The Sonoma County Lowrider Council hosted its 10th annual Cinco de Mayo car show and BBQ at Doyle Park in Santa Rosa May 2, celebrating lowrider culture and challenging long-lasting stereotypes.
Rows of unique custom Lowriders with glossy paint jobs, precise pinstriping, engraved detailing, club plaques and flags lined the parking lot at Doyle Park. Sonoma County Lowrider Council founder Juan Roman-Medina said the car shows are more than showing off cars, and he hopes these events reshape public perceptions of lowriding while promoting inclusion.
The council, established in 2015, unites car clubs across Sonoma County and hosts car shows to bring the community together and promote self-expression.
“[We’re] trying to stay away [from] or remove the negative connotation that the media has put on lowriding,” said Roman-Medina. “The media all associate lowriding with gangsters.”
Angela Marquez of Impalas North Bay Chapter car club said being part of the lowrider community means acceptance.
“To me, it means acceptance because when I was younger, this was not allowed,” said Marquez. “It wasn’t welcome, you would get a ticket, you would get pulled over [and] you’d get harassed by the police.”
Through shared passion and acceptance, people have built a community through lowrider culture.
Crystal Favela Bautista, also known as “Lowrider Lady,” said the lowrider community unites passionate and dedicated people.
“All people are welcome, and it’s amazing to see people who are putting their passion, their time their effort into all of this, and it’s really just about being here in community,” she said.
Favela Bautista also shared the story of her car, “The Blueprint,” a custom body swap that combines a 1965 Chevy Corvair body with a 2004 Honda Accord undercarriage. She said the project began as her everyday car before it was rebuilt and reinforced with help from her dad, who owns a shop.
“We spent countless hours and all-nighters putting it together. All the people I love have worked on this car,” Favela Bautista said.
Lowriding started in the late 40s and went through the 50s, shared solo rider Luis Godoy. According to NPR, these cars are meant to be low and slow, for years laws in California did not allow lowriding because of gang violence stereotypes. Section 24008 of the California Vehicle Code banned modifying cars by making them lower. California lawmakers also passed a bill to allow local governments to pass anti-cruising laws. Lowriders have found ways around these laws which is why lowrider culture is still alive today.
“It’s a sense of style and art, the community is the main part of it and each individual car has its own story,” Citlali Varela of Good Times car club said.
Varela also shared the story of her car, which she said was passed down to her by her uncle, who now lives in Mexico. She has owned the car since 2020 and takes it to several shows.
“It’s more like an heirloom, it was passed down from my uncle to me and then it stays in our family,” she said.
Members of the lowrider community like Anthony Aguirre of Rosetown Connections car club approximate the family aspect and community and will continue to attend car shows.
“Being part of the lowrider council is amazing,” said “I feel like family here, everybody has each other’s back.”
