The Firelight Event, a yearly gathering of fans of the popular TV show "Gilmore Girls," will return to Guilford in 2025.
Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff
GUILFORD, CT — The Fan Fest Society this week announced details for its 10th annual yearly gathering of "Gilmore Girls" fans, which will take place in Guilford from Oct. 17-19, 2025.
Put on by The Fan Fest Society, which was founded by Marcus and Jennie Whitaker, The Firelight Event serves as a celebration of the hit television series and allows fans as well as cast and crew members to come together for three days of events, activities, meet and greets, giveaways, costume contests, tastings, panels and more.
Tickets will be available here beginning Feb. 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. Announcements about attending cast and crew will begin in early March and continue as logistics are confirmed, and a full schedule of events will be available by mid-summer.
"Gilmore Girls" aired on The WB/The CW from 2000 to 2007.
"Fiercely independent single mom Lorelai raises gifted, Ivy League-bound daughter Rory amid a continual stream of quick-witted repartee," a description of the series on Netflix says.
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The Whitakers organized the first festival, previously titled "Gilmore Girls Fan Fest," in 2016 in Washington Depot, CT, according to Vanity Fair. The show takes place in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, CT.
The CT Tourism Office notes on its website that while the charmingly quaint New England town of Stars Hollow is not on the CT state map, its inspiration can be found throughout the Litchfield Hills region.
This past fall marked the first time the fan fest was held in Guilford.
"The event has traveled to several towns since 2016, but Guilford was a natural fit from the moment we arrived," Jennie said in a news release. "The area captures the essence of our event, it’s exactly what attendees want, quintessential Connecticut with a weekend of fan fest activities."
Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey said the town is "delighted" to have the event return to town.
"Feedback from the 2024 event indicated it was huge success, meeting and exceeding participants' expectations, and was embraced by Guilford residents and businesses," Hoey said in a news release. "We are currently working with Jennie and Marcus to create an even better experience in October."
Marcus Whittaker said that while other events have popped up attempting to capture the same audience of "Gilmore Girls" fans, the Firelight Event remains "uniquely different" than a typical fan fest or con.
"Our events are more immersive and infiltrate a welcoming town alongside a willing cast and crew. It’s something that every great show deserves, people behind it, willing to keep it alive," Marcus added.
For more details about The Firelight Event, as well as other Fan Fest Society events, click here.
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