The communitywide effort to make downtown Meadville officially The Only Place to Be on Aug. 15 is rapidly gaining momentum. So much momentum, in fact, that it’s looking like Thunder in the City 2009 will close with a bang — a major fireworks display, to be exact.

When Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce decided to focus on presenting a single summer event this year instead of spreading its efforts among several, both Allegheny College and Make It Meadville, the downtown organization marshaling community support for bringing the Main Street Program to Meadville, quickly jumped on board.

Thunder in the City is a classic car and bike fest that organizers envision lining Diamond Park — and maybe even Market Square — with antique cars and Chestnut Street with motorcycles.

The chamber’s major partners will also help anchor the eastern and western boundaries of the celebration.

By the time Aug. 15 rolls around, for example, the chamber will already be occupying new digs in Founders House, the towering yellow-and-white Victorian owned by Allegheny on the west side of Diamond Park. At 11:30 a.m., grand opening festivities will formally open the facility, which will also house Allegheny offices supporting civic-engagement-related activities. Tours of the building, which has been undergoing a major renovation since 2008, will be conducted throughout the day.

With financial support from the college, plans call for live music from the gazebo to fill the Diamond from noon until dusk and inflatables to keep kids thoroughly exercised; in addition, a bike rodeo sponsored by Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, a helmet safety check, a child ID program by Pennsylvania State Police and tours of fire trucks and ambulances will contribute to the family-friendly atmosphere Stone says will reign supreme from noon to 5 p.m.

From 5 p.m. until dusk, we’ll rock it out a little bit,” he added mysteriously.

Johnnie’s Drive-In, the fundraising event that made its debut in 2008 and is rapidly becoming an annual event for Make It Meadville, will keep the area surrounding Meadville Market House hopping throughout the afternoon with poodle skirts and white buck shoes complimenting culinary and musical offerings from the 1950s.

Throughout the downtown area, merchants are already working overtime planning special offerings for the celebration, Stone said. To encourage everyone attending Thunder in the City to check out the downtown food offerings, for example, only one outside food vendor has been invited to participate.

The Make It Meadville committee is already at work creating a map detailing all the downtown activities that will take place during the event, while Allegheny College is creating a new Web site to keep the community thoroughly posted as plans develop. The address of the Web site is expected to be announced shortly.

Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.