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Published on 8 Comments on Central Ohio Car and Bike Events for April 27 – May 3, 2026
1963 Chevy SS - Owner: Bill Albert

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):

Wednesday (April 29th):

Thursday (April 30th):

Friday - (May 1st):

Saturday (May 2nd):

Sunday - (May 3rd):

Be sure to check out the Save the Dates for 2026 page for the most comprehensive, best-organized list of upcoming Central Ohio car shows, cruise-ins, meet-ups, and bike events you’ll find anywhere online.

Don’t miss a single event — bookmark it and stay in the loop all season long.

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

NEWS AND NOTES

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

Published on
2006 Ford Shelby GT-H #196 - Owners: Bob & Kathie Roush

This week brings a full slate of events scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Both Auto Smarts Radio Cruise & Ride '26 and the C-Town Cruisers kick off their 2026 seasons with shows on Sunday. If you’re looking to get out during the week, Wednesday stands as the lone gap in an otherwise nonstop lineup.

Monday (April 20th):

Tuesday (April 21st):

  • No Events Found

Wednesday (April 22nd):

Thursday (April 23rd):

  • No Events Found

Friday (April 24th):

Saturday (April 25th):

Sunday - (April 26th):

Be sure to check out the Save the Dates for 2026 page for the most comprehensive, best-organized list of upcoming Central Ohio car shows, cruise-ins, meet-ups, and bike events you’ll find anywhere online.

Don’t miss a single event — bookmark it and stay in the loop all season long.

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

NEWS AND NOTES

Saturday’s weather forecast forced the postponement of at least four events, including the Darana (National Trail Raceway) Test ‘n Tune. Fortunately, the rain held off just long enough for several Cars and Coffee meet ups to go on as planned.

Here are some of the cars that risked getting wet at Springfield Cars & Coffee, hosted at Mershon’s.

Thirty-seven miles to the east, Marysville Cars & Coffee kicked off its season at C&N Motor Cars.

Cruisin' with the King:

On Saturday evening, the Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club kicked off its 45th year of monthly car shows at Burger King in Marysville, Ohio.

On the positive side, most of the rain showers had moved through the area by show time. Unfortunately, temperatures took a sharp nose dive, dropping into the upper 40s by 8 PM. Between the earlier rain and the unseasonably cold conditions, turnout was light, with just 21 cars in attendance, including 18 that officially registered.

Here are some of the rides the braved the rain and cold to attend the first Cruisin' with the King show of the season:

Bikes, Hot Dogs and Slot Car Racing:

RedFrog Classics Auto Repair in Westerville, Ohio played host to the Columbus Area Vintage Motorcycle Club (CAVMC) on Saturday afternoon for a laid-back gathering that featured hot dogs, slot car racing, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the shop. Events like this continue to highlight the strong sense of community within the local vintage motorcycle scene. Thanks to Tim McGeehan for sharing a great set of photos from the afternoon.

Kickstands & Octane:

Despite chilly temperatures, the first Kickstands & Octane meet-up of the season saw a solid turnout on Sunday. The new weekly gathering will rotate between Grumpy’s Coffee Garage and Main Ground Coffee, both located in Groveport, Ohio, giving local motorcycle enthusiasts a regular spot to connect throughout the season. Thanks to Kelly Cossin for sharing her photos from the event.

Import Face-Off:

At the Import Face-Off, Bling Amobi Breezy and the StreetKingz crew made a strong statement with an impressive showing across multiple classes. Bling Amobi’s “VetteZilla” stood out among a field of high-level builds, taking home both Best Domestic and Best Install honors.

StreetKingz also secured the Largest Club award, reinforcing their growing presence at regional events. Several other club members added to the trophy count, with awards going to Best Euro, Best Truck, Best Stance, and a Second Place finish in Best Import.

By all accounts, it was another successful outing for the group.

That’s it for this week. Hopefully, the weather will be a little more cooperative next weekend and allow for a full slate of events.

Special thanks to Jeff Shankle, Brent Miller, Kelly Cossin, Bling Amobi Breezy, and Tim McGeehan for contributing their photos to this week’s News and Notes.

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

Published on
1954 Corvette - Owners: Steve Tidwell & Nancy

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

Last week we lost another Central Ohio Cruiser. Calvin Rowland Jr of Urbana passed away on April 21, 2023, after a battle with cancer.

Many of you will recognize Calvin by his 1952 Chevy and 1987 GMC pickups. Calvin participated in shows all over Central Ohio with his trucks.

Our condolences go out to his family. Calvin will be missed.

Paul Radeuge Memorial Car Show:

Despite less than-ideal weather for a car show, some 60-plus cars attended the Paul Radeuge Memorial Car Show on April 23rd at the Outerbelt Brewing in Carroll, Ohio.

The Best of Show award went to Blake Behrens and his 1949 Chevy Business Coupe.

Import Face-Off (Spring):

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Import Face-Off may well be the second largest car event in Central Ohio after Goodguys.

Check out these photos from the event posted on the "TheFloat" website. The crowd is very impressive considering how cold and dreary it was that day.

For the second year in a row, the C6 Corvette belonging to Bling Amobi Breezy of the Street Kingz Car Club took Best Install and Best in Show at the Import Face-Off. Congratulations!

Logan Church of the Nazarene Car & Vendor Show:

Early morning showers didn't stop 40 cars from participating in the Logan Church of the Nazarene Car & Vendor Show on Saturday in Logan, Ohio.

Our good friend, Dale Pearce, and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup received the Best Antique Truck award.

The Best of Show award went to Greg Simons and his 1962 Mercury Monterey.

Dick Ater Memorial Jaguar Jubilee:

Dan "Boots" Longenette and the Auto Smarts Cruise & Ride crew presided over the Dick Ater Memorial Jaguar Jubilee Car Show in Springfield, Ohio on Saturday.

The show registered 70 vehicles. The show featured a nice silent auction with many items made from cut steel. Refreshments were provided by 4-5 food trucks on site. As you can see from the photo below, some of the awards presented were not your typical trophy or plaque.

Here's a small slideshow of some of the cars from the Dick Ater Jaguar Jubilee. A big thanks to Dave Bratton for sharing his photos from the show.

Masonic Lodge 475/VFW 3761 Car Show:

Shaun "Big Dawg" Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers hosted their first show of the season on Sunday in Baltimore, Ohio. The show had approximately 35 cars in attendance. Dale Pearce's 1950 3100 Chevy pickup took home the Best of Show honors. Dale had a very good weekend.

Finally, our good friend, Phil Monroe, and his 1971 Dodge Challenger RT received the Peoples Choice Award at the London Walmart Show on Sunday.

If anyone participated in the Toy Barn Car Show on Sunday, please share your experience in the comment section. I'm sure there was a good crowd there.

Special thanks to Dave Bratton, Dale Pearce, Anthony Musick, and Bling Amobi Breezy for their help in putting together this week's report.

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