FORKS — The city of Forks is gearing up for Thursday’s opening of the four-day Forever Twilight in Forks celebration — the 10th anniversary of the book series that has brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city in the past eight years.
Twilight-themed events will continue through Sunday.
Among them is this year’s headline event — a book signing by Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight Saga, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.
More than 1,000 Twilight fans are expected to arrive, and some already have, said Lissy Andros, executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, which organized the Twilight festival.
“People are really excited. Business owners are excited,” she said.
Volunteers were busy putting together guest gift packages and setting up venues Tuesday, Andros said.
Meyer chose Forks sight unseen as the setting for her novels about vampires, werewolves and teen love.
The Twilight Saga includes Meyer’s four books and a novella, as well as five movies based on the books.
Thursday’s events include check-in, a blood drive, a forest walk in the Bogachiel Rain Forest, a dinner gathering, bowling and several welcome programs and games.
In addition to Meyer on Saturday, other special attendees will be actor Booboo Stewart, who played Quileute werewolf Seth Clearwater in the film version of “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn,” and actor Erik Odom, who filled the role of Southern nomad vampire Peter in the movie “Breaking Dawn.”
A full cast of cosplayers — actors who fully immerse themselves in portraying characters from books, movies or comics in interactive situations — will portray members of the Forks-based Cullen vampire coven, including Renesmee, half-vampire daughter of Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, as well as the nomad vampire coven and the doomed newborn vampire, Bree Tanner, subject of Meyer’s Twilight novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.
Events free and open to the public include a hike at Second Beach, a Red Cross blood drive, Bella’s Book Sale at Forks Library, Alice’s Pitching Contest at Tillicum Park, the United Nations Coastal Jam —a potluck with traditional native drumming and singing at Tillicum Park — a group photo, a rainforest trails walk with Stewart and a Twilight costume contest.
Ticketed events include a Treaty Line signing at Three Rivers Resort, a dinner date with a vampire at Rainforest Arts Center, a “fandom” party at the Rainforest Arts Center, the Twilight “Jeopardy” ice cream social at JT’s Sweet Stuffs, Bella’s Birthday Brunch and a scavenger hunt.
Some events are reserved for Weekend Escape Package ticket holders only.
Vendors will be set up near the Rainforest Arts Center, Andros said.
“There are a ton of vendors. It’s going to be packed,” she said.
Saturday’s main event, a book signing by Meyer, which begins at 1 p.m., will continue until all registered guests who are in line by 4 p.m. have been admitted.
Only preregistered guests will be admitted.
“More than 800 people have signed up to get in to the book signing,” Andros said Tuesday.
Guests can register for the book signing at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-Meyer to get as many as five books signed by Meyer, and to take a photograph with her.
Preregistration for the Meyer book-signing must be complete by Friday.
Registered guests can begin to line up for the book-signing beginning at noon Sept. 12.
Those who arrive after 4 p.m. will not be guaranteed entry.
Two people can win a chance to “hang out with Stephenie” after the signing.
To enter for a chance to win, share a favorite Twilight memory on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #Twilight10 by Friday.
Two winners will be chosen at random and announced Saturday in Forks during the @Forever Twilight in Forks Fandom Family Photo.
The winners must be in Forks to win the hangout.
“Twilight” was released on Oct. 5, 2005. That year, 5,575 visitors signed in at the Forks Visitor Center.
At the height of the popularity surrounding the releases of the five books and corresponding movies, in 2010, more than 72,000 registered.
There were 16,550 guests in July 2010 — outnumbering the highest annual pre-Twilight Forks count of 15,849 visitors in 1997.
By 2014 the flood of visitors had receded to 33,512, still more than twice the number of visitors in 1997.
In the nine years since the release, 340,905 people have registered at the Forks Visitor Center.
Andros has said that many repeat visitors do not register at the visitor center, so that number is likely much higher.
Those numbers have translated to taxes that support the city of Forks.
Hotel room taxes swelled from $88,000 annually before the book release to $150,000 in 2010 and the city’s annual sales tax income increased from about $350,000 to more than $450,000 in 2012.
The Forks Chamber of Commerce took over the organization of Twilight celebrations in late 2014.
Tickets and a full schedule can be found at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-forevertwilightforks.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
