Crusin’ Antioch car show comes to Main Street for higher visibility

The annual Cruisin’ Antioch antique car ride and show is coming to Main Street on Wednesday.

For the first time, the event will feature a procession of cars from Wal-Mart, 475 E. Route 173, to Main Street, where they will park for the show from 6 to 8 p.m.

Usually, the show ends at the Antioch Piggly Wiggly, but Shawn Roby, the village’s director of parks and recreation, said coordinators were hoping for higher visibility this year.

“You figure you’ve got all those cars that travel (Route) 83 every day, why not take advantage of that?” Roby said. “It might spur people to stop by, see a few cars (and) get people to stop in downtown.”

The cruise will not be parade-style, and drivers will be required to obey traffic laws.

Antique-car owners can register on the day of the event starting at 5:30 p.m. in the southeast corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot. Roby said he expects 30 to 40 cars to participate in the cruise and show. Car owners do not have to participate in the cruise to participate in the show.

Mike Babicz, event coordinator, said the event was created three years ago after Waukegan ended its Scoop the Loop car cruise. Babicz talked to Mayor Lawrence Hanson and decided to bring a cruise to Antioch.

He said the idea of bringing the show to Main Street was suggested to him by merchants.

“The idea is to help increase some of the business in town. Hopefully (visitors) decide to patronize some of the businesses,” Babicz said.

Roby said he also hopes the event helps show people what the village has to offer.

“The village does much more than just having merchant businesses available in town,” he said. “We also have these events, and this is one of those that will help attract people ... to see what else is going on in town.”