Thousands flock to 'American Graffiti' salute

<p>For one day, downtown Petaluma was transformed into a 1960s wonderland of classic cars, cruising, poodle skirts and jitterbug dancing.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>It was the fourth annual “Salute to American Graffiti” on Saturday, and from morning until nightfall, the streets where George Lucas’ coming-of-age movie was filmed in 1972 were turned into a tribute to the cars, music, culture and fashion of that era.</p><p>An estimated 20,000 people flocked to Petaluma Boule-vard, Kentucky Street and other downtown streets, which were closed to vehicle traffic all day for the car show and then the car cruise in the late afternoon and evening.</p><p>Two new attractions at this year’s event added to the retro ambiance. In the parking lot between McNear’s restaurant and the Lan-Mart building on Petaluma Boulevard, an auth-entic replica of Mel’s Drive-in, renamed Mel’s Burger City was set up for the day and served hamburgers, chili dogs and root beer floats. And a short distance away, radio station XERB conjured up the spirit of Wolfman Jack, as guest disc jockeys David Glass, Candi Chamberlin and others played oldies such as “Rock Around the Clock” and “Johnny B Goode” to listeners on the street and those who tuned in to a low-watt FM channel.</p><p>“I wish we could have this radio station all the time,” said Dianna Cruppi, a 40-year Petaluma resident who spent the day downtown with her husband, George, both wearing “Salute to American Graffiti” T-shirts. “We love having all the old cars and music in the center of town. It’s fantastic.”</p><p>Actress Candy Clark, one of the stars of “American Graffiti,” greeted fans and signed autographs in a booth on Kentucky Street.</p><p>“I’m having a fantastic time,” she said. “This is my favorite event to attend. It brings back a lot of great memories. It’s a great town and it hasn’t really changed that much since we made the movie.”</p><p>In three years, “Salute to American Graffiti” has become one of the city’s most popular downtown events, rivaling the Butter & Egg Days Parade. </p><p>John Furrer, president of Cruisin’ the Boulevard, the nonprofit that produces the event, said he and his wife, Joetta, were engaged the year the movie was filmed. </p><p>“We often stood on the street corner to watch the cameras, lights and action,” he recalled. The couple was inspired to buy their first hot rod, a 1931 Ford Model A, which they still own.</p><p>Susan Villa, a board member of Cruisin’ the Boulevard, said, “We have been getting bombarded with e-mails since Saturday. A lot of people who had come every single year said they didn’t think it could get any better. They all said they liked Mel’s Burger City and XERB and said, ‘You’ve got to keep those,’” she said.</p><p>Villa said the board has already decided to bring back the drive-in and the radio station next year.</p><p>There were only a couple of minor incidents, including one man who joined the cruise without registering his car and allowed his underage son to drive. He was reprimanded by police, but not cited.</p><p>Officers who patrolled the downtown area reported no significant problems and said the no-alcohol format had a positive impact.</p><p>“We were extremely pleased with the way the event went,” said Petaluma Police Lt. Mike Cook. “Certainly the addition of alcohol to any event raises the level of concern.”</p><p>Proceeds from the event have enabled Cruisin’ the Boulevard to purchase emergency and life-saving equipment for the city’s police and fire departments, City Hall and high schools.</p><p><i>(Contact Chris Samson at chris.samson@arguscourier.com)</i></p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xFUQEFLQTy8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xFUQEFLQTy8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>