Watch: Glowing Neon Chick Returns To Petaluma Skyline

PETALUMA, CA — After years of fundraising, planning, and restoration work, Petaluma's iconic hatchery chick sign is glowing again in all its neon glory.

For years, only the chick's breast remained illuminated against the Petaluma skyline. Eroding after nearly a century on Petaluma Boulvard North, the 3-foot-high neon outline of a yellow hatchling installed in 1935 became a fading reminder of one of the city's past industries.

That changed in 2025 with a campaign to restore the sign and with it a marker of Petaluma's past.

On Sunday, a crowd gathered beneath the sign to watch it light up once again.

The ceremony celebrated the culmination of a community-driven effort powered by donations, volunteers, local businesses, skilled craftspeople, historians, and even an accordionist, all determined to preserve a piece of what has become Petaluma history.

The restored hatchery chick officially returned to a full yolk-yellow during the lighting ceremony amid supporters who helped bring the project across the finish line.

Bay Area Goes Full Chick

Organizers led by historian Katherine Rinehart launched a fundraising campaign in August 2025 and surpassed their goal by Jan. 1.

Fundraising shifted into high gear in 2025 with a GoFundMe campaign and "chick sign" merchandise — pins, bandanas, and vintage sign guidebooks.

They landed in outlets like Chick City Goods, Petaluma Coffee & Tea, Rex Hardware, the Petaluma Visitor Center, and the Petaluma Museum.

An anonymous $5,000 matching grant in December and a special offer to donors of a handcrafted sign ornament put the project over the top.

SFNeon also carried merchandise, while the restoration, including hand-painting parts of the sign, brought together some of the region's most experienced sign craftsmen, according to Rinehart. FastSigns completed the restoration at its Vallejo shop, formerly home to the Barber Sign Company. Blue Flame Neon of Martinez fabricated the replacement neon tubing.

Crews removed the sign from its posts on April 16 and reinstalled it on June 11, just days before the public relighting.

Since then, community members have shared photos and videos of the event across social media. Among the most widely viewed is a Facebook post by Joe Chapman featuring video of the sign's return to full illumination.

Rinehart is now turning the attention to other neon, paint, plastic, and weathered metal signs in Petaluma. Like the hatchery chic, they attract tourists and attention to Petaluma, but also generate stories nearby from people with memories tied to the neon signs.

Find more chic restoration stories:
https://kjrinehart.com/blog/
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