Events at Jim’s Custom VWs
For decades, some of the best days at Jim’s Custom VWs have been the ones when the parking lot and field are filled with Volkswagens. What started as a way to bring local VW enthusiasts together has grown into three annual traditions that draw air-cooled Volkswagen owners, collectors, families, parts hunters and longtime friends from throughout Ohio and beyond. Whether you come to show your VW, hunt for parts, swap stories or simply spend the day surrounded by classic Volkswagens, there’s always something happening at Jim’s.
Spring Sale & Swap Meet
Est. 2000 | Third Saturday in April
The story behind Jim’s annual Spring Sale & Swap Meet is about more than Volkswagens — it’s about starting over.
In the summer of 1999, Jim’s Custom VWs burned to the ground. But Jim didn’t give up. He rebuilt, and in April 2000, Jim’s celebrated a grand reopening with a brand-new 6,000-square-foot building. That celebration became the very first Spring Sale & Swap Meet.
More than 25 years later, the tradition continues every April, bringing air-cooled Volkswagen enthusiasts together to kick off another VW season. The day is filled with parts, projects, swap vendors and plenty of VW conversation. Whether you’re searching for that hard-to-find piece, getting a Beetle or Bus ready for summer, or just ready to get back around fellow VW people after a long Northeast Ohio winter, it’s a great way to start the season.
What began as a celebration of rebuilding has become one of Jim’s longest-running annual traditions — and a pretty fitting reminder that you can’t keep a good VW guy down.
Buckeye German Jubilee
Est. 1994 | Second Saturday in July
The Buckeye German Jubilee is the big one.
What started decades ago as a gathering of Volkswagen enthusiasts has grown into one of Jim’s longest-running traditions and a destination for the air-cooled VW community. The show brings hundreds of Volkswagens to Columbiana, Ohio, filling the grounds with Beetles, Buses, Karmann Ghias, Type 3s, custom builds and just about every variation of classic air-cooled VW imaginable.
But the Jubilee has never been only about the cars. Swap vendors, parts, food, old friends and generations of VW families are all part of what makes the day special. Some people come from hours away, and many return year after year.
Everybody seems to have a Volkswagen story. For one Saturday every July, this is where hundreds of those stories come together.
Bugtober Fest
Est. 2016 | First Saturday in October
We close out the VW show season the only way that seems appropriate around here — with Volkswagens and a little Halloween fun.
Bugtober Fest combines an air-cooled VW show, swap meet and fall gathering with a family-friendly Halloween atmosphere. Bring out the VW, decorate it for the season and enjoy one more day with the air-cooled community before Northeast Ohio weather reminds us that winter is coming.
One of the highlights is trunk-or-treating, so everyone is encouraged to dress up and make their way through the decorated Volkswagens. Owners can get creative with their cars too, making this show a little different every year.
It’s laid-back, family-friendly and just weird enough to be exactly what you’d expect when Volkswagen people celebrate Halloween.
More Than Car Shows
These events have become part of the history of Jim’s Custom VWs because they’re about more than putting cars in rows.
They’re where someone finds the impossible-to-find part they’ve been hunting for. Where a kid sees a row of Beetles for the first time. Where somebody runs into a friend they haven’t seen since last year’s show. And where you’ll inevitably hear, “My parents had one of these…”
That’s the air-cooled Volkswagen community Jim has been part of since 1989, and we’re proud to give it a place to come together year after year.
Bring your VW. Bring your stories. We’ll see you at Jim’s.