Growing up in Waukegan in the 1960s and now a Florida resident, Israel Hernandez remembers playing a few games of pool near Genesee and Water streets to start a weekend and then getting into his parents’ car to continue the activities.
“We’d go down to the bridge and pick up girls,” Hernandez said, referring to what was then known around Waukegan as “scooping the loop.” “Then we’d go to the lakefront and party.”
Hernandez, Andy Mercado and Esequiel Vasquez Jr. drive their classic cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s with the same passion they did when they scooped the loop during their younger years in Waukegan to this year’s Scoop Waukegan.
All Florida residents today, Vasquez, Mercado and Hernandez decided it was time to return to their former home and drive their older cars around the same loop they knew as teenagers. They formed a three-car caravan and drove from Florida to Waukegan.
“It was time for us to see family and friends,” said Darren Mercado, Andy’s son. “We’re all getting older. Dad hasn’t been here since 2005.”
The Mercado, Vazquez and Hernandez families were among approximately 30,000 participants in Scoop Waukegan Friday and Saturday in the city’s downtown, displaying their vintage cars in what is the modern-day version of scoop the loop.
Though there was a time of the day Saturday devoted to letting participants drive their cars on a prescribed route resembling the loop of the past, David Motley, the city’s public relations director, said the event is now a community gathering centered around the cars.
Along with vintage cars parked along four blocks of Genesee Street — the owners of many were there telling the vehicle’s story — Motley said there was food and drink from the restaurants along the route, as well as entertainment Friday and Saturday.
“It’s all about cars, the love of cars and love of community,” Motley said. “A lot of people come to Waukegan for this each year and make it a hot rod holiday. People show their love for the community in their own special way.”
Entertaining the crowd at the bandstand Friday night was Eddie Domino, the nephew of Fats Domino. Raphael Mendez and the Fabulous House Rockers performed Saturday night, with music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s played by a deejay the rest of the time.
“It’s defiantly the largest Friday night and Saturday Scoop I’ve ever seen in my 31-year career,” Motley said.
After the Mercados decided to make the journey for Scoop, they got in touch with Vasquez and Hernandez as all three families began making plans to drive their classic cars to Waukegan.
Andy Mercado made the 1,250-mile trip in his 1957 Chevrolet Bal Air with sons Darren and Darvin. He said he bought the car about a year ago. When he first scooped, he said it was in a rally green Chevrolet Camaro.
“Everyone had a muscle car then,” Andy Mercado said. “Gas was only 29 cents a gallon. This was the only place to hang out. We’d look for girls to ride with us. It’s nice to see everyone around now. It feels very safe.”
Hernandez and his wife arrived in their 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible. When they heard from Mercado, they said they decided to make the journey. It had been more than two decades since they experienced Scoop.
“We wanted to take our cars up here for what might be our last Scoop,” Darren Mercado said.
Arriving in his 1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Vasquez said the last time he attended Scoop was more than 23 years ago. In his youth, it was the way people got to know each other. Now it is a time to see old friends.
“We all grew up together,” Vasquez said.
Sitting in front of his 1976 Chevrolet Trans-Am was Ric McChessney. Once a high-performance engineer with Johnson Motors when it had its plant in Waukegan, he said he did all the work on the car himself.
“It was more powerful than the Corvette,” he said. “It had 200 horsepower; the Corvette had 190.”
Some people like Dwight and Nisha Lopez came to see the cars and take in the scene. They said they like the idea of celebrating in Waukegan.
“This is my town,” Dwight Lopez said. “I like to come here and see how it’s getting bigger and better all the time.”
