Downtown Delaware trades its usual Friday routine for a fictional Connecticut town this weekend, as A Weekend in Starz Hollow — a two-day celebration inspired by the television series Gilmore Girls — runs Friday, Nov. 13, through Saturday, Nov. 14, according to 614NOW. More than 40 downtown businesses are taking part, remaking their storefronts as familiar spots from the show, including Luke’s Diner, Doose’s Market, Miss Patty’s Dance Studio, Kim’s Antiques and the Dragonfly Inn.
The event is organized by Late Night Delaware in conjunction with Main Street Delaware, 614NOW reported. In a press release quoted by 614NOW, organizers said: “Just like the fictional Stars Hollow, downtown Delaware is filled with unique businesses, familiar faces, and a community that knows how to come together for something special.” The general downtown experience is free to explore, while some special events and cast appearances require tickets or advance registration.
Two members of the show’s fictional band Hep Alien are headlining the weekend. Todd Lowe, who played Zack Van Gerbig, and John Cabrera, who played Brian Fuller, are coming to Delaware for ticketed fan experiences including trivia, question-and-answer sessions and a live musical performance, according to 614NOW. Emily Kuroda, who played Mrs. Kim, joins Lowe and Cabrera for the Saturday evening Church Tour performance at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Gray Chapel, and Kuroda is also scheduled for a candle-making experience and conversation with fans.
The schedule leans into the show’s small-town rituals. Visitors can join Kirk’s Egg Hunt, a knit-a-thon, a Yale-versus-Harvard tailgate, Gilmore Girls-inspired facials at Oasis Face Bar and fast-talking competitions at Bowerbird, 614NOW reported. Saturday brings a vendor market on West Winter Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a Mrs. Kim look-alike and attitude contest at 2 p.m., and a Luke look-alike contest at the downtown gazebo at 5 p.m.
Saturday night closes with Miss Patty’s 21-and-over after-party, according to 614NOW. The weekend is a fan-driven event: its own listing notes that A Weekend in Starz Hollow is a community-driven, fan event not affiliated with or endorsed by Warner Bros., organized by Late Night Delaware, a nonprofit organization, in conjunction with Main Street Delaware.
For Delaware’s downtown merchants, the draw is foot traffic in mid-November — hundreds of fans moving between more than 40 participating storefronts over two days, eating, shopping and filling ticketed events at venues such as Gray Chapel. Events like this one have become a reliable way for small Ohio downtowns to turn a weekend into a destination, and Delaware is betting a beloved television town can do for Sandusky Street what it did for Stars Hollow.
A Weekend in Starz Hollow begins Friday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. and runs through Saturday, Nov. 14, in downtown Delaware. The full schedule, participating businesses and ticket information are posted on the official event page through Visit Delaware County.
Photo: JBTHEMILKER, CC BY-SA