Waukegan Talk

Waukegan Harbor Antique Show in the News-Sun.
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Long-running antiques show returns to harbor park
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August 21, 2009

By DAN MORAN <!-- e --><a href="mailtoMORAN@SCN1.COM">DMORAN@SCN1.COM</a><!-- e -->
WAUKEGAN — The annual Waukegan Harbor Antique Show can trace its origins to the late 1990s, when, Dan Traynoff recalled, he walked by “a beautiful little park on the lakefront, and there was a little art show there.”

That would be Siver Park, which sits on Waukegan Port District property just west of the Waukegan Yacht Club. The garden spot between the railroad tracks and the waterline has been home to the summertime festival almost every year since 1997.

Traynoff said he feels the free event — returning Sunday with more than 40 antiques and collectibles vendors — helps shatter a negative image of Waukegan, and he has at least one anecdote to prove it.




Dan Traynoff of Waukegan looks at a 1933 Chicago World's Fair umbrella that will be shown by Mary Miller of Lake Villa at the Waukegan Harbor Antique Show.


(Thomas Delany Jr./News-Sun)


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“I remember the very first year, the impression it left on me ... the power of a simple little special event,” he said. “I had a woman call me from Highland Park, (and) she said, ‘Is it safe for me to come down to Waukegan?’”

Traynoff said he told her that Waukegan was like any other urban area, with good areas and bad, so she came down to the literally tree-lined Siver Park. “Well, the day of the event, she came up to me (and) said, ‘Thank you for convincing me to come down.’ In a very direct way, she had a change in her impression of Waukegan.”

The lineup for this year’s edition, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes live performances from regional open-mic troubadour Chris Sipos at 9 a.m., the Highland Park Pops at noon and the Downhome Sophisticates at 2 p.m.

In addition, the Yacht Club will be open to the public for a buffet breakfast from 9 a.m. until noon, after which a beer garden will be open on the site. Along with admission, parking is free, with lots both west and south of the park.

As for the antiques, Traynoff said there is space for 44 vendors and the slots were filling up. And he said that “the more appropriate and accurate term (for the show) is ‘antiques and collectibles,’” since antiques are about 100 years old and collectibles such as 1950s toys are more and more in demand.

Congrats Danno - I know this event was important to you. And its a very good thing for Waukegan! I'm looking forward to it.

I should have at least combed my hair and maybe shaved. I thought my friend Mary would get the cover.

Thanks for posting about it! I just got back and a good time! Hope more of these events come to town!

I totally enjoyed the Antique Show, the vendors were great, beautiful weather, Fantastic music... A great time in Waukegan today.

goodintentions Wrote:I totally enjoyed the Antique Show, the vendors were great, beautiful weather, Fantastic music... A great time in Waukegan today.

Yes very nice event.

Thanks for attending. I'm glad you all enjoyed the event.

I think the beautiful weather played a part in the large attendance. I received so many compliments including one from a woman who lives in Lake Forest who said "I had no idea Waukegan was so nice!

The live music was fantastic. The park and harbor area in general is beautiful.

Dr. Schwabb stopped by and talked for a while, David Motley, who helped make the show the great success it was, was there, and I spoke with Newton Finn but It would have been nice if more city officials took a few minutes to check it out.

Good story on Waukegan's best event.

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'Anything old I just love'
Waukegan Harbor Antique Show full of 'treasures'
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August 24, 2009

BY BETH KRAMER <!-- e --><a href="mailto:ekramer@scn1.com">ekramer@scn1.com</a><!-- e -->
WAUKEGAN -- Vintage advertising, furniture, glassware, purses, framed art and jewelry. Antiquers like Lauren Sczygielski-Anders of Waukegan call finds like these "treasures."

"Anything old I just love," she said.

» Click to enlarge image

A large group of vendors and shoppers showed up to shop at the Waukegan Harbor Antique Shoe in Siver Park.
(Josh Peckler/News-Sun)


» Click to enlarge image

Stephanie Calvert examines a piece of jewelry during Sunday's antique show.




» Click to enlarge image

George Umewk of Waukegan rests in an old chair during the antique show held in Siver Park at Waukegan Harbor.



RELATED STORIES
• Photos: Waukegan Harbor Antique Show
That's why she said she has been a regular at the Waukegan Harbor Antique Show for the past decade. She said she has "wonderful memories" of the show.

"The entire show is a class act. It showcases Waukegan wonderfully. You just find unique treasures," Sczygielski-Anders said.

She decided to sell some of her own treasures at this year's show, which was held Sunday afternoon at Siver Park. She was among about 40 vendors, estimated Dan Traynoff, event coordinator and promoter.

This was the 12th year the nonprofit event was held, Traynoff said.

"I do it for the city of Waukegan to showcase a better part of the city ... It needs as much positive promotion as it can stand. There's an image issue with Waukegan that's unfounded. The lake front is really beautiful -- it needs to be showcased to the rest of the county," Traynoff said.

The event draws a couple thousand people, he said, explaining that antiques and collectibles have a "built-in popularity."

That was true for Mike Howland of Mundelein and his girlfriend, Tan'e Engler of Island Lake. They make the rounds to antique shows and shop all over the county.

Howland said he is always on the lookout for items for his Victorian home. He found door knobs Sunday afternoon.

"There's some good stuff here today," Howland said, calling Waukegan Harbor's Antique Show comparable to other antique shows he's visited.

The free admission was another draw to the event, he said. Engler said she enjoyed shopping by the waterfront.

"This is one of my favorite sales," Engler said.

She was looking for baskets and wrought iron items to add to her collection.

Roseanne Sinkovitz of Gurnee just came to browse with her mother, Mary Edge of Zion.

"We came a few years ago and enjoyed it. We're just looking for unusual stuff," Sinkovitz said.

Vendors offer a variety of merchandise, which can range in age from five to 200 years old, Traynoff said.

"It's a really good event ... Maybe I'm biased, but I think it's Waukegan's best special event in terms of quality," Traynoff said.

Danno Wrote:"It's a really good event ... Maybe I'm biased, but I think it's Waukegan's best special event in terms of quality," Traynoff said.

I'm not biased, and I can tell you honestly that I was excited to see that many people enjoying the Waukegan lake front on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It did my heart good to know that Waukegan is indeed capable of nice events & good people!

Once again, Kudos to Dan Traynoff for showing us how "special" Waukegan can be!