By Christi Baron
Olympic Peninsula News Group
FORKS — Very Important Twilighters tickets are going fast.
Lissy Andros, Forks Chamber of Commerce executive director, told those attending a chamber luncheon Wednesday that only 300 VIT tickets had been available for the upcoming Forever Twilight in Forks Festival. As of Monday afternoon, she said that 266 had already been sold.
The tickets get fans into special events at the festival set Sept. 14-17 and provide them with goodie bags with special items only for VITs.
The festival offers fans a variety of activities focused on the fictional Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer and the movies the books spawned.
This year, the newest addition to the festival will be the Forever Twilight in Forks Collection at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.
A preview of the collection was held Saturday and it opens to the public Thursday.
The FTF Collection includes Twilight movie costumes, movie props and other Twilight memorabilia that will be on permanent display at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.
Andros flew to Hollywood in November 2016 and attended the Prop Store Twilight Saga Auction at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
“I had a certain amount of money,” she said. “The pieces started going and I thought we have an opportunity we will not have again.”
Each time Forks won the bid on an item the crowd would cheer, she said.
“Some people who purchased items have even changed their wills and left the items to the collection when they die.
“The fans want to have their things in the collection, too.”
Andros said that many members of the community had helped to set up the collection, especially mentioning crews from Olympic Corrections Center.
OCC crews helped unload the crated items a few weeks ago when they arrived from Hollywood, and also helped to assemble display cases and perform other tasks.
“This has been an amazing experience,” Andros said. “I think it will be a source of pride for the whole community.”
The FTF Collection will be free to the public, although donations will be accepted.
It will offer a docent program in which fans can work a shift at the museum while they are visiting.
Highlights from the collection include Jacob Black’s motorcycle; costumes worn by actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner; Jacob’s letter to Bella; Sam Uley’s Jorts; props from Bella and Edward’s wedding; and the Twilight book series in several languages.
The collection has stirred international interest.
After the chamber meeting Wednesday, Andros met with a television crew from Beijing, China, at the Rainforest Art Center.
The China Central Television crew filmed a segment for a show that airs in that country and boasts 10 million viewers.
While the Very Important Twilighters tickets are going fast, there are many other events and ticket options still available.
In September, activities will include a quilting class, Cape Flattery Excursion, Paint and Sip classes and Breakfast with the Cullens.
The Paint and Sip classes have already sold out four times and additional classes are being added, Andros said.
Andros said that ticket sales spiked after an announcement that actor Jackson Rathbone would be a special guest for FTF 2017.
In 2008, he played Jasper Hale in the film “Twilight” and he reprised his role in the sequels: “he Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2.”
Other activities planned for fans include a Forks High School senior project blood drive and bake sale, an event at the high school, a hike at Rialto Beach and a hike/5K run on the new Department of Natural Resources trail just above Forks.
For more on Forever Twilight, see http://forkswa.com/forevertwilightinforks/.
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Christi Baron is the editor of the Forks Forum, which is among the Sound Publishing newspapers in the Olympic Peninsula News Group. Also in the group are Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette. Reach her at cbaron@forksforum.com.
