WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — The version of Sandusky that serves as the primary setting of the movie “Tommy Boy” has only so much in common with the actual city in north-central Ohio.

While a coffee mug from the world-famous Cedar Point amusement park sits on a desk in the 1995 comedy starring the late Chris Farley — a memento now residing in the Cedar Point Historical Museum downtown — the cinematic Sandusky revolves around the fictional Callahan Auto Parts, which makes quality brake pads for the working man and whose factory employs hundreds. (And while Sandusky formerly was home to the small Griffing Sandusky Airport, the version in “Tommy Boy” boasts the seemingly decent-sized Sandusky Regional Airport, where one could fly to — presumably among other places — Chicago, Salt Lake City and, wait for it, Cuyahoga Falls.)

None of that has stopped Sanduskians — and now the city — from embracing the Pete Segal-directed film, which was shot in Canada and Los Angeles and also features the late Brian Dennehy, Bo Derek, Julie Warner, Dan Aykroyd, Rob Lowe and, last but not least, Farley’s then-”Saturday Night Live” castmate David Spade and was produced by “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels.

“I’m (for) any positive reference of Sandusky,” says Jason Werling, the city’s recreation superintendent and the man behind the city’s fast-approaching Tommy Boy Fest. “That’s the second thing we hear most. The first thing is ‘Cedar Point’ when you say, ‘Sandusky, Ohio.’ The second thing is, ‘Oh, “Tommy Boy”!’

“There are still people who live in Sandusky that swear that parts of the movie were filmed here and that they used an actual (Sandusky) police car in the film,” adds Werling, who says the production did reach out to a then-Sandusky Register photographer for photos of the city — and of a cop car — for reference.

Tommy Boy Fest will take place from Aug. 7 through 9 on and around downtown’s Jackson Street Pier and feature an outdoor screening of the movie each day, celebrity guests, live music and comedy and more — thanks in part to presenting sponsor (and real company) Callahan Brake Parts.

The movie sees Farley portraying good-natured slacker Tommy R. “Tommy” Callahan III, a (mostly) lovable loser whose catchphrase is “Holy schnikes!”

After the death of his larger-than-life father, Thomas “Big Tom” Callahan Jr. (Dennehy), Tommy hits the road with reluctant colleague Richard Hayden (Spade) in a desperate attempt to try to secure enough sales to keep the company afloat at this challenging time — and prove to himself and others he’s capable of leading it into the future.

The obvious question ISN’T why Sandusky is having this “Tommy Boy”-centric celebration but, instead, why is it happening only now.

“We tried to make this happen before, but the pandemic got in the way,” Werling says of a would-be 25th-anniversary celebration in 2020. “If it was up to me, it would’ve been done at 10 years later, 20 years later, 25 — you know, like a high school reunion.”

For this 30th-anniversary ‘Tommy Boy’ bash, the city got the go-ahead to use the name from the studio behind the movie, Paramount Pictures, with only a few restrictions, Werling says, and was able to secure a commitment from Segal to attend.

“He was the original get for us,” Werling says of Segal, who will bring along a restored car — one of the Plymouth convertibles used in the movie to represent the 1967 car Tommy and Richard take around the country … and all but destroy.

Segal is slated to take part in a Q&A with audience members paired with the final showing of the movie that will bring the event to a close at 7 p.m. Aug. 9.

The first night of the fest will feature Kevin Farley, brother of Chris, who will perform stand-up comedy at the pier and host the Tommy Boy Look-Alike Contest.

“We want to make sure everybody knows that it doesn’t have to be people dressed up as Tommy,” Werling says. “It could be Richard. It could be Rob Lowe’s character. (It could be) Michelle (Warner).

“There’s a Brian Dennehy (lookalike) locally that I think somebody’s trying to (get),” he adds. “He could be a ringer.”

While Werling is holding out hope that a cast member or two may “just pop in,” the city was, at last check, moving closer to securing the involvement of Warner, whose credits also include 1991’s “Doc Hollywood” and the turn-of-the-century series “Family Law.”

Music will be a key component of Tommy Boy Fest, with performances by covers acts the Menus (7 p.m. Aug. 7) and My So Called Band (3:30 p.m. Aug. 9), as well as “Dave Paulson & The Holy Schnikes Present ‘Sandusky, Ohio – A Tommy Boy-Inspired Album’” (6 p.m. Aug. 9).

Other elements of the affair include a vendor event happening all three days, Big Tom’s Market: Brake Pads & More, which is expected to include hand-crafted goods, merchandise and memorabilia; the Tommy Boy and Classic Movie Vehicles Car Show (4:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8); a screening of another comedy directed by Segal, 2004’s “50 First Dates,” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore (5 p.m. Aug. 8); the Tommy Want Wingy Throwdown, a fundraiser for Sandusky-based nonprofit Ability Works Inc. (11 a.m. Aug. 9); Tommy Boy Trivia (4:30 p.m. Aug. 9); and the Fat Guy in a Little Race, a 0.5K walk/run inspired by the early scene in which Tommy runs to catch a school bus.

“We’re looking to get a Sandusky City Schools bus to lead off the event,” Werling says of the oh-so-doable jaunt.

A news release for Tommy Boy Fest from Shores & Islands Ohio, an entry that promotes the tourist-friendly region that includes Erie and Ottawa counties, points out that Aug. 9 also will see a beer festival/street party held by downtown sister operations The Small City Taphouse and CLAG Brewing Co. and taking place on Columbus Avenue. (Beer drinkers may wish to try the Fat Guy in a Little Can Double IPA, said to boast tropical flavors.)

Werling says city officials aren’t sure how many folks to expect for Tommy Boy Fest. While last year’s multiday Total Eclipse of SUNdusky event was a success, the city didn’t see the “hundreds of thousands of people” some suggested would venture to the North Coast.

“The eclipse was awesome, but the entire state of Ohio was, basically, in the path of the eclipse,” he says. “We’re the only ones doing Tommy Boy Fest.”

In the event your travels to Sandusky in recent years have involved little more than drives to and from Cedar Point, you may not be aware that the city spent years transforming the Jackson Street Pier from a parking lot and waiting area for the ferries coming from the Lake Erie island to what Shores & Islands Ohio calls “the city’s premier public space.” (For any event there, such as the Tommy Boy Fest performances and screenings or the summer-long Party at the Pier series, you are strongly encouraged to bring chairs and/or blankets for comfy seating.)

Also seeing some work was the aforementioned thoroughfare Columbus Avenue, which recently was named one of the top cities in the nation for “wellness walks” by Assisted Living Magazine.

“If you haven’t been to downtown Sandusky in a while,” Werling says, “it’s totally changed.”

Tommy Boy Fest

Featuring numerous events and screenings of “Tommy Boy,” it will take place Aug. 7-9 at Jackson Street Pier in Sandusky. For information, including the full schedule, visit TommyBoyFest.com.

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