Very few places on earth offer the rich blend of cultural heritage and values like New Mexico. Highly popularized for their intimate and striking sunsets and scenery, New Mexico has long been known for their festivals and hot air ballooning, but there’s so much more to this incredible place.
Beyond the superficial elements, New Mexico also has very deep-seated roots in cultural history and values. They are home to dozens of Native American pueblos, tribes, and nations, and there is over 500 years of Hispanic culture to discover. From the great history of the True West and Billy the Kid, all the way to the history of lowriding, there is a little something for everyone to discover.
So what do lowriding and New Mexico have in common? Well, lowriding has long been a part of their cultural DNA and because of New Mexico’s influence, passion, and their recognition of lowriding it makes them the perfect portal for an annual celebration.
In fact, visitors to the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe are usually in awe to see that they have a portion of their venue dedicated to lowriding. Inside, you’ll find lowrider traditions and memorabilia captured in photographs, hubcaps, and hood ornaments, in addition to a display of lowriders and a section dedicated to LOWRIDER magazine memorabilia as well.
This past August, we did our annual visit to the Albuquerque Convention Center and along with Artemis Promotions we kicked off the celebration with over 500 custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles on display. Every single ride at this show was nothing short of award winning and exhilarating, and it was kind of funny to see a banner sitting in the middle of the show that read “SHOWCASE LANE.” To be honest, the only reason I found it kind of humorous is simply because all of the cars there were so clean that it should have just been called “SHOWCASE GALLERY.” All of the vehicles on display were incredible and the quality of the builds and the attention to detail was simply overwhelming.
Of particular importance were the “LOWRIDER of the Year” vehicles on display, including SoCal’s “El Rey,” along with a Cutlass from Texas “RM Series.” Goodtimes Car Club and chapters representing different cities and states took up three rows, and they were surrounded by a plethora of custom builds that were highly impressive. Being that it’s a one-day show there’s a lot to soak in, but I can tell you firsthand that it’s worth the time.
As always the entertainment was plenty with on-stage appearances by Rodney-O & Joe Cooley, Lighter Shade of Brown, Carolyn Rodriguez, Beanz, One, Troublesome, Lil Lu, Lu, Meshika Sin, J-Rydah, and DJ Mix Competition. Special guest and Arizona’s very own custom paint and pinstripe talents of Bugs Auto Art was also on hand with his art class demonstrations of custom paint and gold leaf designs.
In closing, I would highly encourage everyone to come out and experience this show. It’s unlike any other show we’ve experienced and it should be on your bucket list of things to do. Now if you can’t make it out to next year’s show then be sure to follow our coverage online here at www.lowridermagazine.com.
To be honest, you haven’t truly experienced a lowrider show of this magnitude and character. This show, “The Land of Lowrider Enchantment,” is seriously an event you must attend and it’s a humbling experience to see how New Mexico encompasses all the lowrider culture and traditions.
In closing, I’d just like to say that we should all appreciate what we have and never take it for granted. Whether it be your lowriders, your project rides, your friends or family, we should never take what we have for granted. The lowriding culture is one that is handed down from one generation to the next, and it’s up to us to pass it along as accurately as we can. Remember, this industry, this culture, and this way of life was built through a lot of pain, sweat, and dedication, and the least we can do is preserve our culture by passing it along with accuracy, respect, and admiration.
We’ll see you all next year!
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