DJ and food vendors will accompany hundreds of classic cars at Mundelein car show.

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By Sheryl DeVore
When Mundelein’s Park on Park Cruise Night featuring pre-1973 vehicles opened 23 years ago on select summer evenings, the organizers expected roughly 50 cars. The very first evening, 160 vehicles pulled into the parking lot, and now more than 500 classic cars from Studebakers to Chevy Novas show up at the event for spectators to admire and reminisce. Wauconda Cruise Night, which opened in 2014, includes classic and modern cars, and last year, one night featured more than 800 vehicles.
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“These types of car events, even with more modern cars, are very popular,” said Mike Flynn, president of Mundelein Community Connection, which sponsors Park on Park. “I guess it’s still the love of the automobile, the love of the classic automobiles,” he said. “There’s so much variety, and baby boomers have a lot of connection to these cars.”
Flynn, a retired assistant village administrator for Mundelein, is a baby boomer himself. He recalls the 1963 Studebaker he drove for a while before he got married. He said he drove it all the way to South Carolina. “And then when I got married, I sold it,” he said.
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Flynn is strictly a spectator at the cruise night. He doesn’t have the patience or skill to take care of the old classic cars like those who show them, he said. But he certainly can admire the hard work put into classic car restoration. One vehicle that particularly caught his eye at a recent Mundelein event was a 1965 powder blue Corvette. “It was a really beautiful car,” he said. This year, the second and fourth week will feature live music. The other weeks, a DJ will spin records. Spectators also can purchase food from local vendors.
Flynn said the village has “kicked around the idea of if we should broaden this to attract young people in a different niche. We decided to stay with classic cars for now,” he said.
Cruise Nights in Wauconda, held third Tuesday nights in July, August and September, include contemporary cars.
“We have a lot of younger people, teens and those in their 20s who bring a different mix of cars,” said Alise Coulter, executive assistant to the Wauconda village administrator. “These include brand new vehicles and souped-up cars,” she said. The event began in 2014. “It gets everyone outside and walking around,” Coulter said. A record count of vehicles occurred in August 2022, with 837, according to Coulter. She added there were thousands of spectators. At some of the shows, the rare Duesenberg, an American racing and luxury automobile from the 1920s, showed up. At another event, an old Trans Am with the entire engine plated in gold was on display, she said.
At the events, vendors will sell barbecue, tacos, cotton candy and chicken, among other foods. A DJ plays music including oldies, country, current hits and requests. Meanwhile, Coulter said, youngsters show their hula hoop skills.
A resident who was an active cruise night attendee approached trustees to start the event in Wauconda, Coulter said. “The downtown area has an ideal layout” she said. “It would bring people from out of town into our little Main Street. The atmosphere is amazing. It has that small town, cute little downtown feel. It’s an awesome time. We welcome everyone.”
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.