Forks Washington on the Olympic Peninsula

Here’s early notice–Stephenie Meyer Day 2010 is slated for September 11-12, 2010, in Forks, WA!!

While this year’s event is still in the organizational stages, based on the overwhelming response at past events, we want to make sure everyone has ample opportunity to be here on Bella’s Birthday this year to celebrate with us.  Now is the time to make lodging reservations in Forks or LaPush for this weekend–the entire area was booked solid last year.  Many fans arrived before the weekend and/or stayed a day or two afterward, to have more time to fully enjoy everything our area has to offer.  Whether you've been to every single Stephenie Meyer Day so far or just want to check out something new, everyone is welcome and the event is always a blast.  See you there!

If you haven't checked out our James Island webcam lately--it turns out we had it aimed directly at the scene of where a 40-ft. dredging barge capsized last Monday!  The crew was safely rescued by personnel from U.S. Coast Guard Station Quillayute River based in LaPush.  More information can be found in this Peninsula Daily News article by Paige Dickerson. 

Have you ever heard of a community that rallies each year to provide a scholarship for every graduating senior who applies for one?

It happens right here in Forks and LaPush with the Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction--and over a million dollars have been raised so far!  The idea is to help jump-start students' careers with some cash to offset college or vocational/technical school expenses.  This year's event happens March 20-21 (coinciding with the New Moon DVD release festivities that weekend), so make plans to be there!  Everyone is welcome at this fun event.

March 11, 2010, Update - Oh my! The O.C.C. Toy Shop crew has been busy this year!  Check out their generous contributions to this year's auction and get your "favorites" list going before your chance to bid begins March 20th.

Forks is gearing up for the March 20th DVD release of New Moon. This article by Paige Dickerson, from today's Peninsula Daily News, highlights some of the activities being planned in Forks around this BIG event. We're especially looking forward to seeing all the locals appearing in the Twilight in Forks documentary, which is supposed to be part of the Special Edition New Moon DVD. Dazzled by Twilight (11 N. Forks Ave.) is ramping up the planning efforts with the Volturi Vampire Ball set for 8:00 pm, Friday, March 19th, at the Twilight Lounge (FKA the Vagabond Restaurant) right in Downtown Forks. There will be no entrance fee for this fun-sounding event! Twilight Central/Leppell's Flowers & Gifts (130 S. Spartan Ave.) is also planning some special events during the day on March 19th and running right up to the midnight release of the DVD. Other events and activities are in the works, so stay tuned, and make plans NOW to be in Forks March 19-21 to be part of the action!

 

It's encouraging to see that the West End now has a paved 6-mile section of the Olympic Discovery Trail in place. Although it's still "closed for construction," this first-class section of trail extends through the forest from the Camp David Jr. Road end of the Spruce Railroad Trail, on Lake Crescent, to the top of Fairholm Hill. The Olympic Discovery Trail itself will eventually go the entire 100-mile distance from Port Townsend, through Sequim, Port Angeles, Joyce, Forks and LaPush, to the Pacific Ocean.

Well, we thought this video was pretty funny. It's a parody of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' hit song, Empire State of Mind, with all kinds of clever Twilight and Forks rhymes and references thrown in. There's even a cameo from Cousin Itt in there. . . . It's just for fun--check it out! (May not be appropriate for all viewers.)

What a perfect way to start off the New Year!  This article from the Peninsula Daily News runs down some of the ice-hot local tourism statistics for 2009.  Among other things, the numbers show that over 70,000 people stopped in at our Forks Chamber of  Commerce Visitor Information Center last year.  That's about a 400% increase from the record we set in 2008!  Wow! Let's keep it going--now is an ideal time to plan a trip to Forks--there's more to see and do than ever before.  We're looking forward to setting new records in 2010.

Looks like just about everyone in Forks showed up for the casting call for the planned Forks reality TV show.  (We're up in Canada, so we missed all of the action!)  Check out the coverage at the Forks Forum site and in today's Peninsula Daily News.  We're assuming they're not talking about the "real" Forks that we know, so we're curious what, exactly, is planned.  Anyone have suggestions for Zig Gauthier, the Santa Monica, California, based television producer behind the project?

An exciting local history project is being spearheaded by West End community leaders Bill and Kitty Sperry. The goal is to establish a kiosk with interpretive information commemorating the bicentennial of the shipwreck of the Sv. Nikolai. The Russian vessel Nikolai perished on Rialto Beach (just north of LaPush, near Ellen Creek) in 1808. Our North Olympic Peninsula coast is well known for the many shipwrecks that have occured along its rugged shoreline. The Nikolai's story is fascinating on a variety of levels, including the fact that it ties in seven separate nations:  Russia, Alutiiq, Makah, Quileute, Hoh, Hawaii and America. Learn more about it--including how you can participate in the project--at the Nikolai Shipwreck website.

It's a BIG holiday weekend here in Forks and LaPush! It starts Friday, with the Cherish Our Children fundraiser in LaPush.  That begins at 5:00 PM on Friday at the Akalat Center.  This fun event features a seafood dinner, live and silent auctions, photos with Santa, and local artisans selling their creations.  All proceeds raised go to West End children.  But that's not all!