Sideshow (automobile exhibition)

Sideshows first emerged on the streets of Oakland, California during the mid 1980s.[4] The first sideshows were originally ad hoc carshows where people would congregate in the Eastmont Mall or Foothill Square parking lot. The original intent of the sideshows at this time was for people to show off their cars, usually American muscle cars made by General Motors and Ford from the 1960s and 1970s. These cars were often highly customized with elaborate paint jobs, all leather interiors, tinted windows, wire rims and modified high performance engines. Sideshows became the alternative hot spot for those too young to gain entrance into 21-and-over nightclubs, and had outgrown the parking lots of Eastmont Mall and Foothill Square. They were made even more popular throughout the 1990s with such songs as Bay Area rapper Richie Rich's "Sideshow" anthem: "Down Bancroft / To the light / Let me warm it up, I hit a donut tight / Chevy on my side / Windows straight tinted / He got hype when he saw me spinnin’ / I’m up outta there, sideways to the next light"[5]

In the 21st century, sideshows have become increasingly popular in other cities, such as Los Angeles, Kansas City, Detroit and in multiple cities in Texas, despite the danger that they pose to the public.[6][7]

Common activities at sideshows include doughnuts[8] and ghostriding.[9] The latter involves driving a car, opening the door and climbing out, blasting off, sometimes onto the hood, sometimes standing or dancing next to the car while the car continues to roll. Violent incidents, including fights and shootings, sometimes occur at the events.[10][11]

To crack down on illegal sideshows, the Oakland Police Department opened a police substation at Eastmont Mall and set up "No Cruising Zones" along International Boulevard. In efforts to keep the events from spreading west to Downtown Oakland, an additional no cruising law was established along Grand Avenue and Lakeshore Avenue in 1996. The phenomenon is most strongly associated with the city of Oakland (the birthplace of the sideshow), with the events there often being attended by those in the hip hop community. Such events are promoted in local rap by artists including E-40.[9]^: 256

On June 8, 2005, the Oakland City Council narrowly defeated a measure (pushed by then-mayor Jerry Brown) which would have subjected spectators at sideshows to criminal sanctions, such as fines and even jail terms. Drivers face various penalties, including having their cars impounded.[12] On April 30, 2019, the San Jose City Council passed an ordinance making spectators punishable with a fine of up to $1,000 and 6 months in jail.[13]

On February 23, 2023, the state of Texas and Governor Greg Abbott launched a taskforce to address sideshows following numerous incidents that arose in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin – the latter garnered statewide attention when one takeover saw participants repel police officers of the Austin Police Department (APD), who arrived over twenty minutes late, to disperse and potentially arrest both the drivers and spectators. Texas police groups like the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas and Austin mayor Kirk Watson said they approved Abbott’s state task force announcement; Watson called the sideshows "lawless and wrong".[14] By the following month, seventeen people associated with the Austin sideshow were apprehended by the APD and facing charges, ranging from misdemeanors for reckless driving to felonies for organized crime. Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety who are working with the APD and Travis County District Attorney José Garza, warned the street takeovers are not isolated to Austin and are occurring statewide. He further pointed out that those who participate in the sideshows, even as a spectator, would be arrested: "If you're involved in a street takeover, we're certainly going after you. We're going after your vehicle. You'll [...] be arrested, prosecuted, your vehicle seized, and [we're] also going after your driver's license, as well."[15]

• Hyphy