Stars Hollow, CT-The fictitious town of Stars Hollow from the show Gilmore Girls came to life in the town of Washington Depot, CT during October 21-23. The wildly popular TV series will return to the screen on Netflix for four new mini movies based on the four seasons of the year on November 25^th. Die-hard fans attended the Gilmore Girls Fan Fest to experience Stars Hollow in real life. 1,200 tickets were sold in a matter of hours, and fans came from Australia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Canada, and all over the United States. One of the inspirations of the show, The Mayflower Inn, was where the show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed in 1999. She found the town to be small and quaint, the people to be very friendly, and thought it to be a perfect setting for a show about mother and daughter who are best friends who live in a close-knit, quirky town. I among many fans got to experience Stars Hollow firsthand by visiting the inspiration for Luke’s Diner (Marty’s), Doose’s Market (Washington Food Market), Stars Hollow Books (Hickory Stick Bookshop) and the town green (minus the gazebo).

There were large heated tents set up for the Knit-a-thon, episode screenings, cake and wine tastings, and free coffee for all! Besides these events, there were many actors from the show present: Hep Alien performed on the steps of town hall, Jackson sold organic pumpkins, Kirk ran the New Milford Cat Adoption event, and others just wandered around town greeting and chatting up the festival goers. I did talk to Jackson, Melissa McCarthy’s husband on the show. Media coverage was vast: during the tour of the Mayflower Inn, I listened to an Elle Magazine reporter interviewing a Brazilian Newspaper reporter on how she ended up in “Stars Hollow.”

Autumn was always the most festive season in Stars Hollow. Consequently, fall in Washington Depot did not disappoint. The fall backdrop enhanced the experience of visiting the real life Stars Hollow. This was seen best during my visit to the Mayflower Inn, which showcased its Shakespearean Garden surrounded by tall trees decorated with much fall foliage.

Besides the Gilmore Girls events and Washington Depot’s attractions, there were lots of places to get homey, comfort-style food. Farmers were selling organic soups and baked goods, townspeople were giving out free homemade chili, and the town selectman and mayor were selling apple cider, hot chocolate, and other festive drinks sure to keep festival-goers warm during the rainy fall weekend. Before my departure, I took a half-mile stroll to GW Tavern to satisfy my hunger with authentic, fall food: tomato soup, honey-grilled shrimp, and garden salad. The service (and the townspeople themselves) was genuinely friendly: I think it’s because of the small, close-knit atmosphere of the beautiful town itself. By visiting this town, I got to meet a lot of people who had the same interests as me and appreciated the greatness Stars Hollow had to offer. For fans of Gilmore Girls, Washington Depot will always be a home away from home; a place we can all relate to.