On January 1st, William Land Park experienced a very large, unannounced Lowrider car show impacting the most populated areas of the park. Although we are fans of beautifully restored cars, we believe respect must be on both sides to create a positive and welcoming environment for all. That begins by requesting the proper permits so the park and community is prepared for a large event like this.
Although the park is open to everyone, there are limits when a particular group exceeds 50 people. Visitors from all over Sacramento and beyond come to Land Park every weekend for birthdays, baby showers, family reunions and other gatherings. They expect spaces and parking to be available for their smaller celebrations. When large groups claim these spaces without any prior notice, park rangers and SacPD are left in the difficult position of doing what they can to manage the roadways for public safety.
Although the majority of car event folks were respectful and there to enjoy the car community, the experience was frustrating for many of them too. They did not have access to adequate bathroom facilities or parking. Many were concerned about trash being properly picked up and bad driving behavior discouraged. Yet, they didn’t have much control over this.
Other park visitors who didn’t know about the event felt “pushed out” of the park. Those who found park spaces had their own gatherings disrupted by loud music, parking problems and some driving misbehavior.
We believe collaboration among groups can turn any large event into a positive experience. It begins with car show leaders going through the permitting process. A scheduled park event will secure specific spaces for vehicles, barbecues and vendors. Permitted events can also ensure port-a-potties and adequate trash cans are available. Plus, the rest of the park can remain open to other visitors and their smaller celebrations. William Land Park hosts large permitted events about every weekend, from the Doggy Dash to Urban Cow and bike racing. Each is welcomed and very successful!
Rumor has it that car clubs want to continue to visit Land Park on the weekends. Councilmember Rick Jennings and his team are working on a plan to address this. We hope car show leaders can collaborate with them to develop well-organized, planned and respectful car events in the park for all to enjoy. If that happens, the LPCA will share these upcoming events with all of you. We will keep you posted.
In the meantime, a new Lowrider exhibition will be at the California Auto Museum from January 30th – May 1st: https://www.calautomuseum.org/