FORKS — Edward would have sparkled Saturday.
Despite its reputation as the rainiest place in the 48 states, Forks was bright and sunny on the first day of Stephenie Meyer Weekend, pleasing those among the 1,200 Twilight fans who wore shirts proclaiming “Rain, rain, go away. I want Edward to sparkle today.”
Forks’ rain, overcast skies and imagined gloom prompted Arizona author Stephenie Meyer to make the town her setting for her four-novel sage of vampires and forbidden teen love.
She thought it the best place to house Edward Cullen — who falls in love with a mortal girl, Bella Swan — and his vampire family in her bestselling books.
In her novels, vampires fear the sun, not because it will kill them as other legends have it, but because sunshine makes their skin sparkle like diamonds, revealing that they are not human.
Saturday’s bright weather — and the fans innudating the town — prompted the isolation-loving vampires to hide, said the tour directors and staff at the Forks Visitor Center.
The author of the saga — Twilight, NewMoon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — also was not in attendance.
Visitors checked out hot spots mentioned in Meyer’s books — Forks Community Hospital, Forks High School and a couple of houses said to represent the fictional ones in the Twilight saga.
“Everything is going so well,” said Marcia Bingham, executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce.
Last year’s event drew about 1,000 people and on Saturday Bingham estimated about 1,200 people.
Birthday celebration
She expected more to arrive today for Bella’s birthday celebration — set on the date of the fictional heroine’s birthday in the books. The cake will be cut at 1:15 p.m. in Tillicum Park.
Elise Hilton, 27, of Olympia and her mother-in-law Michele Healy, 40, of the Key Peninsula in Pierce County, had never visited Forks before.
They said the small-town feel was exactly what they expected.
“We read about it last year, but were disappointed not to be able to participate,” Healy said.
Hilton got her family hooked on the books.
“I had a co-worker who loaned them to me, and I got the whole family into them,” Hilton said.
Margaret Tougher and Kaitlyn Davis, both of Everett, purchased copies of Twilight Tours — An Illustrated Guide to the Real Forks had them signed by George Beahm and Tim Kirk, who wrote and illustrated it. It also contains some photographs by Mike Gurling, maanger of the Forks Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.
Davis said that she read the Twilight series in about two weeks.
“It took me a while to get into it, but one thing I really love is that it is in Washington,” said Davis, 13.
“I really like the idea that it is right here around where I live.”
Twilight Tours illustrator Kirk is a past artist for Disney, and helped design the sets for the theme-park attractions based onthe films “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Lost Temple,” and “Alien.”
“I’ve been doing science fiction and fantasy art for years,” Kirk said Saturday at Dazzled by Twilight as he signed copies of the Twilight Tours.
“This is one of the greatest fan bases I’ve seen for any vampire following.”
Beahm — who has written several books about Harry Potter, The Golden Compass and a new book which will come out soon about the books of Stephen King — said he was inspired to write the book after visiting Forks.
“I came by, not intending to write a book at all,” he said. “I just wanted to see what was up with this Twilight thing, and when I got here and saw how beautiful it was I decided to do a book about it.
“I also am planning a second book which will emphasize and encourage young girls to write.
“If someone can be inspired by Stephenie Meyer and follow that dream, I think it is a great thing.”
Other special guests were producers of a documentary, “Twilight in Forks — The Saga of the Real Town.”
Jason Brown and York Baur, producers of the film, on Saturday presented segments of the documentary, which outlines the effects of the phenomenon on the Forks-area community.
The documentary will be featured as a special element of the “New Moon” DVD when it is released next year.
The day wrapped up with a bonfire at First Beach in LaPush, with storytelling by Quileute elder Chris Morganroth and an appearance by “New Moon” actress Tinsel Korey.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
