By Liz Otero
You hear the engines revving, hydraulics hissing, and music echoing long before the cars come into view. When they do, it’s nothing short of a rolling celebration of culture, artistry, and pride. Chrome flashes in the sun, candy paint catches every angle of light. The hydraulics lift once more, then settle, for the cameras and the cheers.
Lowrider season in New Mexico has begun.
In Albuquerque and across the northern half of the state, lowriding is more than a pastime; it’s family, culture, and community passed through generations.
Originating in Southern California’s Chicano communities of the 1940s and ’50s, lowriding transformed cars into rolling works of art built not for speed, but for style, storytelling, and presence. Decades later, the tradition thrives in Albuquerque, where every cruise is a party.
“San Gabriel Park is where it started for me back in the ’80s and ’90s,” says Mike Moody Sr., owner of a ’77 Thunderbird. “From Tingley Beach to Coors, then to Downtown Central, for about a six-mile stretch, all you saw were lowriders. It was bumper to bumper.
“There were no cell phones back then. That was our entertainment, and we loved it. I was younger then, so we’d ride our bikes down Central just to take it all in — the cars, the trucks, the music.”
Moody still cruises today, part of a culture that continues to evolve without forgetting its roots.
Española upholds its reputation as the “Lowrider Capital of the World,” a title popularized by a 1993 MTV News segment hosted by Kurt Loder.
For Jerry Griego, lowriding in Albuquerque is, above all, about family — “hanging out with the people you care about and value,” he said.
Griego has been part of the scene since the late 1970s, watching lowriding grow from a Sunday tradition into a year-round movement, with car clubs, cruises, and community shows that support children, seniors, and families in need.
“Every year, we do shows, and they get a little bit bigger. Before, there were lowriders on the road. Now they’re cruising show cars,” said Griego, who often photographs the events.
While the support and solidarity remain unchanged, public perceptions have shifted.
“Back in the day, we were seen as Chicanos who could do no good, as troublemakers,” Griego said. “Now, the pictures show us with our families, as business owners, as people who take pride in what we’ve built.”
Of all the photographs he’s taken, the most meaningful remains the image of his father, Albert Griego, with his car. Griego, a member of Drifters Car Club Albuquerque, owns a rare 1964 Chevy Impala four-door hardtop. He says that when he gets behind the wheel, “it’s freeing. It makes every day brighter.”
Though his photos have been published, he describes himself humbly as more of a “picture taker” than a photographer.
For him, the culture’s greatest strength is simple: “We’re all there for each other, 100 percent. The community is, ‘My Happiness’—that’s what I named my car.”
Lowriding has long been viewed as a male-dominated culture, but women have always been part of the scene. Vicki Garcia, a member of Majestics Car Club, has been involved since 1989, introduced by her now-husband Steve Garcia’s 1985 Chevy Monte Carlo.
“It all started with Steve’s Monte,” she recalls. Today, her pride is her fully custom, chrome-engraved, candy-painted 1963 Impala, “Taking Care of Business.” It won first place in the ’61–’64 Impala category at the 2025 Albuquerque Supershow, held at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Garcia says attitudes toward women in lowriding have shifted dramatically over the past decade, with women now garnering respect that once seemed out of reach. While many clubs historically excluded women, some local clubs today have more female members than men. Albuquerque alone is home to roughly 60 lowrider clubs, reflecting the culture’s continued growth and evolution.
“Steve and I are about the community and giving back,” she said. “We grew up not having much, we worked hard together, and we are blessed. So, we do what we can to help wherever we can.”
For example, the couple organize car show giveaways and community events throughout the year, supporting causes that provide medications to those in need, assist homeless families, and give back to local neighborhoods. One recent event, Polk Middle School Pride Night 2026, brought students, families, and the South Valley community together for an evening focused on food, connection, and pride.
One memory stands out to Garcia: “In a parade, a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, ran up close to the car and told her dad, ‘When I grow up, I want a car like that.’” For Garcia, moments like that reflect how much the culture has changed—and who now feels represented in it.
Lorenzo Otero, a community advocate and member of the Rollerz Only Car Club, cruises Albuquerque’s streets in his fully customized 1994 Chevy Dually, “La Cultura.”
For Otero, lowrider culture is as essential to New Mexico as red and green chile. “It means everything,” he says. “There’s no feeling like getting in my truck and cruising.”
One of his favorite memories came during the Twinkle Light Parade just after the Covid-19 pandemic, when he cruised with his mother and daughter and watched the crowd’s joy.
“Tourists come from all over the world to see the cars in downtown, Old Town, and the West Side. They’re amazed by the hydraulics, the paint, the vibe—they want to be part of it.”
But Otero’s connection goes beyond the cars. He is now one of the leading voices fighting to legitimize and protect the scene in Albuquerque and across New Mexico.
For years, cruising along Central Avenue faced restrictions. “We couldn’t go up and down the boulevard without being harassed,” Otero said. “The roads would shut down at 4 p.m. from 1st Street to 7th Street, so we couldn’t cruise.”
Working with City Councilor Klarissa Peña, herself a lowrider owner, Otero and other advocates helped repeal the city’s cruising ban in 2018.
“Our motto is ‘One Team, One Dream.’” Otero said.. “We’ve faced pushback, but we’ve helped change laws—not just in New Mexico, but across the country by providing a blueprint for other states, including California, to help repeal cruising laws and ordinances.”
Today, he says, lowriding is “recognized, respected, and truly part of Albuquerque’s way of life.”
2026 Albuquerque Super Show
One of the season’s biggest events, the 2026 Albuquerque Super Show, takes place June 7 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The Artemis Promotions-produced showcase features custom cars, live entertainment, vendors, and lowrider enthusiasts from across the region, followed by a cruise. For information, visit goloentertainment.com.
