Classic cars to cruise again

Car show and downtown cruise planned for May

January 11, 2006

By COREY YOUNG
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

When the film "American Graffiti" hit theaters in 1973, it forever tied Petaluma to the sights and sounds of souped-up cars rumbling down the road.

It's a scene that was recreated last year as part of the festivities surrounding the "Cruisin' the Boulevard" art cars sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club, and now a group of Petalumans wants it to continue every year.

They've taken the "Cruisin the Boulevard" moniker for a non-profit group formed to organize a car show and street cruise planned for May of this year, doubling as a fund-raiser for local charities.

"Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti" will include an outdoor car show at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, followed by an evening cruise down the same streets highlighted in the 1973 film.

John Furrer, president of the Cruisin' the Boulevard group, said it was only natural to follow last year's successful event with another one.

"It went over very, very well and we decided to do it again," he said.

Car shows such as the eight-day "Hot August Nights" event in Reno have grown increasingly popular, and even Petaluma's first-time show and cruise last year sold out of space a month in advance, Furrer said.

He's confident that if car buffs like the experience of showing off their classic vehicles in Petaluma, they'll want to return each year.

And linking Petaluma's festivities to one of the most famous films ever shot in the city gets a lot of attention, organizers said.

"All the cruising scenes -- that's all downtown Petaluma," said fellow organizer Rich Poremba, relating the tale of how director George Lucas took his film to Petaluma only after drawing complaints from a bar owner in his first choice of backdrop, San Rafael.

Last year's event, which featured two of the original cars used in the movie, 175 other restored classics and the appearance of "American Graffiti" actor Paul LeMat, got publicity far and wide, and car enthusiasts from as far away as England and New Zealand plan to come this year, Furrer said.

He's also hoping that Petalumans with fond memories of seeing the movie filmed around town will show up.

"My wife and I watched the filming of 'American Graffiti' while we were dating," Furrer said. "We were married in '73, right around the time it was released."

The group will start taking entry applications from classic-car owners Sunday, Jan. 15, with a goal of raising $10,000 for local groups.

Already, Cruisin' the Boulevard plans to donate proceeds to Petaluma People Services Center's Meals on Wheels program, the Petaluma Police Department's bike helmet safety efforts and Petaluma Sunrise Rotary's heart defibrillator project, but the group says other charities can also apply for funding.

And two years from now, on the 35th anniversary of the movie's release, Furrer and his fellow organizers are hoping all the stars of the film -- including Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, McKenzie Phillips and Cindy Williams -- will show up to celebrate along with Lucas.

"The only star in the movie who didn't get his start here was Ron Howard," Furrer said. "Everybody else was a no-name."

But is there a chance of getting some now-A-list actors into Petaluma?

"We're already working on it," Furrer said.

The event will raise money for community groups and bring a lot of visitors to town, which is a plus, Poremba said -- "but we're really doing it for fun."

(Contact Corey Young at cyoung@arguscourier.com)

CRUISIN' THE BOULEVARD

What: "Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti," a car show and cruise

When: May 20, 2006

Where: Petaluma Village Premium Outlets and downtown streets

More information: call 763-6315, e-mail dadeeooh@netzero.net or write Cruisin' the Boulevard, Inc., 1165 San Rafael Drive, Petaluma, CA 94954