Gilmore Girls Fans – Head to Brighton for a Stars Hollow Weekend!

Fall. Coffee. Small-town shenanigans.

And a whole weekend to pretend Stars Hollow is a real place.

Gilmore Girls fans, you’re in luck!

The first Destination Stars Hollow was a surprise hit right out of the gate in 2024 (helped along by going viral on social media.)

Now it’s back for its third year and has grown into a full-on fall weekend in downtown Brighton. 

It’s so big that even Luke and some of the other cast will be there.

How It Works

Downtown Brighton businesses go into full Stars Hollow-mode for the weekend.

Themed food and drinks, special menus, shopping, photo stops and little surprises pop up all over downtown. The downtown amphitheater will be busy, too, with free Stars Hollow-style activities like the Knitting Marathon and Dance-a-Thon. 

You can grab coffee, wander around, meet up with friends and see what you find. No ticket required.

And, there are ticketed special events and even meet’n’greets with some of the stars.

And then there are the immersive businesses – the 34 downtown spots taking on their own Gilmore Girls-inspired identity or storyline for the weekend.

You might walk into The Diner, the DSH Bookstore, the Matriarch’s High Tea or even “Double Date with the Worst Boyfriends.” (These are the businesses you’ll find numbered on the event map and passport.)

Some of our favorites on the list:

Lou & Carl’s → The Diner
Brighton Coffeehouse → Red Couch Movie Theater
Artisan’s Bench → The Apartment Above the Diner
Spice & Tea Exchange → The Matriarch’s High Tea
Brighton Bar & Grill → Dinner with the Grandparents
Culture Beer & Cheese → The Local Market
2 Dandelions Bookshop → DSH Bookstore
Bourbons → The Secret Bar & Dinner with the Grandparents
Jackie’s Custard → Double Date with the Worst Boyfriends
Cooper & Binkley → Engagement Rings in a Briefcase?

Basically, if your ideal fall Saturday involves coffee and pretending you live in a slightly chaotic fictional Connecticut town, here you go.

BUT. Make a Plan.

This is going to be BUSY.

Destination Stars Hollow (DSH) has gotten big.

The organizers say its first free event drew more than 40,000 people. So while you can absolutely show up and enjoy the free stuff, this is probably not the weekend to totally wing it.

Coming from out of town? Book your hotel now. Want a sit-down meal? Get that restaurant reservation. Or be happy waiting in line for a bit.

And check the shuttle map before you leave. Maybe have a parking plan. 

A Few Ticketed Things Are Still Up for Grabs

If you’re thinking, Wait, can I actually meet someone from Gilmore Girls? Yep.

A lot has already sold out, including Scott Patterson’s regular meet-and-greet sessions, Kelly Bishop’s The Third Gilmore Girl Q&A, Classic VIP and VIP All Access.

Tickets are still available for some experiences, though. Including:

Coffee Date with Scott Patterson | $350 | Sunday | GOING FAST

This is way more than a quick photo with Luke. It’s a small-group coffee and conversation with Scott Patterson, with time for stories, behind-the-scenes memories and questions from the group. Seating is intentionally very limited. If drinking coffee with Luke is peak Gilmore Girls for you, well… they knew what they were doing with this one. 

Boyfriend VIP Pass | $95
Includes the Friday VIP Night, with early access to participating businesses and special menus, plus the VIP lounge and a bundle of DSH swag. (You just skip the bigger actor experiences and premium perks like the bigger VIP passes.) These are scheduled to be available Friday, September 25 at 3 PM at the AMP (amphitheater) info booth.

Sean Gunn Meet & Greet | $75
Some sessions are still available, with Saturday currently marked GOING FAST. 

Kelly Bishop: Coffee and Cotillions | $395
Emily Gilmore herself. Coffee and Cotillions is basically the Kelly Bishop counterpart to Scott’s Coffee Date: an intentionally small group, conversational setting where guests can hear behind-the-scenes stories, ask Kelly questions and hear about her Broadway career and Gilmore Girls. Sunday from 11 AM–noon.

All that said, you absolutely do not need VIP or a meet-and-greet ticket to have fun here.

There is so much going on.

Brighton itself is going all-out. And with, presumably, enough coffee to make Lorelai proud, that could be the whole event right there. But let’s talk a little more about the fun, like the giant egg hunt?!

Of Course There’s a Giant Egg Hunt

Somewhere between the crunchy leaves, charming storefronts and cups of coffee, a little golden luck is waiting. 

Thousands of eggs will be hidden throughout downtown during DSH weekend.

But only ONE has the winning ticket.

Find it, bring it to the DSH merch booth on Main Street and claim the Golden Egg. The hunt is sponsored by Cooper & Binkley Jewelers.

So you can casually stroll around town sipping coffee. Or you can become wildly invested in finding a tiny egg.

Your call.

Friday Night Dinner, Anyone?

Participating restaurants are getting in on the fun with special Friday dinner menus inspired by that very specific Friday-night-dinner-at-the-Gilmores experience.

Hopefully with less family tension.

Friday is also VIP Night, giving VIP guests early access to participating businesses, merchandise, photo ops, special experiences and restaurant menus before the big weekend crowds arrive. (Part of the Boyfriend Pass)

Getting Around & Parking

If you want to skip the downtown parking hunt, DSH is running free shuttles into downtown, so check the route before you decide where to park or stay.  

Park-and-ride options include MJR Brighton Cinema, Meijer and the Spencer Road MDOT Park & Ride. DSH shuttles will loop between the lots and downtown. 

Park-and-ride stops

• Meijer, 8650 W Grand River Ave: stop 4A on the 2026 shuttle map. 
• MJR Brighton Cinema, 8200 Murphy Dr: stop 1A 
• Spencer Park N Ride (MDOT Carpool Parking Lot Brighton NW#1) 9310 Spencer Rd: stop 1B. 

Shuttle Routes & Schedule

• Route A: MJR Movie Theater → Holiday Inn Express → Candlewood/Hampton/Homewood → Meijer parking lot → Main Street roundabout → Backlot after 3 PM Saturday
• Route B: Spencer Park N Ride → BAS Schools lot → Downtown parking lot → Miller School/Tot Spot

Saturday: 8 AM–9 PM (break from 1:30-2:30 PM)
Sunday: 8 AM–6 PM(break from 1:30-2:30 PM)

Shuttles are expected about every 20 minutes.

Staying Overnight?

Check available accommodations and see shuttle/parking areas on the map below.

Good to know: DSH is running free shuttle loops into downtown, and several hotels are right on the route. The shuttle stops at Holiday Inn Express and the Candlewood/Hampton/Homewood hotel area before heading downtown. There are also park-and-ride stops, including MJR and Meijer. Shuttles run every 20 minutes, with two different loops serving the event. 

Holiday Inn Express Brighton/Nemco
7850 Nemco Way, Brighton, MI 48116

Holiday Inn Express Howell
1397 N Burkhart Rd, Howell, MI 48855

Holiday Inn Express Brighton/Whitmore Lake
6910 Whitmore Lake Rd, Brighton, MI

Courtyard Marriott
7799 Conference Center Dr, Brighton, MI

Holiday Inn Express Brighton/Nemco
7850 Nemco Way

Candlewood Suites Brighton
151 Library Dr

Hampton Inn Brighton
Across from the Candlewood shuttle pickup

Homewood Suites Brighton
Across from the Candlewood shuttle pickup

Missed the Good Tickets? Put 2027 on Your Calendar.

If you’re just finding out about this and thinking HOW DID I MISS THIS?, you’re not alone.

Now that Destination Stars Hollow has is on Brighton’s map, you need to plan to get the tickets you want.

So here’s the move for 2027: start checking in May or June.

• Watch for ticket announcements, VIP packages and hotel availability early.
• Keep an eye on the Destination Stars Hollow website and Destination Starz Hollow on Facebook.

Could There Be Even More Stars Hollow in Our Futures?

Here’s where this gets even more interesting: the Destination Stars Hollow team is looking for more Stars Hollow towns.

They’ve opened applications for other towns interested in bringing DSH to their own Main Street so twinkle lights, gazebo gatherings, town activities, participating businesses and all that small-town Stars Hollow silliness could get multiplied.

If that takes off, we could travel to Stars Hollow more often!

New town. New shops. New weekend. Applications are open.

Chasing Stars Hollow? We could get into that.