FORKS — A weekend-long birthday celebration in honor of Forks’ most famous fictional teenage girl begins tonight, and the annual party is still pretty big, according to Mike Gurling, Forks Visitor Center manager.
Stephenie Meyer Day is celebrated in Forks the weekend nearest Sept. 16, the birthdate of Bella Swan, the central character in the Twilight saga novels.
Meyer never has been to any of them and is not expected this weekend.
The Twilight saga is a series of four books written by Meyer, and five movies based on the books, that tells the fictional story of a love triangle between teenager Swan, the sparkling but still fearsome vampire Edward Cullen and the ever-shirtless Quileute werewolf Jacob Black.
The weekend will offer “Twi-hards,” fans of the Twilight saga, a chance to immerse themselves in Meyer’s vision of Forks and the world of vampires, werewolves and fashion.
The city is expecting 2,500 to 3,000 visitors for the event, and the lodging in town is pretty much booked up, Gurling said.
Forks’ population, as of 2010, was 3,532, making the party almost as big as the town.
Holding steady
Visitor interest in Forks is at about the same level as last year, Gurling said.
While the numbers are about half the height of Twilight tourism in 2010, when more than 16,000 visitors passed through town in a single summer month, the Forks Visitor Center recorded 8,606 visitors in July and 7,747 in August, he said.
Gurling said visitors are a mix of returning fans, whom visitor center employees are beginning to recognize by name, and a new wave of fans who have only recently read the series.
There is still one more movie to be released in the series, keeping Twilight in the thoughts of fans.
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2” will be in theaters Nov. 16.
Independent committee
This year, an independent Stephenie Meyer Day Committee has taken charge of the event, which was organized by the Forks Chamber of Commerce for the past five years.
“This group has a lot of energy and wanted to take over the weekend,” Gurling said.
An information booth will be located at JT’s Sweet Stuffs, 80 N. Forks Ave., to direct visitors to Twilight-related events going on all weekend.
A “Guy’s List” of activities for those who accompany Twilight fans but who would rather do something else is available at the Forks Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.forkswa.com/twilight.
Special guests this year will include sisters Hilly and Hannah Hindi of The Hillywood Show, and costume designer John Henson.
The Hillywood Show is a website featuring satire sketches, character impersonations and song and dance parodies of the big box office films, including the “Twilight” movies.
The Hindi sisters will sell merchandise, sign autographs, take photos with fans and screen “Twilight” saga parodies.
John Henson is a costume designer for The Hillywood Show and owner of the largest collection of privately owned screen-worn and replica “Twilight” costumes and props.
Henson’s costuming career includes work with Broadway productions “Rent,” “Wicked,” Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and Broadway revivals of “Cabaret” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
“Twilight” costumes owned by Henson and Henson-designed costumes for The Hillywood Show parodies will be on display.
Henson will be available for fan questions.
The Hillywood and Henson schedules will be available at the information booth at JT’s Sweet Stuffs.
The wedding of Bella and Edward will be recreated at 9 p.m. Saturday, followed by a reception.
The events will be held at Leppell’s Flowers and Gifts and Twilight Central, 130 S. Spartan Ave.
Tickets are $25 and include the wedding, reception and photos with the wedding party.
Before the wedding will be the bachelorette party, an adults-only affair thrown tonight in honor of the upcoming nuptials.
The party will offer limited-edition invitations for the first 100 prepaid guests. Tickets are $20.
The actual location of the party is “top secret,” and guests are told to pick up entry wristbands and get directions to the party at 8 p.m. today at Alice’s Closet, 130 Forks Ave.
Guests willing to get out of bed early will have the chance to attend a wedding-morning breakfast with the Olympic Coven.
The breakfast will be held in the heart of werewolf country — with special dispensation from the Quileute tribe to allow the vampires to cross into Quileute territory, according to the Stephenie Meyer Day Committee.
Breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at River’s Edge Restaurant, 41 Main St. in LaPush.
Leave your blood
The Puget Sound Blood Center will be taking blood donations from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Forks High School parking lot, 121 Spartan Ave.
The blood drive is a great way for the Twilight folks to give back to the community, blood drive organizer Pura Carlson said.
Unlike many vampires, the technicians are professionals who are expected to take only blood that is offered freely, Carlson said.
Vampiric infections are unlikely to be communicable through blood donations, so those who want to become a “newborn” vampire will need to look elsewhere for conversion, Carlson said.
Both visitors and Forks residents are encouraged to drop by, she said.
Birthday party
The weekend will conclude with Bella’s Birthday Party, to be held at noon Sunday at JT’s Sweet Stuff.
The party will celebrate the newly named Bella Cullen’s first birthday after becoming a vampire, and visitors are being warned that Bella may look a little different after her transformation.
A silent auction of “Twilight” and “Twilight”-inspired items will take place during the weekend.
Items include dinner with “Edward Cullen,” replicas of clothing worn by Swan, as seen in the movies, and memorabilia, and can be seen at Chinook Pharmacy, 11 S. Forks Ave.
Bids will be taken inside of the pharmacy.
The auction ends at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Proceeds from the auction will support the 2013 Stephenie Meyer Day, according to organizers.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
