Wilkesville fish fry and car show returns for 70th year
Wilkesville’s fish fry and car show will again raise money for its volunteer fire department, which helps cover the equipment and support rural emergency response.
The fish fry and car show that helps keep the Wilkesville Volunteer Fire Department supplied and supported is returning to Village Park for its 70th year, with proceeds benefiting the department that serves Wilkesville and much of the surrounding area.
The annual fundraiser is set for Saturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fish will be served starting at 11 a.m., making the meal the center of the day, not just an add-on to the cars. The car show will be presented by the Jackson County Gear Grinders, and earlier promotional information listed a $10 registration fee, with registration open from 9 a.m. to noon and awards scheduled for 2 p.m.
Awards for the show have included plaques for the top 20 entries, along with special plaques for Best Paint, Best Interior, Best Engine Bay and Best of Show. For car-show information, organizers have listed Don Newsome at 740-669-8900, and for the fish fry, John Wood at 740-669-7108.
Beyond the food and chrome, the event carries real weight for a village in the very southern tip of Vinton County, where county materials describe Wilkesville as one of the county’s special places. Vinton County emergency services still rely on one central EMS squad station and several volunteer fire departments, which makes local fundraisers like this one part of the public safety system, not just community entertainment.
That is why turnout matters. The Wilkesville Volunteer Fire Department needs not only volunteers, but also steady community backing to help with equipment, operations and the practical costs of keeping emergency response ready in a rural area. The Wilkesville Township Volunteer Fireman’s Association, Inc. was incorporated in Ohio on Nov. 23, 1981, underscoring how long the community has organized around that need.
County event listings say many people treat the day as a homecoming, using it to visit with friends and reconnect with neighbors. That mix of dinner, car show and reunion has given the fish fry staying power for nearly seven decades, and it remains one of the clearest examples of how Wilkesville keeps its public safety network and its small-town social life tied together.
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