For over 20 years, the City of Modesto has cleared the streets of downtown and paraded over 1,200 classic cars to tens of thousands of spectators to kick off weekend events for the American Graffiti Festival and Car Show presented by the Kiwanis Club of North Modesto. This is the only official American Graffiti car show in the nation. The parade takes place downtown on the third Friday night in August. 

The Modesto Area Street Rod Association (MASRA) starts things off each year in McHenry Village. Also, the historic State Theatre kicks off the week with a showing of American Graffiti, the American classic Lucas wrote based upon his actual high school experiences in Modesto. 

Events continue nightly with Park-n-Shines around town presented by the Mid-Valley Chevy Club. Those events are open to all car lovers who shine ‘em and show ‘em. 

A favorite of families, young and old from near and far, is the American Graffiti Festival and Car Show on Saturday and Sunday. With over 1,000 cars on display, music, beer gardens, and food (from corn dogs to cotton candy!). 

Several organizations and the new Graffiti USA Museum put on great events. Be sure to check out GraffitiSummerClassic.com for details. The majority of programs during Graffiti Summer support local children's charities and nonprofits of underserved communities.

Every parade has a host of classic cars; from the Celebration of Lights Parade to the July 4th Parade, visitors see the history of American ingenuity, muscle cars, and touring cars from the early 20th century.