Farm Fresh Sod Delivery & Installation in Modesto

Hollywood filmmaker and Modesto native George Lucas drew on his time growing up in Modesto when he wrote and directed the classic film, American Graffiti. Although the movie wasn't filmed in Modesto, the city served as the inspiration behind it. 

To this day, Modesto proudly capitalizes on this connection to the movie as it hosts an American Graffiti Festival each summer. This event features a variety of attractions related to the movie, including the Classic Car Parade, which features approximately 1,700 classic cars from across the country. 

To get a taste of Modesto's arts and culture scene, residents and visitors can take a stroll through the McHenry Mansion and Museum, the Great Valley Museum and Planetarium, the Castle Air Museum, or the George Lucas Plaza. 

There are also several historical sites in the area that highlight Modesto's mid-century modern architecture. Every year, the city hosts an Architectural Festival to celebrate these historic buildings, many of which have been featured in the Museum of Modern Art's publications. 

The historic State Theater offers a variety of live concerts and productions, and the Central West Ballet, the Townsend Opera Players, and the Gallo Center for the Arts add to the area's cultural attractions. 

Those looking to spend some time outdoors can enjoy the Modesto Certified Farmer's Market, take a mountain ATV tour, or walk the trails of several parks in the area. 

There are no major professional sports teams in Modesto, but the Modesto Nuts Minor Baseball Club, which is a Single A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, makes its home there. 

Manufacturing companies also have a strong presence in Modesto, and the area's fertile farmland makes Modesto a prime environment for the agricultural industry to thrive. Farm production is abundant in Modesto, with milk, chickens, almonds, walnuts, and corn silage leading the list of agricultural products grown or produced in the area. 

Major employers include E & J Gallo Winery, Memorial Medical Center, Modesto City Schools, Doctors Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Modesto Junior College, the City of Modesto, the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, and Save Mart Supermarkets. 

Modesto was founded in 1870 when the railroad was built in the area, and it served as a stop connecting Los Angeles to Sacramento. As the town grew, area farmers prospered growing fruit and nut trees and vegetables, and people continued to settle there. According to the 2020 Census figures, the population of Modesto is 201,165 people. 

Modesto's semi-arid climate provides mild winters with moderate rainfall and hot, dry summers. Most of the area's rain falls in the winter months.