FORKS — The Forks Chamber of Commerce is preparing to give “Twilight” fans across the world another reason to visit the town: a gallery filled with costumes and props that appeared in the “Twilight” movies.
Lissy Andros, executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, told those at a Port Angeles Business Association meeting Tuesday that the Forever Twilight in Forks Collection grand opening and ribbon cutting is scheduled for May 20.
The “Twilight” saga, a series of four novels authored by Stephenie Meyer, chronicles mortal Bella Swan’s romance with Edward Cullen, a vampire, which spun off into five films.
The collection in Forks will feature the world’s largest collection of screen-worn costumes and props from the “Twilight” saga, Andros said.
More than 30 costumes that appeared in the movies will be displayed, along with Jacob’s motorcycle, Bella’s crashed motorcycle and Edward’s meadow costume, she said.
“We have a lot of pieces that fans really connect with and want to see,” she said. “We’ve already had people from as far away as Australia who say they are coming here because they heard about this gallery.”
Free entry to gallery
The gallery will be free, though the chamber will gladly accept donations, Andros said.
She said she’d rather have “Twilight” fans spend their dollars at local businesses than for admission into the gallery.
“The purpose of this gallery is to bring more people to Forks and to the Olympic Peninsula,” she said.
She told those at the meeting this is the Forks chamber’s latest effort to take advantage of the attention Forks has received since the first “Twilight” novel was published in October 2005.
Since its release, hundreds of thousands of “Twilight” fans have flocked to a town populated by slightly more than 3,500.
Andros said that since the release of the first book, more than 428,000 people have signed in at the Forks Visitor Information Center. In 2010, about 73,000 people visited the town, she said.
While the numbers have about cut in half, she said, people from around the world are still making their way to Forks.
“They flock from all over the world because of their love of ‘Twilight,’ ” she said. “It’s almost like a pilgrimage for them.”
More events this year
Andros said the chamber is adding more events to this year’s Forever Twilight in Forks festival, too, in an effort to get people to stay in Forks longer.
The festival is scheduled from Sept. 14-17, with pre-festival events scheduled for Sept. 12-13.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
