No, “Tommy Boy” was not filmed in Sandusky, Ohio, but the filmmakers did scout the area for inspiration as they decided that would be the setting for the movie, according to Shores & Islands Ohio Public Relations Manager Jill Bauer and Assistant Marketing Director Jennifer Yochem. Another Ohio connection was Cuyahoga Falls, which was the airplane ticket destination that the character Michelle requested at the airport in the movie. However, none of that stopped the area from hosting one fun, creative and popular festival!
Tell us about the history of the Tommy Boy Fest.
This (2025) was the first-ever Tommy Boy Fest! Initially planned as a 2020 event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the film’s release, COVID put us on a five-year hold. The idea resurfaced at the beginning of this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary, and because of a previous relationship with the film’s director, Peter Segal, we were able to get the idea off the ground again!
The event was the brainchild of our local recreation department superintendent and “Tommy Boy” superfan, Jason Werling. Planning and implementation were a collaborative effort between the City of Sandusky, the Sandusky Recreation Department, the Greater Sandusky Partnership (GSP) and Shores & Islands Ohio (S&IO) — with each agency providing different areas of expertise along with marketing and/or event support.
We had no idea what to expect in terms of attendance, but our public relations and social media efforts were far-reaching, and the few events that did require registration had entries from several states (from New Jersey to Minnesota, and even as far away as Hawaii!).
Because of the media attention we got for our article submissions and social media posts, Callahan Auto Parts (yes, they are a real company, based in Chicago) reached out to the Tommy Boy Fest committee asking to be the event’s title sponsor — which was another aspect of the cult classic movie rolled into this unique event!
After it was all said and done, we were able to measure more than 44,000 visitors from all over the country who came to the downtown Sandusky area for this three-day event.
“Tommy Boy” Fat Guy in a Little Race.
Courtesy of Shores Islands
Jason Werling and Julie Warner
What were some of the special events, and what was most popular?
A snapshot of popular events included:
- Thursday, August 7: Tommy Boy Look-Alike contest, celebrity guest Kevin Farley (brother of “Tommy Boy” star Chris Farley), concert with popular north coast band The Menus, outdoor movie screening;
- Friday, August 8: Pub crawl, movie screenings, celebrity guest Julie Warner (Michelle in the movie) meet and greet and Q&A, movie classics car show;
- Saturday, August 9: Tommy Want Wingy Throwdown “best wings” competition, Fat Guy in a Little Race 0.5K, live bands, Tommy Boy trivia, celebrity guest Peter Segal (Q&A with him and other folks who worked on the film), movie screening;
- All weekend: food trucks, scavenger hunt (sites not in the movie), photo ops, town merchants selling souvenir merchandise and restaurants with themed food/drink specials.
What are your future plans for the event?
It was a highly successful event, and the buzz was amazing. We will definitely do it again, but the undertaking is too great for an annual event on this scale. We are hoping to incorporate elements of the festival into smaller annual events, maybe a Tommy Boy Day or holding the 0.5K or wing contest. The full festival will happen again in five-year intervals. Get ready for Tommy Boy Fest 2030 for the 35th anniversary!
Do you have any advice for communities thinking of starting their own movie-related events?
Divide and conquer. The city handled set up, signage, placemaking and the event website. GSP handled setting up the market vendors, food trucks and the event’s Facebook page. S&IO handled logo art, sign graphics, public relations, additional social media and visitor marketing. We ran out of merchandise early and often (upon restocking), so have plenty of vendors on hand, especially with movie-themed merchandise. We also could have gotten the word out about schedules and events sooner, but many details came together at the last minute. Everyone involved did a lot of promotion for the event within a two-month period. Next time will be easier with one in the books!
“Tommy Boy ” Fest Kevin Farley, Jason Werling, Pete Segal
