Whether you call it “scooping the loop,” “cruising,” or “tooling,” three grassroots events getting people out of their homes and into their vehicles are happening in Guthrie County this weekend.

Panora is having their first community-organized “scoop the loop” event during the state public health emergency for COVID-19 tonight. Organizer and City Council member Tom Flanery explains there isn’t an exact start or end location, “Just cruising Main Street. On the west end of Main Street is the school, we’re going to try to stay out of there. Since school is closed they really don’t want anybody on the school grounds so we’d really like to keep people out of there. We’ll probably just either go out to the outskirts, edge of town and turn around or possibly at the Napa parking lot. And then back down to the east to Hometown Foods or out a little further east to Lakeside Flooring and turn around.”

Flanery and other organizers urge participants to follow guidance from county officials and Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamation to keep all windows, sunroofs, and convertible tops closed; do not travel in ATVs, UTVs, or motorcycles or stand and gather outside your vehicles; and don’t crowd local convenience stores and restaurants during the event, “We would like to see everybody follow the rules but I’m sure there will be some that won’t. But for us adults I’d like to put a good example out there for the young kids to see that we’re not doing it, so we would like them not to be doing it.”

The drive lasts from 6:30 to about 8:30 p.m., and the organizers hope for it to be a safe and positive experience. Guthrie Center residents will have their second weekly ”scoop the loop” at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Mitchell Park, and Stuart is having a cruise night from 5-7 p.m. from the high school to the Community Care Center tomorrow as well.