Truck show set to roll through Amish Country
When the night moves in, the lights come on, much to the thrill of the thousands of people who line the route of the TFC Global Ohio Truck Show. This year’s Parade of Lights will take place Friday, Oct. 1.
Usually when someone encounters long traffic lines around Holmes County, it makes for some angry people.
However, one long line of traffic will be welcomed with open arms when the Transport for Christ Global brings its 29th annual Ohio Truck Show to Amish Country on Oct. 1.
The Ohio Truck Show, which for years has been more well known as the Parade of Lights, has become increasingly popular among fans, many of whom have made this event a family affair. Those who anticipate the traveling truck show have built picnics, family gatherings, barbecues and more around this event, setting up chairs, and many people stand to watch as hundreds of large vehicles roll by with horns blaring, drivers and passengers waving, and plenty of love and gratitude for those who showed up to support the show.
Jason Nussbaum, TFC Global lead chaplain at the Lodi chapel, said the drivers always look forward to this event because they get to shine their trucks and join a line-up of drivers who all share one thing in common.
“This is something that these drivers really look forward to each year, and missing last year due to COVID was tough,” Nussbaum said. “They were disappointed, but they understood, but I think it was a letdown for both the drivers and the people who come to watch the parade.”
The event will remain much like it has been the past number of years. The event will once again begin at the Kidron Auction Barn, with trucks arriving between 2-5:30 p.m. The Parade of Lights will officially begin at 6 p.m., and the parade of trucks will roll south on Kidron Road into Holmes County. The parade will then head west on state Route 241 into Mt. Hope, where it will veer off on County Road 77 to Bunker Hill. The tour continues to state Route 62 into Berlin, where it will take a right at the light, heading west to County Road 201 just west of Berlin. Rolling on north, the parade will go to Fryburg, where it will then turn east on state Route 241 back into Mt. Hope.
Drivers return to Mt. Hope Auction at approximately 7:45 p.m., and the public is invited to join them for a chicken barbecue, which will begin at 4 p.m. with other food and the live music of Finishline Bluegrass.
Nussbaum said by selling chicken starting at 4 p.m., families can pick up chicken, take it home and eat before or during the parade. In addition, there will be a raffle ticket auction for several items that evening with a drawing at 10 p.m.
While much of the event is the same, there are some key changes, one of the biggest coming as part of the change of date from summer to fall.
“A lot of it stems from when we can set things up with the Mt. Hope Auction barn,” Nussbaum said. “We usually have our event in summer, but in talking with drivers, summer is always very busy, and they thought if we could do it in October, the weather would still be nice, and it would be a less hectic time of the year.”
While it may be a bit cooler for fans, Nussbaum said one big advantage will be the sun will set far earlier in October than it did in July, meaning the lights will come on and shine brightly that much sooner, which is what many fans love.
“We are leaving a bit earlier to still maintain some sunlight for people who want to see the trucks in the daylight, but having it in the fall, by the time they get late into the parade, it should be dark and people can experience the joy of seeing the lights,” Nussbaum said. “It’s quite a spectacle. We know many people come to see the lights.”
Nussbaum also said they eliminated the Saturday portion of the event, which would normally see them host an auction and do the chicken barbecue.
“We felt it was better to move it to a one-day event this year,” Nussbaum said. “We’ll see how it goes. We moved the chicken barbecue to Friday night and discarded the auction, but for the most part, the basics remain the same.”
Nussbaum said over the years the trucking industry has changed, and currently, there are many companies seeking drivers because it is not an easy job, with more and more pressure being put on drivers to move product quickly because of the shortage of drivers.
He said because of that pressure, this event is nice because it brings all the drivers together for an entertaining evening where they can show off their rigs while connecting with people who share the same passion for driving.
“It can be uplifting, and it creates a real sense of camaraderie among the drivers because they all share the same responsibilities and demands while on the road, and they understand how tough it can be at times,” Nussbaum said. “It’s such a fast-paced job, and it can wear drivers down, so we enjoy giving them a chance to relax and have a night of fun that was made just for them.”
This past year TFC Global changed its name, expanding the name and rebranding the name of the event to the Ohio Truck Show. However, the purpose of TFC Global remains entrenched in its commitment to connecting with drivers on the road and giving them a sense of peace and sharing of faith when they stop at one of the many TFC Global stops all over the nation.
“We’ve been blessed to serve so many drivers and share with them throughout the years,” Nussbaum said.
If someone wants to donate to the TFC Global mission, they can do so by visiting its Facebook page or online at www.tfcglobal.org, where there are links that give people a chance to denote exactly where they would like their donation to go.