Scoopn' Loop 2010 Canceled

[Two Green Thumbs]

Why could there be a "Waukegan Days" type affair? A small carnival ride setup in one of abandonded lots, an area for local vendors and restaurants to sell their goods, another area for car and motorcycle exhibits, an area for local bands to perform... Oh, but wait, I'm sobering up and realizing something... People don't go downtown for much of anything except for work or court (9a-4p, M-F), very few businesses exsist in the "city" anymore except a couple of second hand stores and fast food joints (OK, maybe a couple of bars/taverns), and no one wants to believe that sometimes you need to spend a buck to make a buck or that sacrifices sometimes need to be made that will help in the long run.
We need help in this area. I live just outside of the downtown area and things are slipping away quickly (as they are in the entire city in appears). On a regular basis, I have to go out of the city to find entertainment/dining. How much worse do things need to get before they get better? I want to support local business, I want to be proud to live here and invite others to visit but what do we have left to promote? I don't have the answers but I think we need to open our eyes, pick ourselves up and get moving forward... or continue to wait for something good to happen as the rest of the world passes us by....

[Danno]

Two Green Thumbs Wrote:Why could there be a "Waukegan Days" type affair? A small carnival ride setup in one of abandonded lots, an area for local vendors and restaurants to sell their goods, another area for car and motorcycle exhibits, an area for local bands to perform... Oh, but wait, I'm sobering up and realizing something... People don't go downtown for much of anything except for work or court (9a-4p, M-F), very few businesses exsist in the "city" anymore except a couple of second hand stores and fast food joints (OK, maybe a couple of bars/taverns), and no one wants to believe that sometimes you need to spend a buck to make a buck or that sacrifices sometimes need to be made that will help in the long run.
We need help in this area. I live just outside of the downtown area and things are slipping away quickly (as they are in the entire city in appears). On a regular basis, I have to go out of the city to find entertainment/dining. How much worse do things need to get before they get better? I want to support local business, I want to be proud to live here and invite others to visit but what do we have left to promote? I don't have the answers but I think we need to open our eyes, pick ourselves up and get moving forward... or continue to wait for something good to happen as the rest of the world passes us by....

I offered to give a very good event, The Waukegan Harbor Antique Show, to both the city and Waukegan Main Street and neither of them wanted to take it over. It very likely will cease to exist. Main Street turned it down mainly because the event is not on "main street" but at the harbor. It especially disturbs me that the city would not take over the event because with Scooping Genesee gone there would seem to be a gap to fill in the work load of the special events department.

The city or entities that are subsidiary to the city need to PROACTIVELY seek out and subsidize Urban Oriented Pioneering Enterprizes (UOPE's - a term I made up) for the lakefront area. The downtown and the lakefront should always be considered together. To seperate them is foolish.

[Blackdiamond]

Didn't we use to have Ethnic picnics on the Lakefront? Everybody was there and it was beautiful. Talking about a rainbow of people and all kinds of food. That was one of the "good old days."

[Danno]

Had a lot of fun Scooping at the informal Scoop the Loop. Since it was an "unorganized" event I wondered who put out the sign that had rules printed on it and said Scooping would end at 9pm? I was not driving at 9pm so I wondered how the 9pm ending time was implemented. Did the police stop the scooping at 9pm? What is this Mayberry Illinois where 9pm on a Saturday night is being a nite owl?

[Blackdiamond]

:lol: I'm just coming alive around that time.

[TeacherThoughts]

Danno--

What a shame that the city or Main Street would not want the antique show! I enjoyed the show very much last yr. What a shame! Is this event a loss then for Waukegan?

[Danno]

TeacherThoughts Wrote:Danno--

What a shame that the city or Main Street would not want the antique show! I enjoyed the show very much last yr. What a shame! Is this event a loss then for Waukegan?

Thanks for asking. I guess it's time for an update. I'm sorry to report that there will not be a Waukegan Harbor Antique Show this year. I just couldn't find anyone who would take over running the show. I initially thought the city would take it over. I certainly thought they should have. It's not every day that someone offers something so valuable to the city for free. I don't know if the mayor was in a bad mood or what when he said no to my offer to transition the show to the city but he was the person who turned it down. Considering the fact that the city would not need to buy an insurance policy or event permit and considering that the special events person would not get paid extra for doing the event, the city would have actually made some money on the event. So yes, it is a huge loss for the city in more ways than one. Oh well, I tried.

[TeacherThoughts]

Well thanks for trying Danno! I really enjoyed going to it last year and was looking towards it again!!

[goodintentions]

Last year's event was a huge success -- it brought tons of people to the Waukegan Lakefront -I'm not talking Waukegan residents - it brought people from all over the area into our town for the day - I've got to believe those people spent money! I know I certainly enjoyed my day on the lakefront scouring all the tables of fine antiques, enjoying the band and the smells coming out of Dockside Dogs!
It was a day I was looking forward to reliving this summer. I'm disappointed there won't be another one. Shame on Waukegan.

[WT Reader]

goodintentions Wrote:Last year's event was a huge success -- it brought tons of people to the Waukegan Lakefront -I'm not talking Waukegan residents - it brought people from all over the area into our town for the day - I've got to believe those people spent money! I know I certainly enjoyed my day on the lakefront scouring all the tables of fine antiques, enjoying the band and the smells coming out of Dockside Dogs!
It was a day I was looking forward to reliving this summer. I'm disappointed there won't be another one. Shame on Waukegan.

I will miss Danno's Antique Show, too. Always a first class event in a first class venue.

--- WT Reader