Expanded selection of 12 food vendors; special car and history displays

FROM FACEBOOK__The Bluffton Lions Club will host the 58th annual Bluffton Festival of Wheels in downtown Bluffton begining at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19. This event is held rain or shine on Main St. and adjacent blocks.

The show is open to antique and classic cars, trucks, tractors, fire engines and motorcycles and is made possible with the support of 19 sponsors from Bluffton, Lima and Findlay, listed below.

Coordinator Dan Groman notes that there were 180 cars in 2025, and that you never know what people will bring. The 2025 Best of Show was Susan Gibson's Olds Cutlass 442 convertible, which appears on this year's dash plaques and awards.

Two special entries in 2026 are Ohio State Highway Patrol cruisers, a 1970 Plymouth and a 1976 Plymouth. One of the cars is owned by a cast member from the film The Shawshank Redemption. These cars will be on display near the registration tent on Cherry St.

Larry Reichenbach will display a 1959 Corvette that he donated to the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America in memory of his late wife Judy. The car will be entered in an online auction (BringATrailer.com) to raise funds for UNOH automotive major scholarships. Groman explains that these future service providers are essential for old-car hobbyists.

Also on view will be the Allen County jail cell that housed gangster John Dillinger, who robbed Bluffton's Citizens National Bank in 1933. The cell has been donated to the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society, which is fundraising to establish a museum to display the cell and other Bluffton artifacts.

SCHEDULE
Main Street opens for vehicle entry parking at 1:00 p.m., with registration taking place from 1-5:00 p.m. Registration is $12.00.

Judging of vehicles begins at 5:00 p.m. Awards, including the Top 25 and special trophies, will be announced at 7:30 p.m.

Activities include food vendors (listed below), 50/50 raffle and dash plaques to the first 250 registered. A live mariachi band will perform at Campito Lindo restaurant beginning at 5:00 p.m.

The Bluffton Celebrates America 250 committee will host a drone light show at Harmon Field at approximately 9:00 p.m.

SPONSORS

FOOD VENDORS