Sat 11/4 noon-6PM
Gilmore Girls is a series that continues to resonate with viewers, and it is the theme for the fifth annual Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival taking place on Sat 11/4, from noon to 6 p.m., located at the Cascade Plaza on Main St. in Downtown Akron. It is free to attend. This year’s festival features more than 10 coffee vendors such as Cafe Arnone, MoMi Coffee Roasters, Compass at The Well CDC, Bereka Coffee, Moonstone Coffee Works, LLC and Muggswigz Coffee & Tea. Popular food trucks and retailers will complete the small-town holiday fest atmosphere.
“Cascade Plaza in Akron will be reminiscent of the town square from the TV show during the festival,” said Downtown Akron Partnership Communications Director, Dominic Caruso.“Coffee is almost its own character on ‘Gilmore Girls,’ and we have amazing local coffee vendors, so it made sense to have it as the theme of the festival.”
The event pays homage to Stars Hollow, the picturesque fictional town depicted in the show, by featuring a variety of local vendors. A celebration of what the show is known for: books, autumn, cozy clothes and coffee, the festival is presented by Downtown Akron Partnership with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
According to local fans, the only way the festival could more effectively transport fans back in time would be to make them check their technology at the door.
“I remember coming home from school and she [my mom] would be watching Gilmore Girls in her room,” reminisced Emily Sesto, 25, a student in her junior year at the University of Akron.
She recalls the mother-daughter ritual surrounding the show, “I would naturally get into her big bed and completely ignore all my homework to watch Gilmore Girls.
The TV series spanned from 2000 to 2007, but it’s found new life via reruns and binging, “They [the episodes] were never in order, which was odd for me to be so interested in when I didn’t really know what was going on,” Emily continued, “So that was like, our thing.”
For her, the show was less about the plot and more about who she watched it with. Being with her mom, safe, and enjoying the show together is what makes Gilmore Girls a comfort show for Emily, “It feels like my childhood.”
“Childhood” is the feeling most reported when looking at reviews of the show, a last bastion of cable TV. Your sibling’s cries can be heard from the living room, “IT’S BACK ON!” while you’re attempting to psychically will the microwave to cook the pizza rolls faster; also, you forgot to pee, now you have sit with your legs crossed super tight for 15 minutes.
However, the introduction of streaming services might see the end of this once universal experience.
In case some readers don’t resonate with that feeling, consider, the times you are forced to sit through a commercial.
The typical person plays on their phone. During the times of cable, existed the art of channel surfing. A small reprieve from the unrelenting nature of advertisements, plenty of viewers lessened their exposure by bouncing from channel to channel.
Becky Sesto credits channel surfing with her discovery of Gilmore Girls and credits the show’s portrayal of the mother-daughter bond to what keeps her watching, “The relationship between Lorelai and Rory; we have the same type of relationship as they do,” she said. Sesto finds it relatable. “They have such a great friendship and trust each other.”
Not only are audiences rewatching, but new audiences are also emerging. The show has managed to interest a new kind of channel surfing, TikTok and Reels.
“I follow some fan edit pages on Instagram from movies and shows from the 2000s,” Miranda Castillo, 22, University of Akron senior said. “I had been seeing a lot of clips of Gilmore Girls and fan-made edits and stuff.”
The nostalgia of watching Gilmore Girls comes back to technology again for Castillo. This time, it’s smart phones.
According to Castillo, Millennials and Gen Z’ers love “Gilmore Girls” because it takes place in a fully walkable town where characters have an unlimited supply of money for takeout and nobody’s on their phones.
“Yeah, I think people who grew up in that time or even if they were as young as I was, there was that little last bit of your life not being completely centered around technology,” she said. “I think people really miss that.”
For more information on the Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival regarding date, time, activities and more, click here.
Liv Ream is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for the University of Akron publication The Buchtelite, founded in 1889. She is majoring in Public Relations and spends her time writing, painting, and forcing her friends to participate in her experimental horror projects. Liv plans on pursuing a career in journalism and the arts.
Akron, OH 44308