Special events
graffiti Summer

We invite you to relive The Graffiti Years –
when America was growing up!
Come to Graffiti Summer
for our Classic Car and Oldies Festival
in Modesto and Stanislaus County!

Our hometown hero George Lucas was born and raised in the City of Modesto, Stanislaus County, graduating from Thomas Downey High School in 1962. Only a little more than a decade later, he co-wrote and directed one of the top-100 movies of all time.

American Graffiti was released in 1973 with a great nostalgic look back at cars, music and teenage years, portraying an age of innocence in 1962 when the “fabulous fifties” were turning into the “turbulent sixties.” All the scenes in his great movie either happened here in Modesto or were inspired by events in our city. Mel’s Drive-In (in San Francisco) was just a stand-in for the real deals in Modesto, Burge’s on 9th Street and Al’s Drive-In on McHenry Avenue.

Both are gone now, but the memories live on, and Modesto continues to recreate its past glory as the classic car and cruisin’ center of the California Central Valley!

PAST EVENTS

For years, Modesto and Stanislaus County have recognized and celebrated the era that George Lucas immortalized. For most of a decade, the celebration was limited to one or two major events:

  • “Back to Graffiti” began as a two-day car show and entertainment venue at the Fruit Yard, a great restaurant and produce market just outside Modesto!
  • The Kiwanis American Graffiti Classic Car Show, which since 1999 has included a huge static car show, and since 2002, a downtown parade of at least 500 classic cars!

As the Events Calendar, we have built on those celebrations with new events, and our celebration of the days of cruisin’ and rockin’ will continue.

These are just some of renowned Rock’n’Roll Artists who have appeared at Graffiti Summer:

  • Little Richard
  • Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
  • The Isley Brothers
  • Bobby Vee
  • Tommy Roe
  • The Diamonds
  • Frankie and The Fable Tones (including Frank from Vito and the Salutations)
  • Brenton Wood
  • The Big Bopper, Jr.
  • Roddy Jackson
  • Simply So
  • And more to come!

Copyright © 2005 Modesto CVB, All rights reserved.