Hundreds of lowriders line Sacramento's Capitol Mall for 'California Lowrider Holiday'
Hundreds of lowriders from all over the state lined Capitol Mall on Sunday in honor of the first California Lowrider Holiday.
It marks another milestone in the shift from criminalization to the celebration of the lowrider community, organizer Carlos Molina said.
"When it comes to lowriding, it was a community that was criminalized at one time simply for the esthetic and the modifications to vehicles, but today what we’re doing is we’re embracing it for its ingenuity," Molina said.
Traffic was blocked on Capitol Mall from 3rd Street to 7th Street for the event, which ran from 12-6 p.m. It included food and music and, for many, it was a family affair.
"I come from a long line of family lowriders ever since I was a little girl," said Rosa Arroyo with Sangre Car Club. "We used to cruise on Franklin and Broadway."
She was born and raised in Sacramento but now lives in Stockton with her family. Arroyo said her husband has a lowrider, she has a lowrider and her son has a lowrider bike.
"It's artwork in our own way. That’s how we express ourselves," Arroyo said.
Representing the Lady Lowrider Car Club, Sandy Avila had her 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass named, "Simply Beautiful," on display.
"I’m here with our car club sisters and our husbands," Avila said.
She is the president of the car club based in Southern California, which is approaching its two-year anniversary this July.
"Obviously, there’s always been women in the scene that have owned their own vehicles. I just feel like now they’ve gotten a lot more exposure and a lot more recognition," Avila said.