Michigan church to take part in citywide ‘Gilmore Girls’-themed weekend
Visitors to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brighton, Michigan, Sept. 19-21 can light candles at a memorial altar in the church nave to remember deceased cast members of the “Gilmore Girls” TV show during the city’s Destination Stars Hollow weekend. Photo: St. Paul’s
[Episcopal News Service] From Sept. 19-21, the city of Brighton, Michigan, will welcome fans of the TV series “Gilmore Girls” for an immersive weekend of activities, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will open its doors to take part in the festivities.
The event, Destination Stars Hollow, expects about 140,000 people to crowd the streets of the city (population 7,500), the church’s rector, the Rev. Jeanne Hansknecht, told Episcopal News Service. The inaugural event in 2024 drew about 40,000 people, which was a surprise. “I don’t think anybody really knew how big it was going to be,” she said.
The church didn’t take part last year, but Hansknecht said this year she was committed to changing that. While acknowledging some inconvenience, “I don’t want to be the church that’s closed to the community when there’s so many people in town,” she said. Besides, Christians believe in a God who loves fun and whimsy, she added.
Brighton, on Interstate 96 between Detroit and Lansing, is nowhere near the fictional Connecticut location of “Gilmore Girls.” Even so, Destination Stars Hollow was started there by two local fans who wanted to recreate the series’ setting in real life. The show, about single mother Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Lorelai “Rory” Gilmore (played by Alexis Bledel), ran for seven seasons, from 2000 to 2007, and the 25th anniversary of its premier was noted this year on the Sept. 14 broadcast of the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Nearly 40 businesses in Brighton will offer special activities during the weekend, often focusing on an element of the show, ranging from food that was featured to clothes similar to items the cast wore. Most offer lots of opportunities for photos.
St. Paul’s planning team included Hansknecht, music minister Diane Griffin and church member Chris Wagner. The church’s events will reference two specific “Gilmore Girls” plot elements. An evening Compline on Sept. 19 will include a harp player (a harpist was featured in early episodes of season 1), and the church will have a long piece of blank butcher paper hanging from its bell tower. That refers to an event in episode 6 of season 3 when the “town loner” unfurled a long protest sign from the church tower but accidentally hung it backward so no one could read it.
Griffin told ENS the church also will set up a memorial altar with photos of cast members or characters on the show who have died. People will be invited to light a candle to remember them.
The church’s bell tower will be used for more than just decoration, Hansknecht said. Every 15 minutes, visitors can ring the bell, and a bell-shaped stamp will mark the Destination Stars Hollow passports of those who do.
For those seeking a cool place away from the crowds, St. Paul’s will offer quiet spaces and bottles of water, and the restrooms will be open to visitors.
The church also will have its usual Sunday services of Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. – and weekend visitors are welcome at both – but Hansknecht has told parishioners that if they need parking, the church’s 11 spaces likely will be filled before the later service begins.
On the TV series, the “Stars Hollow House of Worship” was a place where both Christians and Jews worshipped, so St. Paul’s was quick to involve Nicole Creech of the Livingston Diversity Council in its planning. Creech has organized a booth at the church this weekend to tell visitors about the council’s LivFaith social justice group.
Hansknecht said she also will be present while the church is open, in her collar, to offer pastoral care to anyone who might need it, because, she said, “Who knows what this is going to bring out in folks.” She said she also wants to assure people that the church taking part in these events isn’t frivolous – it’s part of being the church.
“We grieve with people when they mourn. We comfort them. We allow outlets for sadness and for joy. We walk with people in all life’s journey,” she said, even if those emotions are brought out by one’s care for fictional characters.
Besides, Griffin added, “People gather because of a common interest. And when the church lets people do that, and then you need a church, say because somebody died, where are you going to turn? You’re going to turn to the church that embraced your common interest.”
— Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.
