sometimes look at me a bit sideways when I say it’s the second-largest car event in Central Ohio behind Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals—and it makes two stops in the area every year. That kind of turnout doesn’t happen if the next generation isn’t showing up.
The cars may look different than what many of us grew up with—Chevys, Fords, Dodges, and Plymouths—now joined by Hondas, Subarus, Lexus, and Nissans. But the passion is still there. It just wears a different badge.
The bottom line: the next generation of car enthusiasts is alive and well. And if there’s any doubt, just take a look at the crowd from last weekend’s Import Face-Off. Even on a cold, blustery April Sunday, they showed up in force.
Car show organizers might want to take note.
Calvin Rowland Memorial Car Show:
Friday evening, the 2nd Annual Calvin Rowland Memorial Car Show was held at Precision Fleet Repair in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
For those who may not know, Calvin Rowland was a longtime member of the Central Ohio car community who regularly brought his two trucks to car shows until his passing in 2023.
Friday’s show drew 43 cars. Our good friend Jeff Shankle and his “Green Goblin” took home one of the Top awards.
Here are more rides from Friday's show courtesy of Jeff.
READ MORE NEWS AND NOTES
