This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival in Washington Depot, CT, the small town that Stars Hollow is said to be based on. It was an awesome time, I met so many other fans, as well as many cast members, and it was the perfect way to get ready for the new episodes (they’re only a month away!). Check out the top 10 best moments the OLV team had at the fest!
10. Vanessa Marano declaring she is Team Jess!
I got to speak to Vanessa Marano for a few minutes on Saturday morning and had to ask her which team she was on when it came to Rory’s boyfriends and ,without hesitation she replied, “Team Jess!” This comes as no surprise since her character April was, of course, Jess’ cousin.
9. Exploring Washington Depot, CT
Washington Depot and the surrounding area was Amy Sherman-Palladino’s inspiration for Stars Hollow. She has explained, ““I went on vacation to Connecticut, because I wanted to see Mark Twain’s house. I stayed at an inn, and it was very charming, in a tiny town, and everybody seemed to know each other, and there was a pumpkin patch across the street.” Our group loved touring the town and the surrounding area. Even though it was a cold and rainy day, it was still a great time to do some leaf-peeping and shopping at all of the local stores in Washington and nearby New Preston.
It is also well known that the inn Sherman-Palladino stayed in while in Connecticut was the Mayflower Grace, so the festival even provided shuttles and tours of the hotel’s grounds to all attendees!
8. Meeting other Gilmore Girls fans
I’ve been to several similar conventions over the years and, as cliche as it sounds, the fans really are the ones who make it so much fun! I met several other Gilmore Girls fans around town who had traveled to Washington Depot from Ohio, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York and Maine.
7. Sean Gunn’s Team Cat Kirk t-shirt
On Saturday morning Sean Gunn took time to meet fans, take photos and sign autographs all while wearing, and helping to sell, a “Team Cat Kirk” t-shirt. And, the best part was all proceeds from the t-shirts went to animal charities!
6. Jackson!
Jackson Douglas, who played Sookie’s husband Jackson on the show, definitely wins the best sport award! Even though he was scheduled to do a signing later in the day (inside), he stood out in the rain for hours on Saturday morning and took photos with fans! As word got around that he was there, the line grew longer and longer but he took it all in stride and met with everyone! he even told me the crowd made the weather worth it!
5. The Cast Panel
Saturday night’s panel with all of the attending cast members, hosted by the Gilmore Guys, was definitely a major highlight of the weekend and the event fans were looking froward to most. If you missed it, you can check out video of the entire panel on the Gilmore Girls Fan Fest Facebook Page!
4. Talking to Rose about our Gilmore Girls viewing plans
Rose Abdoo, who played Gypsy on the show, was one of my favorite cast members to chat with! She told me that it was almost exactly 15 years ago that shoe got booked on the show. She also said that it was the dedication of the fans that made her want to come back. Then, she recommended I rest up before the new episodes are released (since they will be released at midnight pacific time, that’s 3:00 AM for east coasters, on Friday, Nov. 25). I assured her I already planned on napping through Thanksgiving dinner and getting up for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life as soon as it is available.
3. Meeting Keiko Agena!
On Saturday morning Keiko Ageno (Lane) was so sweet and thankful for everyone who came out and bought a piece of her artwork. I was looking forward to meeting Keiko the most and she certainly lived up to my expectations! Check out her prints on Etsy, too!
2. Vanessa Marano admitting she knows fans don’t like April
While introducing herself in the beginning of her talk about the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a charity dear to her heart, Vanessa told the crowd, “I’m Vanessa Marano and some of you might not like me very much because I played April in Gilmore Girls.” April has famously been named “everyone’s least favorite GG character.”
1. Hep Alien Reunion!
. @gilmoregirlsfanfest Surprise Hep Alien reunion this afternoon on the steps of town hall! via Instagram. pic.twitter.com/SZyBsyReEI
— GilmoreGirls Updates (@GilmoreGUpdates) October 22, 2016
Perhaps the single greatest moment of the festival was when the members of the show’s fictional band Hep Alien – Keiko Agena, Todd Lowe and John Cabrera – came together on the steps of Washington Depot’s town hall surprised fans by performing the show’s theme song. Amazing!
