Fans Get Tour Of Twilight Town
Forks High School
The picture above is the high school in Forks, Washington where much of the action takes place in the box office blockbuster film Twilight, starring heartthrob Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
For $300 a couple a few lucky fans were able to attend a weekend event called: Summer School in Forks: A Twilight Symposium. They were given a tour of the town and took classes regarding the novel at Forks High. The highlight of the event was an actual prom in the Forks High Gym. Who could forget Edward holding Bella as they danced at the prom? Also in attendance at the dance were some of the more popular “Twilight” acts including the Mitch Hansen Band, the Bella Cullen Project and the Hillywood Players. The Hillywood Players did a parody video of the film which became a huge hit on YouTube. They attended the prom dressed as Bella, Jasper, Alice and Edward. “Edward”, shirt open revealing his chest, walked among the couples sniffing for a potential mate and finally chose his dancing partner. The weekend culminated in a “graduation ceremony” where those who attended were given “diplomas”.
The tiny town of Forks, population 3000, had been dependent on the lumber industry for its income. With the decline of the industry the town was struggling to stay afloat. That is, until Twilight came to Forks. Author Stephenie Meyer chose Forks as the locale for the series and, subsequently, the films were shot there. The town now has a thriving tourist industry which dosen’t seem in any danger of declining.
Business are cashing in on the Twilight craze. On shop sells lollipops that say “Bite Me” and bumper stickers that read “Warning: I Drive Like A Cullen”. A Chinese restaurant has a “Twilight Dinner” on its menu and there is another restaurant called Bella Italia and you can’t turn a corner without bumping into a cardboard cutout of Edward and Bella. Every month, thousands of people now drive through the town to experience the “Twilight” setting.
Congratulations to Stephenie Meyer for writing the series that has given millions of readers countless hours of entertainment and for helping a town come back from its own twilight.
