Barnyard Buddies 4-H brings back McArthur car and bike show

Chrome, custom paint and motorcycles returned to West Elementary as the Barnyard Buddies 4-H Club staged its fifth annual Car and Bike Show in McArthur. The June 20 fundraiser ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 57772 U.S. 50, with Fry Me Crazy serving food on the school grounds.

The show kept its formula aimed at both builders and spectators. Vehicle entry cost $15, and organizers put more than 16 trophies on the line along with $100 in cash awards. The award list included Best Overall, Best Modern for 2005 and newer vehicles, class winners for Chevy, Ford, Mopar and motorcycles, six Best of Decade trophies and four People’s Choice awards.

Early entrants also had something extra to chase. The first 20 registered participants were set to receive event T-shirts, while the first 75 got dash plaques, details that have helped make the Barnyard Buddies show a repeat draw for drivers who want both recognition and a keepsake. Spectators were welcome too, turning the school lot into a daylong stop for families, collectors and casual visitors.

The event also carried a purpose beyond the display rows. Barnyard Buddies 4-H framed the show as a fundraiser that supports youth development, a mission that lines up with OSU Extension Vinton County’s description of 4-H as part of the county’s youth development programming. That gave the car and bike show a place in the club’s work with young people, not just in the local summer calendar.

The 2026 event followed a pattern already familiar to Vinton County. In 2025, the same show was billed as the club’s fourth annual car show at West Elementary, with $200 in cash prizes, a $50 cash door prize, shirts for the first 20 registrants and dash plaques for the first 75. Earlier, in 2023, the Barnyard Buddies group described its second annual fundraising Car Show and Community Day as a broader gathering that also included a vendor fair with $15 spots and concessions such as chicken noodles, hot dogs, sloppy joes and a bake sale.

By its fifth year, the McArthur show had become more than a row of parked vehicles. It combined a low-cost entry, a family-friendly afternoon and a direct link to local 4-H work, which helps explain why Barnyard Buddies has kept bringing it back to West Elementary.