UCLA turned its Dickson Court into the fictional town of Stars Hollow the weekend before the “Gilmore Girls” revival on Netflix on Nov. 25.
Scores of fans have been waiting nine years for the return of the fast-talking, pop-culture referencing, coffee-drinking mother/daughter duo in the idyllic Connecticut town. The show, starring Lauren Graham as single mother Lorelei Gilmore and Alexis Bledel as her teenage daughter Rory, finished its seven-season run back in 2007.
The four, 90-minute movies now playing on Netflix span a year in the life of the Gilmore Girls 15 years after its launch, and fans at the UCLA event were excited to see all the quirky places and events that made the show a cult favorite.
Despite the unexpected rain on Sunday, hundreds lined up for the free entrance to the lovingly recreated town of Stars Hollow. Among them was Shannon Luders-Manuel. She told Century City-Westwood News, “I was raised by a single mother, and I stumbled upon “Gilmore Girls” when I was applying to grad school. I was instantly hooked, as [creator] Amy Sherman-Palladino made working hard in school cool. Visiting Stars Hollow at UCLA was a magical experience that I’ll never forget.”
The event was an opportunity for fans to check out the town’s gazebo, buy coffee at Luke’s Diner, visit Taylor Doose’s market and Old Fashioned Soda Shoppe, and try not to break furniture in Mrs. Kim’s antique store. Visitors could also pick up buttons and take sides about which of Rory’s three boyfriends in the series she should end up with. Are you team Dean, team Jess or team Logan? As Lorelei Gilmore would say, “Oy with the poodles, already!”
*All photos courtesy Shannon Luders-Manuel
