Fullerton College held its second annual “Cruisin’ to College,” event on Sept. 14, 2024 bringing the community together to admire the culture these cars carry and help raise funds for scholarships for students at Fullerton College.

The event featured about 50 classic cars lined up side by side with each other showing off why the classics can not be beat. Stations were lined up as well to provide assistance to any Fullerton College students as well as those considering attending.

The cloudy weather that started the event was reminiscent of last year’s, where the unfortunate timing of a rainstorm affected the first ever Cruisin’ to College event. However there was no chance of rain affecting this year’s event as the sun broke through the clouds early into the event and shined on to the exterior of the cars giving them a nice glow that any car enthusiast would admire.

“Well last year’s event it rained on the day of the car show. So it was scheduled to be this big, but because it rained maybe some 20 cars came but we still held it,” said Rolando Sanabria, creator of the event. “What’s different is that we almost tripled the number of cars we have… we learned from our mistakes last year and we made it even better.”

Sanabria also gave credit to Jeannie Nguyen, a student services specialist, for working through last year’s mistake and improving the event to give it the turn out it deserves. Not only were the cars bumping, but the music as well thanks to the DJ at the event. The soundtrack ranged from classic Mexican songs to funk records and even some pop hits. The classic Mexican and funk songs were the perfect soundtrack for the event as they seem to go hand in hand with the culture that a lot of these cars are known for.

While some of these classic cars may have negative stereotypes attached to them, one guest wants to challenge those stereotypes and show the community what these cars are really about.

“I think it’s about the culture, the community, and challenging stereotypes,” said attendee Carlos Escobedo, “There’s always been that negative stigma that people who drive these cars are gang members, or they are involved in some kind of criminal activity but it’s far from the truth. For me it’s been about community, pride, and expressing that culture.”

A ballet folklorico performance was performed by Fullerton College alumni Michelle Ramirez and Yomaira Torres. The performance was done in traditional folklorico dresses and it highlighted even more of the vibrant culture that Fullerton represents.

The second Cruisin’ to College event brought together the community, the culture, and the cars for a wonderful event that showcases the best of what Fullerton College has to offer.