AUSTIN, Texas — On Sunday afternoon, dozens of lowriders cruised down Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin.
The Carros y Cultura Cruise brought together local car clubs and solo riders. High Class Car Club’s Austin Chapter hosted the event alongside MAS Cultura, a nonprofit aiming to spotlight Latino artists and ideas.
Nicolas Rodriguez made his childhood dream of having a lowrider a reality about a year ago after starting his own business and saving up.
“It’s expensive, but it’s worth it once you get your car fixed up,” Rodriguez said. “If you need somebody to talk to, drive to the gas station on your lowrider – people will talk to you for hours. Like, you have to say, ‘Hey, you know what, I got to go!’”
Rodriguez and event organizers say lowriding is about more than just showing off cool cars.
“You join a car club and, together, you save money, you build the car and there’s just some pillars that are really important,” Monica Maldonado, the founder of MAS Cultura, said. “And with lowriding, it’s about respect, family, loyalty and bringing all that together. And what you end up producing is something that’s true to your identity and pays respect to the culture.”
Maldonado and others at Sunday’s event hope to preserve lowrider culture.
“With gentrification, growth happens with the city, and through that, you do start feeling like you start losing the culture of the city,” Maldonado said. “So, that is why it’s so important that we support events like this and continue supporting Latino-led events."
The event drew lowrider fans of all ages.
“We do not only want to keep it to ourselves, but we also want to show the world what we have,” said Homero Calderon, drawing applause from people near him.
The cruise complimented the first-ever Lowrider Legacy Exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. It runs through Sept. 2 and is included with admission.
On Sunday, admission was free as part of H-E-B’s “Free First Sunday” program.