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1951 Ford F-1 Pickup - Owners: Annette & Pete Lieb
1951 Ford F-1 Pickup - Owners: Annette & Pete Lieb

This week wraps up another month of the 2026 show season, and the final third officially begins on Saturday. The biggest attraction will undoubtedly be the Mopar Nationals at Darana/National Trail Raceway, along with the many cruise-ins and parties surrounding one of Central Ohio’s premier automotive events. While Monday offers a chance to catch your breath, the rest of the week is packed with car shows, cruise-ins, bike nights, and special events. There’s simply no excuse not to get out and enjoy an event or two this week.


Monday (July 27th):

  • No Events Found

Tuesday (July 28th):

Wednesday (July 29th):

Thursday (July 30th):

Friday (July 31st):

Saturday (August 1st):

Sunday (August 2nd):


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

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


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NEWS AND NOTES

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

You know it’s going to be a big evening when you arrive shortly before 4:00 PM, the main field is already full, and two rows of vehicles have formed on the overflow field. And indeed, it was a huge evening, with 551 vehicles in attendance. The turnout was so impressive that even the Plain City and Columbus Police stopped by to check it out.

I don’t think there were ever fewer than 10 people standing in line at the food concession all evening, and Wayne was back in his dress jeans and boots thanks to the cooler temperatures.

As usual, the variety and quality of the vehicles on display were outstanding. Here’s a sampling of Thursday evening’s cars and trucks from the combined photos taken by Tom Lawrence, Bryan Mauger, and yours truly.

Next week is Corvette week with three clubs participating. The long range forecast looks good so expect another big turnout.

Friday Night NAPA Cruise-In:

The first Friday Night NAPA Cruise-In of the season took place in Hilliard on Friday evening.

About 30 vehicles turned out to enjoy pleasant summer weather and good conversation. There was definitely a Mustang vibe, with Fords making up the largest group of cars in attendance. The second most represented brands were Porsche and Corvette, with three examples of each, followed by Dodge with two of its newest muscle cars—one all-electric Charger Daytona and one gas-powered Charger Sixpack.

While the turnout was modest compared to some of the area’s larger cruise-ins, it provided a relaxed atmosphere where participants had plenty of time to visit with fellow enthusiasts and take a close look at the vehicles on display.

Here are a few of the cars that caught our attention Friday evening.

Blackwing Summer Blast Car Show:

The Blackwing Shooting Center in Delaware hosted its annual Summer Blast on Saturday, featuring a car show, a large retail sale, and a raffle with premium prizes. Manufacturer representatives were also on hand to showcase their latest products and answer questions from attendees. Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Little Ladies Ice Cream provided food and refreshments throughout the day, and every registered show vehicle received a door prize ticket. Proceeds from the car show benefited youth shooting sports.

This year’s show attracted one of its best turnouts, with approximately 115 registered vehicles. The Shooting Center presented 10 specialty awards, including Eye Catcher, Under Construction, Greaser’s Choice, Most Unique, Coolest Drop Top Ever, Ladies’ Favorite, Favorite Truck, Favorite Car, Favorite Engine, and the Blackwing Show Favorite.

Before getting to the award-winning vehicles, one of the cooler sights at the show was a group of five Chrysler 300s that arrived together and parked side by side. It’s not often you see that many first-generation 300s together in one place.

Now on to this year’s award-winning vehicles.

Not Pictured: BEST ENGINE: 1970 Chevy Chevelle with a 454

And finally, the Blackwing's Show Favorite went to Greg Nobis and his 1951 Hudson Hornet.

CONTINUE READING

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1959 Corvette Convertible - Owner: Larry Souslin

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NEWS AND NOTES

After some much-needed rain showers on Friday, the weather on Saturday and Sunday was just about ideal for the many car shows on the schedule.

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

After a slow start, the weekly cruise-in at the restaurant pulled in 327 cars on Thursday. A good portion of them showed up after 5:30 pm.

Next week there will be the regular cruise-in on Thursday and then the annual Coffee and Donuts Cruise-In on Saturday morning from 9 - 11:30 AM. It's my once-a-year treat to a Der Dutchman cream-filled long John Donut. Can't wait!

Richwood Bank Coffee & Cars Cruise-In:

The Richwood Bank in Delaware, Ohio hosted its final Coffee & Cars Cruise-In of the season on Saturday.

There were approximately 25 cars in attendance despite the chilly early morning temperatures.

Along with the Coffee Shop specials inside the bank, there were also raffle prizes at the end of the cruise-in. The prizes included buckets of car care products, pizza coupons, and a $100 gift card to an auto repair and maintenance shop.

Greg Nobis won the grand prize of car care products and an assortment of adult spirits.

It was a good end to Richwood Bank Coffee & Cars Cruise-Ins for 2024.

Nite the Lite Car Show:

The 39th Nite the Lite Car Show took place on the historic Courthouse Square in Newark, Ohio on Saturday.

The show is hosted by the Newark Rodders Car Club and Matheny family.

This year the show registered 570 cars with more than 630 in attendance.

Part of the proceeds from the show go to support lighting the Courthouse with festive Christmas lights during the holiday season.

This is a judged show with the judging carried out by the sponsors of the trophies. This year had more than one hundred four and six foot trophies.

Some six foot winners included Dr. Ron Rogers with his 1968 Dodge Charger.

Kevin Foust's 1941 Dodge WC 40 Military Weapons Carrier.

Gerald Wicker and his 2005 Chevy Silverado pickup.

Here are more of the fantastic rides that attended the Lite the Nite Car Show:

READ THE REST OF NEWS & NOTES

1978 Ford Thunderbird - Owner: John Van Ness

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NEWS AND NOTES

This week's News and Notes covers events from Alexandria to Sunbury, Ohio. It includes a show that's just a little different than most.

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

283 cars made it out to the Der Dutchman Cruise-In in Plain City, Ohio this past Thursday.

The car that caught my attention this week was this 1931 Buick 96 Opera Coupe belonging to Tom and Dana Kromer.

Here are some of the other beautiful rides from the cruise-in:

Honda Motorsports Bike & Car Night/NAPA Pop-Up Cruise:

Two car meet-ups took place on Friday evening. One at Honda Motorsport in Marysville, Ohio, and the other at the NAPA Auto Parts store in Hilliard, Ohio.

This month Honda Motorsports had about 20 motorcycles show up and only seven cars. Food was still free from the Triple P Barbeque Co. food truck and so was the opportunity to have your motorcycle dyno'd.

There were more than six times the number of cars at the NAPA Pop-up Cruise. Attendance surpassed 45 cars during the evening.

There weren't any kids riding bikes in between the cars at this meet-up.

Heels & Wheels Car Show: (WARNING SOME ADULT CONTENT)

The Vanity Gentlemen's Club in Columbus, Ohio hosted its 10th Annual Heels & Wheels Car Show on Saturday.

Registration was $15 and included a door prize ticket. I will say Heels & Wheels had the best door prizes of any show I've attended this season.

One of the door prizes was a golf bag! You don't see too many of those given away at car shows.

The show ended up registering 78 cars. There were awards not only for the cars and bikes but also for the ladies.

Voted on by the crowd, the ladies competed for Best Breasts, Best Butt, Best Legs, and Hottie of the Show.

The ladies selected the cars to receive awards. The awards included Best Back Seat, Best Topless Ride, Best Rear End, Best Babe Magnet -- you get the picture. Not your typical Best GM, Best Ford, or Best Truck awards. There was also a Best of Show for the cars/trucks and a Best of Show for the motorcycles.

Food and refreshments could be purchased from the food stand set up outside the club. I'm told the hot dogs were especially good. Of course, adult beverages could be purchased inside the club.

The ladies were available to pose for photos with your car during the show. Tipping the ladies was strongly encouraged.

Here are the crowds' choices for Best Breasts, Best Butt, Best Legs, and Hottie of the Show:

The Star of the Show Award went to Jasmine for her help judging the vehicles and being the MC for the awards presentation.

THE CAR AWARDS:

THE BIKE AWARDS:

BEST OF SHOW - CARS/TRUCKS:

Kevin Foust's 1941 Dodge WC 40 Military Weapons Truck.

BEST OF SHOW - BIKES:

Bruce Hoover's 2010 Harley Electra Glide.

Crossroads Saturday and Sunday Shows:

Frank Russell and the Crossroads Events team hosted two car shows this past weekend. On Saturday they were in Newark, Ohio hosting the monthly show at the Earthworks Cafe at Newark Station.

The Veteran Owned Vehicle Award went to Mike Holcombe and his 1970 Chevy Nova "Gezr Cab".

The 1932 Ford B of Jeff Cole received the Best of Show Honors.

On Sunday, the Crossroads team traveled from Newark to Dublin, Ohio to host the Air Force One/Custom Air Skilled Trades Cruise-In.

There were 56 vehicles in attendance. Anyone who registered a vehicle received a goody bag and a free t-shirt from Air Force One/Custom Air. They also received a $5.00 discount on food and refreshments at JD's Farmhouse Cafe & Creamery food truck.

The Nationwide Children's/Sunny 95 Cool Treat Truck was also at the show passing out free cold treats.

At the end of the show, the Crossroads Team presented 31 awards. Four of those 31 awards were custom-made trophies from Air Force One for Best Car, Best Truck, Best Bike, and Best of Show.

Heny Ours received the Veteran Owned Vehicle Award with his 1949 Ford Panel Delivery Truck.

The Best Car Award went to Jim McGruder's 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray.

The 1953 Chevy 3100 pickup belonging to Dean Maisenbacher was selected as Best Truck.

Allen Parker's 2019 Harley Davidson FLFBS Fat Boy received The Best Bike Award.

Best of Show honors went to Chris Kraner and his 1970 Ford Torino GT.

Here are the rest of the vehicles from the show:

CONTINUE READING THE REST OF NEWS AND NOTES

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1967 Ford Bronco - Owner: Dan Stephens

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NEWS AND NOTES

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

There were 166 cars in attendance this week. Not bad considering how damn hot it was on Thursday.

There was a birthday celebration for Wayne Nisly who manages the cruise-in. Wayne turned 85 this week. He received a rocking chair with the name of the cruise-in engraved on the back.

We also found out that Wayne collects die-cast cars. He brought some of his collection to the cruise-in. It just so happened he received a few more cars as a birthday gift. What a coincidence.

Heels and Wheels Car and Bike Show:

On Saturday the Vanity Gentlemens Club in Columbus, Ohio hosted its 9th annual Heels and Wheels Car and Bike Show. The Garden on Bethel Rd and 7th Gear Exotics helped sponsor the show.

Held in the parking lot behind the club, the show registered 61 cars and bikes. Everyone that registered received a door prize ticket. The door prizes consisted of tools and buckets of car care products.

Adult beverages were available inside the club and food could be purchased outside at the show.

The Vanity Girls were happy to pose for photos with your car.

There were seven awards for the bikes and 11 awards for the cars plus a Best of Show. In addition to the car and Bike awards, the Vanity Girls also competed for awards. These included Best Butt, Best Breasts, Best Legs, and Overall Hottie.

Here are the motorcycle Awards:

The Car Awards:

The Best of Show Award went to Jamie Riffitt and Jackson Willoughby with a 1969 Camaro.

Purple Door Car Show:

The Purple Door Church in Grove City, Ohio held its 20th Annual Purple Door Car Show took on Saturday.

The show registered 109 cars this year. The Best of Show Award went to Ralph Carle with a 1959 Chevy El Camino.

Auto Smarts Radio Upper Deck Cruise-in:

Right around the corner from the Purple Door Show was the Upper Deck Cruise-in hosted by Auto Smarts radio.

The Show had 115 cars in attendance.

Just like Heels and Wheels, the Upper Deck Cruise-in had several lovely young ladies happy to pose for photos with your car.

For the second weekend in a row, Dale Pearce's 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup received the Best Truck Award, and Jason and Debbie Blankenship's 1959 Chevy Apache pickup took home Best of Show.

Blackwing Summer Blast Car Show:

The Blackwing Shooting Center in Delaware, Ohio held its annual Summer Blast Car Show on Saturday.

There were about 65 cars in attendance. Eleven awards were presented at the conclusion of the show.

Here's a sample of the cars that attended the show:

The Best Car in Show award went to the 1968 Chevy Camaro belonging to Tim Inscho.

Air Force One / Custom Air Skilled Trades Cruise-In:

With the help of Dan "Boots" Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Team, Air Force One/Custom Air held its first cruise-in at its headquarters in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday.

Air Force One (AFO) is a commercial HVAC contractor. Custom Air is the residential side of the business. The purpose of the show was to help bring awareness to the skilled trades.

There were a total of 71 cars in attendance.

Food trucks from Roosters and the Grilled Cheese Gangster provided food and refreshments during the show.

Boots and Mindy Drayer broadcast their radio show live from the cruise-in.

During the show, someone with the help of another cruiser vandalized the license plate on my Camaro.

Unlike the cocaine left at the White House, there is overwhelming evidence of who the culprits were in this vicious attack on my car.

Getting back to the cruise-in.

Along with the usual trophies for the picks from Auto Smarts, Pepsi, Jegs, and Cruisin' Classics, were custom, handmade trophies. Members of the AFO/Custom Air team selected the cars to receive the custom trophies.

Here are the Auto Smarts "Top" Picks:

The AFO/Custom Air Custom Trophy Picks:

Best of Show went to Pete Lieb and his 1962 Chevy 409 Bel Air.

Other Area Car Shows:

  • Sabina Park Car Show had about 100 cars and trucks in attendance on Sunday. Awards were presented to the "Top" 25. Dale Pearce took home one Top 25 award with his 1950 Chevy 3100.

  • Several hundred cars attended the 43rd Annual Poor Man's Nationals at Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio on Sunday

That's it for this week. Here are the folks that helped put together the News and Notes:

  • Jeff Shankle
  • Dave Bratton
  • Dale Pearce
  • Russ Annis

I hope everyone has a good week! I'll see you again next week with a new report.

[shortcode-weather-atlas city_selector=2374169 layout="horizontal" header="Central Ohio Forecast" background_color="#efefef" text_color="#336699" font_size="16px" style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, "DejaVu Sans", sans-serif;" daily=5 current=0]

1968 Ford Torino GT Convertible Indy Pace Car - Owner: Phil Chmelovsky

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NEWS AND NOTES

Der Dutchman Cruise-In:

After a week's hiatus because of standing water in the field from heavy rains, the weekly cruise-in returned on Thursday with 206 cars in attendance.

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show:

Creative Automotive and the Advanced Auto Parts store in Marysville, Ohio hosted their July car show on Friday.

The show had 26 cars in attendance and raised $110 for the local food pantries.

The big hit of the evening was the little dog that stood guard over its owner's motorcycle while he looked at the cars. It rode on the bike between the handlebars and windshield.

The store manager's three picks this month were Scott Haring's 1964 Chevy Impala SS, Hunter Collier's 1990 Chevy S10 pickup, and Mel DeJarnette's 1950 Ford F1 panel truck.

Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride at Ten Pin Alley:

Dan "Boots" Longenette and the Auto Smarts Cruise and Ride team hosted the first of two car shows at Ten Pin Alley in Hilliard, Ohio.

Approximately 60 cars attended the show on Friday evening.

The Best of Show award went to Wesley Bach with a 1952 Chevy Pickup. Wesley is the Grandson of the Late Cal Rowland who passed away in April. Wesley inherited his Grandfather's 1952 Chevy and 1987 GMC Pickups and has begun taking them to shows this summer.

Here are some of the other cars from the show photographed from a different perspective by Dave Bratton's daughter, Kelly.

Cruise-In with the King Car Show:

The Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club hosted its July car show Saturday evening at the Burger King off State Rt 31 in Marysville, Ohio.

Scattered showers around the area for much of the afternoon and evening kept attendance down. The club registered 20 cars with probably another 10 showing up that didn't register.

Each month the club presents award plaques to its "Favorite 15" that register.

Here are this month's "Favorites".

Picktown Palooza Car, Truck, and Bike Show:

Jeff Duncan and his 1970 Chevy Nova received the Best of Show honors at the Picktown Palooza Car, Truck, and Bike Show in Pickerington, Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

Jeff is from the Marion, Ohio area. On his way home from the Picktown show, he stopped by the Burger King in Marysville. As any GOOD reporter would do, I took the opportunity to take a photo of Jeff, his car, and the Best of Show trophy.

The wet afternoon forecast didn't deter 50 cars from attending the Picktown Palooza show.

Lancaster Car Scene (LCS) Car Show:

Outerbelt Brewing in Carroll, Ohio was the scene of the Lancaster Car Scene (LCS) show on Sunday.

The show registered 56 cars. Awards were presented to the "Top 30" along with Ladies Choice, Best Truck, Best Import, Best Muscle, Best Motorcycle, Top Club, and of course, Best of Show.

These were the "Best of" winners:

Jason and Deb Blankenship's 1959 Chevy Apache also received the Best Truck award at Picktown Palooza on Saturday.

The Top Club award went to the Hi-Way Starz.

John Picken's 1931 Ford Roadster took home the Best of Show award.

Choctaw Lake Car Show:

The biggest event on Sunday was the first annual Choctaw Lake Car Show in London, Ohio.

The show was organized by the Sheriff deputies of the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

With the lake as background, the show registered 167 vehicles.

Food and refreshments were provided by 5-6 food trucks which included one from Schmidt's Sausage Haus.

The show presented 12 awards. The two biggest were Best of Show and the William "Bill" Wolfe Memorial Award.

The Best of Show award went to Gary Vance with a 1933 Ford Victoria. Dave Bratton's 1937 Wild Rod Convertible received the William "Bill" Wolfe Award.

Here are some more cars and scenes from the show:

Other Area Shows:

  • The Plumbwood Church of Christ in London, Ohio hosted its annual car show on Saturday. There were approximately 20 cars in attendance. There was a rare sighting of Jimmy Carmean wiping off his car. It paid off as Jimmy's car received the Pastor's Choice Award.

  • The OP Bar and Grill in Marysville, Ohio hosted its first annual Cruise-In on Sunday. There were 31 cars in attendance. The top three winners received gift cards to the bar and grill. The top gift card went to Tim Inscho and his 1968 Chevy Camaro.

  • The first annual Bob Helsel Car Show took place on Sunday at the Buckeye Lake Moose 2434 Lodge in Thornport, Ohio. The show registered 94 cars. Judging was by People's Choice.
  • The Miami Valley Steam Threshers were at Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio for its Vintage Truck & Car Show. The show had an excellent turnout. The tractor and truck pulls looked like a lot of fun.


Whew! There was a lot to report on this week even with the rain on Saturday.

Here are the folks who helped put together this week's News and Notes:

  • Jeff Shankle
  • Dave Bratton
  • Kelly Bratton
  • Tim Inscho
  • Dale Pearce

I hope everyone has a good week! I'll see you next week with a new report.

[shortcode-weather-atlas city_selector=2374169 layout="horizontal" header="Central Ohio Forecast" background_color="#efefef" text_color="#336699" font_size="16px" style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, "DejaVu Sans", sans-serif;" daily=5 current=0]