Downtown Culture, Arts & Music

Downtown Culture, Arts and Music. Historic Graffiti Cruise Route. Modesto has an energetic Downtown with a wide variety of dining, music, cultural and professional options. The streets you are walking on today have been walked by celebrities, world-class musicians, Broadway stars, classical legends, and music stars like Tony Bennett, Robert Cray, Chicago, Willie Nelson and so many more. , The State Theatre at 1307 J Street is the last remaining historic theatre in Modesto, and is one of the most active and vibrant in California, offering independent films and live music. The renovation of the State, that began 1992 with John Griswold, and was completed by a team collected by Mike Zagaris in 2007, was the first step toward the Downtown renovation following the business exodus in the late 1970s when the Vintage Faire Mall opened. , Tresetti's (11th and J) was the first in a new wave of upscale restaurants to take hold in Downtown Modesto that led to dozens of locally-owned, first-class restaurants. The development of 10th Street Place in 1997 as the new City and County Seat set off the redevelopment that has paved the way for our urban renaissance. The millennium fireworks ushered in a new era for Downtown Modesto as 10th Street Place connected with the Centre Plaza Convention Center and DoubleTree Hotel. , Soon after, the Fat Cat Music House and Lounge was opened and single-handedly energized the local music scene and attracted national performers to the stage. The Fat Cat paved the way for other nightclubs featuring live and DJ music, as well as at many of the local restaurants. Live music can be found seven nights a week in Downtown Modesto. , The Gallo Center for the Arts at 10th and I Streets has changed the arts, entertainment and cultural scene like no other place. World-class ballet, symphony, concerts, Broadway plays and educational offerings draw people from all over the region and Modesto has again become the beacon of arts and culture for Central California. , Today, the echoes of American Graffiti are still heard in the many nightclubs, the music in 10th Street Plaza, the restaurants, and on the street corners as the cars drive by on the Historic Modesto Graffiti Cruise Route. 10th Street is the connection between the Modesto Centre Plaza and the Gallo Center. The Brenden Theatre Complex stands where the legendary Strand Theatre once was. The Copper Rhino hosts music near what used to be the old stage of the Modesto Theatre, and the Downtown art galleries come alive on the Third Thursday Artwalk. , History and modern arts and culture blend today as Modesto pushes into the future while remembering the past of American Graffiti., Were You There? Tell us your story at: [email protected] , Researched by: Chris Murphy . www.ModestoCruiseRoute.com