Twilight Fans Flock to Forks, Washington
The most popular town in America Forks, Washington. With a population of a little over 3 thousand, the wettest place in the Olympic Peninsula, has grown into an overnight success.
Last year, 2008, was the town’s biggest tourism year ever and residents say carloads of visitors, mostly giddy teenage girls, are showing up every weekend these days.
Marcia Bingham, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said the town’s Twilight-inspired turnaround has been nothing short of miraculous.
“We’ve probably had more than 100 people a day,” Bingham told the Associated Press as van after van of tourists pulled up in front of the town’s visitor center.
Forks is where the smouldering romance between vampire Edward Cullen, played by British actor Robert Pattinson, and his high-school girlfriend Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, unfolds.
Forks has welcomed the new visitors with open arms.
Local restaurants are serving special “Twilight” treats, like Bella burgers at Sully’s Burgers in town, or Bella Berry milkshakes.
Fans buy up bumper stickers or one of the stacks of t-shirts behind every counter that read “Vampires love Forks”, or baseball caps emblazoned with the little town’s name.
On the town’s main drag, signs in store windows read “We love Edward and Bella.”
On Bella’s fictional birthday last year, the town held a “vampire party”, where almost 1,000 young girls attended. Residents said they’d never seen more women in Forks in the history of the rainy little town.
Town entrepreneurs have started “Twilight tours” that take in all the key spots in the books and the movies — places like Bella and Edward’s houses, the police station where Bella’s father works, the hospital where Edward’s father is a doctor, or the field where the vampires like to play baseball.
Check out the entire story at CNN.com
Twilight Themed Hotel Rooms
Planning a visit to Forks, Washington, home of the Twilight Saga, anytime soon? Looking for somewhere to stay? We have just the thing…Twilight themed hotel rooms! Yes that’s right Twifans, when you have to leave your teen-vamp themed bedrooms to make the all important trip to Forks you can get a home away from home at The Pacific Inn.
There are six Twilight themed rooms, with two separate themes to choose from. The first is a very gothic room with red and black walls, black curtains, red lampshades and framed Twilight posters on the walls. The bedding is also black and red, with a floral pattern, and there are even pillows with some of the characters on! The theme continues into the bathroom where there’s a black shower curtain and black towels with red Twilight logos embroidered on them. The second room is similar, continuing the black and red vampire theme, but the bedding is a luxurious black and gold fabric. All rooms are doubles, with two queen beds, and come with wireless internet, microwave and refrigerator.
Twilight in Forks – A Documentary
A couple of filmmakers decided to make a documentary about the town of Forks and the Twilight phenomenon, called Twilight in Forks.
“Everybody that’s a fan of ‘Twilight’ has a vision of what Forks is like,” Brown said of the real-life Washington town where Stephenie Meyer set her vampire-romance saga. “In the movie, we get a peek at that. But in fact, they didn’t shoot the ['Twilight'] movie in Forks. So we’ve gone actually out to Forks. And you’ll get a chance to meet some of the real people and see some of the real places that are featured in the story.”
The DVD documentary will be available to the public on October 15.
Stephenie Meyer Day Coming Up!
The annual Stephenie Meyer Day is fast approaching in Forks. Chris Cook, the editor of the Forks Forum wrote in to share some details.
“Dazzled by Twilight has opened their new store where Fern Gallery was, pretty amazing place for Forks. Scroll down at www.forksforum.com to see a photo of Annette and Rianalee inside the store. I’m working on a more complete story with one of the guys who built it. The fans are still arriving in high numbers from all over the place. A “quiet” day today, only about 500 at the visitor center!”
Get all the Stephenie Meyer Day details here.
Tourism Good or Bad for La Push Reservation?
July 7, 2009 by Sara
Filed under Interviews, News
The NY Post has a new article detailing the mixed feelings in Forks, WA and La Push concerning the influx of visitors due to Twilight Tourism in the area.
Locals marvel at how much she got right, but the economically depressed reservation is ambivalent about “Twilight” and how its 350 residents should capitalize on it. Compared to Forks, where visitors can pose with Bella’s truck and participate in a “Twilight” look-alike contest, the reservation is cloaked in centuries-old anonymity
“There are mixed feelings,” says tribal council member Anna Rose Counsell. Over the last three months, the tribe has struggled over what to do. “This is a phenomenon that is happening whether we like it or not.”
Tribal leaders hired a p.r. pro, Jackie Jacobs, in February after being inundated with “Twilight” inquiries. The tribe opened its Wednesday night drum circle to all visitors, which recently included two families of “Twilight” fans.
At the tribe-owned Oceanside Resort, director Renee Rux says business is up 30 percent, thanks to “Twilight.” “It’s been huge for us,” Rux says. The resort recently partnered with a charter boat company to offer “Twilight” tour packages for $250.
At the moment, the shop stocks few “Twilight” souvenirs, including hand-knit hats emblazoned with “Bella,” “Jacob” and “Edward.” Another holds $8 bottles of sand, labeled “Jacob’s Treasure.”
Rux, a non-native, retrained the staff to reach out to visitors. “That’s the paradigm shift,” she says. “People [now] want that experience of being with the Quileute.”
“This is our opportunity to educate people on Quileute history,” Counsell says.
Read the entire article over at the NY Post.
Illustrated Guide To Visiting Forks
In coordination with the Forks Chamber of Commerce, there is a new illustrated guide to visiting the real Forks, Washington–the home of Bella and the gang in Twilight and New Moon.
The book is 112 full-color pages and is available now for pre-order in either hardback (~$14) or paperback (~$9) for release on August 1st.
