Lowriders light up Mission District in historic parade
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Photo: Shawna Chen/Axios
The Mission District came alive on Saturday as San Francisco hosted the world's first-ever televised lowrider parade.
Why it matters: The parade, broadcast on CBS as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrates the legacy of Latino lowriders who organized in the 1980s to challenge racial discrimination and protect what's become a cultural art form.
Driving the news: More than 300 lowriders cruised through the streets Saturday afternoon, representing clubs from across the country.
- Spectators cheered them on as they zig-zagged down Mission Street, some blasting music, others suspending a wheel in the air.
The intrigue: The King of the Streets hopping competition was the highlight of the day, with contestants operating the hydraulic systems in their lowriders to bounce toward the sky.
- It was so packed that I was sadly unable to get a front row seat. But even from a distance, it was a spectacle to behold, as you can see below.

Zoom in: We got the chance to get up close and personal with many of the lowriders once they finished the parade route.
- Here are some of the standouts.






The big picture: Lowriding largely grew out of Mexican American culture after World War II and has since evolved into an expression of identity, community and sport.
- It often led to racial discrimination and police brutality due to cruising bans based on false gang and crime-related stereotypes, according to the San Francisco Lowrider Council.
- Roberto Y. Hernández founded the council in 1981 to challenge local police officers' racial profiling of young Latinos and later led a successful civil rights lawsuit against the city.
- Like in years past, Hernández oversaw the historic 2025 parade, which was accompanied by the launch of an emergency relief fund to provide support for immigrant families impacted by ICE raids.
Pro tip: If you missed the fun, head over to CBS News Bay Area for footage of the event.
