Gilmore Girls Fan Fest comes to Kent

KENT — The second Gilmore Girls Fan Fest (GGFF) is coming back to Connecticut, again in October — as it was last year,when it was held in Washington, Conn. This year, Kent will host the event Oct. 20 to 22. 

“Gilmore Girls,” a television series about the relationship between a single mother and her teenage daughter is set in fictional Stars Hollow, Conn. One of its featured characters was Gilmore patriarch Richard Gilmore, played by the late Salisbury resident Edward Herrmann.

The show peaked in popularity in the early to mid-2000s. In anticipation of the show’s reboot via a Netflix mini-series that debuted in late 2016, the first Fan Fest was held last year in Washington. That classic Litchfield County town was selected because the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, had said she was inspired by the town during a stay at the Mayflower Inn.

Fan Fest creators and organizers Jennie and Marcus Whitaker were enthusiastic fans of the show. The idea for the Fan Fest was conceived while they were on a road trip through Connecticut in July 2016. 

Neither the event nor the Whitakers are affiliated with the show; it is an event by fans, for fans. 

“We want this festival to be a fun weekend where friends are able to come together and celebrate something they love,” Jennie Whitaker said in an interview with The Lakeville Journal last week. So far, seven cast and six crew members from the show have confirmed they will attend. 

“The town of Kent has been so helpful and receptive. We are really looking forward to this year’s event.”

Kent Chamber of Commerce President Tim Good took part in the initial meeting in mid-February between Jennie Whitaker, First Selectman Bruce Adams and David Schreiber, owner of Club Getaway, which will provide 300 beds to accommodate fans. 

“We wanted this for the town,” Good said. “While the logistics are still in the early planning stages, we know Kent can handle this sort of thing. We do the Wine Stroll every year, we host Kent Presents and other large-scale events.” 

Good announced to local business owners in a Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, March 6, that the festival will be coming to Kent. 

“Everybody was excited,” Good said. “Overall, it’s a win-win for both fans and the town.”

Washington First Selectman Mark Lyon said of hosting the festival last year, “It was a good experience. The fans were great. You couldn’t have asked for better people to come to our town.” 

While residents had mixed feelings toward their town hosting the event, Lyon said that shop and restaurant owners were happy to have the influx of business. 

According to Lyon, the town incurred no cost for hosting as the event paid for the planning, logistics and execution. 

“We wanted to do it again this year, but we could not reach an agreement with the event organizers about dates and venues,” he said.

Tickets for this year’s fan fest went on sale for $250 each on March 1 at noon.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.gilmoregirlsfanfest.com.