Slow & Low Community Lowrider Festival

My wonderful bride Christi also photographed and has a blog. Check it out by clicking "here".

This festival is far more than I am presenting in the two hours I was here. Next year I am making plans to stay for more. The event this year in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago was very family oriented, very social, very enjoyable, and lots of food, music, and dance. The culture that surrounds the lowrider community is special, as are the people who partake. Please do yourself a favor and like them on Facebook (click here) and to go see on their page what I did not see.

This is an art. They are dreamers, craftsman, artisans, engineers. They are proud, they are family. This festival is so much joy for them, the community, for me, that I cannot express any more than that. It is that simple.

I was a gear head as a teenager. I tore apart anything with wheels and rebuilt it. Engines was my forte, along with custom fiberglass features for my cars. At that time I did not know anyone else even thought what I thought. So after a while because it seemed to be only my interest and not others, I slowly gave it up. Today seeing these car clubs, I so wish that was available to me back then. Any kind of support would have kept me in this arena that I find enjoyable.

"Like your art depicts you, so does your car." - Wes

Here are some photos, starting with the first lowrider I saw when crossing the street. By far, this blog does not depict the festivities that took place all day. Just the first couple hours. I recommend you visit their Facebook page to see how this social event took place, with a lot of family and friends there.

This next photo, the car took me by surprise. He had an old school police siren that he sounded before he entered the festival. Had me looking for flashing lights (and a little run and hide).

I first saw this next car a couple years ago at this festival (a different location then). The paint scheme caught my eye then, and I recognized it here again with some additions. If you scroll half way down that 2015 blog (click here) you can see the car then. In fact, this may be the same car I photographed and blogged in 2014, about a quarter the way down the page (click here).

Mando's Customs of Bedford Park is behind this car. I enjoyed talking to the artist behind this. I was glad to find out he is all about improvements, and let me in on some of the direction he may take with his art and with this car. The next couple years should be amazing!

I do have to publicly apologize here. My bride and I intended to come back to photograph his daughter about an hour later, however, I failed and did not remember. Please, if you read this, I am in you debt for letting me in on what your plans are with the car, and would be very happy to come by some time to photograph you at work, and for the chance to photograph your daughter.

I took these next tow photos with a purpose. The first photo is focused on the rear view mirror, because of the emblem that is between the rear seats. The photograph after is focused on the dash. Not that you would enjoy what I saw as much as I did. (You can click on the photo to enlarge.)

Photo of my bride Christi taking photos along with me . . .

Slow and Low Community Lowrider Festival

2200 South Loomis Street

Chicago, IL  60616

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Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago

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