Cars, classic rock and nostalgia. Still time to grab the wheel Sunday at Modesto fest

Car enthusiasts were out in droves on Saturday to enjoy an annual show and festival that honors Modesto’s classic cars and cruising culture and the film that put that nostalgic pastime on the map.

The North Modesto Kiwanis club’s 21st annual American Graffiti Car Show & Festival continues Sunday with plenty of classic cars, hundreds of food and vendor booths and live classic rock throughout the day.

Saturday’s festivities came on the heels of Friday night’s Official North Modesto Kiwanis Classic Car Parade. About 1,455 cars registered for the parade, a few coming as far away as Australia and Texas, officials said.

The two events are sponsored annually by the North Modesto Kiwanis Club, among the biggest for the region’s Graffiti Summer celebration that pays homage each June to “American Graffiti,” Downey High graduate George Lucas’ seminal film about coming of age in the 1960s in his native Modesto.

The festival continues Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Municipal Golf Course, 400 Tuolumne Blvd. Admission is $10, free age 12 and under. All proceeds go to local charities for children. For more, see www.americangraffitifestival.com.