Old-school lowriders took over the Michael Towbes Library Plaza on Saturday, September 13, for the Santa Barbara Public Library’s joint event, “Somos Xicanas y Lowriders (Writers and Riders),” the latest in a series of events celebrating Latino culture for Hispanic Heritage Month.
The library kicked off its Raíces y Sueños (Roots and Dreams) series during the first week of September, with a new exhibit in the Faulkner Gallery featuring the paintings of Jaqueline Valenzuela — whose work is dedicated to celebrating Chicana identity and the lowrider lifestyle.
The September 13 car show featured classic cars from Nite Life Car Club, a Santa Barbara–based club founded more than 45 years ago in May 1980. The group honors the longstanding lowrider tradition of restoring and customizing American-made cars with shining chrome and gold accents, pinstripe detailing, and mods like hydraulics that allow the car’s stance to be bounced up, down, and side-to-side at the push of a button…