Neighborhood Gathering for a Market with a Car Show Strengthens Community Bonds

★ On-Location Coverage, Photographed and Reported by W&HM / Wheels and Heels Magazine / www.wheelsandheelsmag.com

Event: 2022 South Bay Popup Market Car Show
Photographer: Py Pai / IG: @pypaiphoto

This came out from the corner of our Instagram feed. We noticed that there would be a car show in the South Bay area, which is about half an hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. Out of our curiosity, we went there to find out what was going on.

South Bay Pop-Up Market and Car Show is a very community-based market popup gathering and two rows of cars, the majority of them being low-rider style classic cars.

We saw small vendors from individual artists or merchants set up in the parking lot of an Adult School. The music was loud and the vibe was vibrant. Even though the sun was hot and the air was pretty still, people came out to support and shop and support the local community event.

Among these classic low-rider cars, dominated by the classic Impala, we saw a high degree of labor of love and dedication of pride in these well-crafted-and-maintained high-age cars. Not only did they preserve the original conditions, but the added customization made them ultra eye-catching.

Plus, when cars came in and out of the show parking lot, often you would see a family riding together as a tightly knitted group outing. People were hugging for greeting, chatting as a pastime, kids running and playing, and families cruising out of parking. It's a very colorful car show scene that we rarely find and truly enjoy.

On the scene was a digital creator/personality Tio Weso. He and his group's presence made the event even more fun and had many great photo opportunities.

The heavy tone of Latin culture's influence on these cars and merchants made this event even more reflective of the community that they reside and they serve. You could see many Latin-flavored merchandises and foods displayed across various booths.

We love this event and hope more local neighborhood events like this would pop up, so to speak. Maybe we will come back next year again too! Stay tuned!

Here are more coverage photos from the W&HM's in-person coverage: