Guilford OKs Conditional Use Of Green For 'Gilmore Girls' FanFest 2026

GUILFORD, CT — The Guilford Board of Selectmen voted April 6 to grant conditional approval for the return of the "Gilmore Girls" fan fest event, known as "The Firelight Event," to the Town Green in October, while signaling the need to revisit in several weeks.

The board unanimously approved a request from the Guilford Economic Development Commission to reserve the Green for the event from Oct. 15 to 18, contingent on sufficient attendance and a follow-up review, meeting minutes state.

Economic Development Coordinator John Tarutis said event organizers are requesting to reserve the Green for the event, but they still need to see how sign-ups progress, according to the meeting minutes.

If sign-ups fall short, organizers may relocate the event to the Guilford Fairgrounds, Tarutis explained, noting organizers expect to have a clearer picture within six weeks.

Past events have featured events, activities, meet and greets with cast and crew, giveaways, costume contests, tastings, panels and more.

The board amended the original motion to make the approval conditional on both adequate participation and a subsequent vote by the Board of Selectmen in June. The amendment, introduced by Susan Renner and seconded by Selectman Sandra Ruoff, passed unanimously, as did the underlying motion.

Discussion also touched on last year’s event, including overlap with a "No Kings" rally on the Green. Tarutis said the concurrent events caused some minor friction but that the festival overall was successful, with local merchants and restaurants reporting strong business, according to the meeting minutes.

Selectman Jonathan Trotta said he didn't think the rally and the fan fest event should have happened on the same day last year, and he emphasized everyone should go through the Green Use process in a uniform way to avoid conflicts, the meeting minutes said.

First Selectman Matt Hoey said town counsel advised that rallies are protected forms of free speech, and the Board of Selectmen does not have legal authority to deny use of the Green for it, the meeting minutes said

Selectman Louis Federici added that allowing the board to decide on that use is a free speech issue and would be a dangerous path to go down, the meeting minutes said.

"Gilmore Girls" aired on The WB/The CW from 2000 to 2007.

"Fiercely independent single mom Lorelai raises gifted, Ivy League-bound daughter Rory amid a continual stream of quick-witted repartee," a description of the series on Netflix says.

The show takes place in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, CT.

More information on the 2026 Firelight event can be found here.