Lowriders to Cruise Rose Parade Route on New Year’s Eve

Although Rose Parade floats will not roll down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day, low rider enthusiasts are still planning to cruise the parade route on New Year’s Eve, as they have done for decades.

A coalition of local car clubs is teaming up to spend Thursday evening “Cruising Into the New Year.”

Local lowriders have gathered to put on a pre-Rose Parade show for spectators since the 1990s, but the event as a citywide coalition of car clubs is only in its second year, according to Arnold Flores, a longtime participant and an On The Scene Car Club member who plans to cruise the route in his blue ’63 Chevrolet Impala.

Muscle cars and buggies generally do a similar ride on New Year’s Eve morning, Flores said.

“This is an important year for us because of the coronavirus. We still want to give a tribute to the Rose Parade and keep the culture going,” Flores said.

“A lot of clubs from Pasadena are usually the ones that come out and do this ride for the spectators. We want to give the out-of-towners the advantage of checking out lowriders and L.A.,” he said. “This is the capital city of lowriders, so we kind of just want to give the tourists and out-of-towners a fun time and show them what L.A. is about, and the perfect time to do this is at the Rose Parade.”

Lowrider drivers will meet at the Orchard Hardware building at 3425 E. Colorado Blvd., at 5 p.m. before riding along Colorado Boulevard to Orange Grove Boulevard before turning around.

Social distancing will be enforced, Flores said. 

“This is going to be a safe event. It’s basically going to be a cruise where families come in there and they’re in their own cars, and they’re just going to cruise all of Colorado. There’s no gathering. Everybody’s just gonna show, basically, respect for the city and for the parade,” said Flores.

“We want to just give a positive message that things are going to get better one day,” he said.

“This is a unity cruise, too, because we have different ethnicities here,” he added. Car clubs representing a wide variety of cultures planned to take part,” he said.

“It’s for everybody, all over the city and state, just to keep their heads up and be motivated,” Flores said.