File Photos by Eric Ayres The annual Maynard Father’s Day Classic Car, Truck and Bike Show will return for the first time in two years on Sunday at the Maynard Ballfield. Vintage vehicles of all kinds will be on hand, and oldies music will fill the air, as will the aroma of signature flame-grilled rib and chicken dinners.

MAYNARD — A bona fide family tradition will make a triumphant return this weekend as the annual Maynard Father’s Day Classic Car, Truck and Bike Show rolls onto the Maynard Ballfield this Sunday.

A longtime landmark Father’s Day event in the Ohio Valley, the annual celebration of dads and vintage vehicles has been on hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on public gatherings two years ago.

This year’s event, hosted by the Maynard Sportsman Club, is ready to rev the engine on a bid to return to form and a grand kickoff to the summer season.

“We’re hoping to have a good turnout this year,” Howard Stoner, president of the Maynard Sportsman Club, said.

Stoner noted that in the past, local car clubs helped spearhead the car cruise.

This year, however, the Sportsman Club is sponsoring the cruise, which features judging by non-professionals.

Registration for classic car, truck and bike owners will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Maynard Ballfield. Judging will be over pre-1989 cars, trucks and bikes.

Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. in categories that include Ladies Choice, Park Choice, 3 Bikes, Best of Show and Top 20.

While the car cruise is always a local favorite for the participating classic vehicle owners, the event itself is a local favorite for those who enjoy celebrating Father’s Day by spending time with their loved ones.

Once a booming coal mining town, Maynard today is a quiet, mostly residential neighborhood nestled in the Wheeling Creek valley just north of St. Clairsville off of Belmont County Road 5. Aside from American Legion baseball games and family gatherings at the Maynard Ballfield, the annual Father’s Day celebration is among the few events that draw fanfare to the town.

Marking the 24th annual event this year, the Maynard Father’s Day Classic Car, Truck and Bike Show is also one of the few – if not the only – traditional Father’s Day events that take place in the Ohio Valley each year.

As longtime fans of the event will attest, great dads and classic cars have a lot in common – they may be old, but their vintage characteristics usually boast qualities that are immeasurably admirable. The laid-back atmosphere of the Maynard car show for Father’s Day is always brimming with “dad vibes.”

During Sunday’s event, a DJ will be spinning oldies music from the ’50s, and there will be an array of traditional cuisine on hand for purchase.

“We’ll have 130 chicken dinners and about the same amount of rib dinners cooking for Sunday,” Stoner said, noting that there will be hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes, beverages and more, as well. “People have been happy to hear that we’re bringing it back. We’re really looking forward to it; it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

A 50/50 drawing and door prizes will also be available during the event.

For more information about the 24th Annual Maynard Ballfield Father’s Day Classic Car, Truck and Bike Show, contact the Maynard Sportsman’s Club at 740-695-9008.