Piece N Grease 2026: Rain, Rods, Pinups & Kissing an A$$

Kimmi Lynn
May 17
3 min read

By Gem City Pin Up Photography

If there is one thing Midwest folks know how to do, it’s stare directly at a questionable weather forecast and say, “Eh… we’re going anyway.”

Saturday, May 16th, we loaded up and headed to the Piece N Grease Car Show and Pinup Contest, hosted by the amazing crew at Piece N Grease. While the weather tried real hard to ruin everyone’s plans, Mother Nature eventually got bored around 1 PM, parted the skies, and the show rolled on.

And thank goodness it did.

Piece N Grease is more than a car show. This two-day event brought camping, live music, food vendors, a petting zoo courtesy of Little Patch of Heaven (a nonprofit doing good things while also providing tiny fluffy serotonin boosts), and enough shenanigans to keep everyone entertained all weekend long.

Now let’s talk about the real MVPs: the campers and attendees who stuck it out for the full two days.

The weather was less than stellar Saturday, but the people who showed up? Absolute troopers. Beautiful customs, hot rods, trucks, and project vehicles lined the grounds because apparently a little rain isn’t enough to scare off car people. Honestly, if you own a project vehicle, suffering a little seems to come with the territory.

See Photos of Car Show Here

The vehicles were incredible. Polished classics parked beside rough-around-the-edges builds still chasing their dreams. And somehow, every single owner was willing to talk about their vehicle for approximately three business days if you asked one question. We respect that level of passion.

The Pinup Contest: Mud, Heels & Community

This marked the second year of the Piece N Grease Pinup Contest, hosted by Jen of Piece N Grease, and despite the iffy weather forecast, the ladies showed UP.

Seasoned pinup veterans. First-time contestants. Women who probably packed one outfit and ended up adjusting plans because mud and fancy heels are mortal enemies.

And yet?

They gave one hell of a show.

As a spectator, one of my favorite moments wasn’t the fashion or stage presence—it was hearing contestants answer the question:

“What does pinup mean to you?”

Almost unanimously, the answers centered around one thing:

Community.

Family. Empowerment. Acceptance.

Link to See Contest Photos Here

The local pinup scene continues to prove that this space belongs to everyone—regardless of age, size, background, race, or experience level. Pinup isn’t just about victory rolls and lipstick. It’s about finding confidence and a group of people cheering you on.

That part? That’s pretty damn special.

Returning Greta Grenadine, the 2025 Miss Piece N Grease winner, was on sash-and-tiara duty, crowning the new winners for 2026.

Congratulations to the Top 3 and Crowd’s Choice winners.

But truthfully?

Everyone who stepped onto that stage won.

Getting in front of strangers, embracing the weather chaos, and showing up authentically takes guts. Especially when your carefully planned outfit meets Ohio mud.

A Note to Event Hosts Everywhere…

We hope Piece N Grease brings back the contest for a third year.

Our local community needs more contests. More opportunities. More weird little pockets where people discover confidence and friendships they didn’t know they needed.

And if you’re reading this thinking:

"Hmm… maybe I should host a pinup contest at my event..."

Do it.

Seriously.

If you host it, they will come.

(And maybe let us know, because we will absolutely help spread the word to the masses.)

Final Thoughts: We Planned to Leave Early…

We did not intend to stay long after the contest.

That was the plan.

The car scene had other ideas.

We met new friends, laughed a lot, got to kiss an ass (yes, an actual donkey at the petting zoo… dream fulfilled), and once again got sucked into the wonderfully strange orbit that is the automotive community.

Because somehow, car people and pinup people always end up feeling like family by the end of the day.

Rain and all, Piece N Grease delivered another memorable event.

Until next year… we’re crossing our fingers for Year 3.