Last year in September I have already been to the Chicano Park. It is an incredible creative and artistic area near to the Coronado bridge. The area is full with great murals – or murales as they are called in Spanish. This year I happened to be in San Diego for the annual festival.
The Chicano Park Day celebration is a kind of family event and open to the public but mainly for and with Mexicans and American Natives. I expected – and experienced – traditional music and dances, performances of various folk groups, Mariachi music and such kind. What I didn’t expect were all the old cars from the thirties to the seventies. UNBELIEVABLE!
The cars are called low riders. It’s a style of customized vehicle. Many of them were beautifully painted with colorful designs. They have a hydraulic system that allows them to lower and raise the cars.
These cars ‘came out’ in the Mexican-American Barrios in Los Angeles during the 1940’s. The purpose to lower the car was to go slowly. ‘Low and slow’ was their motto. The paintings often had a meaning, was something about their Latin culture, and they wanted them to be watched. ‘The faster the better’ was completely of no interest.
By 1958 a law made it illegal to operate any modified car. Just one year later Ron Aguirre bypassed the law by the use of hydraulic pumps and valves. This way the ride height could be changed in a second. One of the most known cars of that period is the Chevrolet Impala.
When we got to the Chicano Park it was nearly impossible to find a parking place. Many, many people were going to the festival. And definitely we were not the only ‘white’ people there. At the event were a lot of vendors with typical Mexican style clothes, jewelry and food. Some stands reminded me of the festival ‘Cinco de Mayo’, which is also coming up soon and have these typical colorful skulls. I didn’t buy anything but there was a lot of things I would have liked to buy.
We spent a lot of time with looking at the cars. We even saw some motorbikes. I can’t say what was more fascinating: the colors, the style, the designs .. all was really ‘WOW’.
We saw as well some people dressed up like in the 50’s and 60’s. But many were dressed folkloric and in traditional Mexican or even Aztecan style.
I was very sorry not to see the Aztec dancers I was particularly interested in. But we already were pretty late and we had to go. On the way towards our car (parked a few blocks away) we had some tacos for a late lunch and I bought some feather earrings… for my earring-collection.
I would like to attend the event next year again and then perhaps we can take a bus or even ‘uber’. To find a place to park is really super difficult and takes out a little bit the joy of free strolling on the festival. And: next year I want to see the Aztec dancers.. if they are performing again. But it seems that the festival is a family event for both cultures.
If you are in San Diego in April don’t miss this festival. It gives such a good view of the mixed culture of this great, wonderful city and let you experience also a little bit the historical part of the area.
Here are some of the many pictures I took of these terrific Lowriders of the Chicano Festival:
Chicano Park, San Diego, California/USA:
For further information:
The Chicano Park in San Diego
Lowriders, Trailer of the movie
