Modesto American Graffiti Festival & Car Show

The Modesto American Graffiti Festival & Car Show is an annual cultural festival and classic car show organized by the Kiwanis Club of North Modesto as a charity fundraiser, running continuously since 1999 and drawing 1,200 to 1,400 classic vehicles from across California and the West Coast each year. The event directly celebrates Modesto's connection to native son George Lucas's 1973 film 'American Graffiti,' which depicted 1960s-era teenage cruising culture along the city's downtown streets and McHenry Avenue.

The multi-day 'Graffiti Summer' celebration typically includes a Wednesday kickoff with a Walk of Fame ceremony and 'Park N' Shine' downtown, a Friday evening cruise parade of registered classic cars along the historic cruise route (with the route split between 10th and 11th Streets before merging on I Street), and a weekend car show and festival at the Modesto Junior College West Campus featuring live music and food and craft vendors.

All festival proceeds benefit local youth-focused charities, scholarships, and a Christmas basket program for families in need, making the event as much a community fundraising institution as a nostalgia-driven car show, and its cultural roots in a genuine Hollywood film give Modesto a rare, singular claim among Central Valley cities.