Stars Hollow inhabitants are, shall we say, peculiar. They are odd, and they know it, but they don't care. They enjoy their lives and pay no attention to the opinions of others. Indeed, Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow seems to exist in a different time and plane than the rest of the world.
The seemingly idyllic Stars Hollow has many celebrations, some annual and some spur-of-the-moments. Some have a clear purpose, some exist to commemorate a specific date, and others are just excuses to have a good time. Among the many festivals seen throughout the show, some immediately stand out because of their uniqueness.
The End Of Summer Madness Festival
Ah, those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer. During the season 3 premiere, Taylor Doose, Stars Hollow's best and worst resident, invents a new festival to celebrate the end of summer. Appropriately titled the End of Summer Madness Festival, the event features several carnival-like rides, a group of tap-dancing children, and a barbershop-style band singing Nat King Cole's "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer" on a loop.
As far as Stars Hollow events go, this one isn't that weird. If anything, it's more unnecessary than bizarre, but it stands out because it's one of Taylor's many attempts to take Stars Hollow back in time to the mid-1950s.
The 24-Hour Dance Marathon
One of the show's most infamous episodes, "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" features Rory and Dean's break-up and marks the beginning of her relationship with Jess. It's also the episode that features the unforgettable 24-hour dance marathon that Lorelai desperately wants to win.
Dance marathons are not strange and are, in fact, celebrated all over the world. What makes it stand out is that everyone in town is happy to participate. Multiple couples are on the dance floor, like Sookie and Jackson and Morty and Babette. Those who aren't dancing are helping, like the Kims who tend to the sandwich stand. Even Luke is there to contribute, providing his famous coffee to all who need it.
The Spring Fling Festival
Stars Hollow celebrates many festivities that they say are "annual." However, many of them only appear in the show once, like the Spring Fling Festival. Held during the season 7 episode "Hay Bale Maze," the celebration's centerpiece is the titular maze located in the middle of the town square.
The maze is so vast that it occupies all the square and some of the adjoining streets. It features everything the town could want out of such an idea, including townsfolk holding oversized multicolored flags and children in flower costumes running around.
The Picnic Basket Auction
Another annual event, the Picnic Basket Auction, features a bidding war for a picnic lunch. The basket-makers and winning bidders then have lunch together, enjoying all the good inside.
Everyone in town relishes the chance to participate, although some make more effort than others. Lorelai only puts "two stale Pop-Tarts and a Slim Jim" in hers, while Rory tries a tad harder, but barely. However, Sookie is the true victor because even her basket is edible.
The Stars Hollow Movie Festival
Movie night sounds like an ordinary event by Stars Hollow standards. However, things get stranger when fans learn what kind of movies they show. Among the bizarre catalog are titles like "Sudden Danger" with descriptions like "mom dies of gas asphyxiation, son gets blamed, good kiss scene" and "Suspense: ice skater falls in love with hired help."
Lorelai ends up choosing the now-iconic "A Film by Kirk" as the festival's opening. The black-and-white, Lynchian short, which features Kirk meeting his girlfriend's parents, is the extra kick the festival needs to become even wackier.
The Easter Egg Treasure Hunt
Easter Eggs are a common and popular tradition, but Stars Hollow takes it to the next level. Every year, Taylor hides 300 Easter Eggs across the town square, and every child in town participates in the search. Things get needlessly complicated when he goes on vacation and leaves Kirk in charge.
The odd yet well-meaning Kirk goes out of his way to make Taylor proud, but his hiding places are less than appropriate, and the kids only find 241 eggs. Kirk doesn't have a map, and he doesn't remember where the other rapidly decomposing eggs are. Many Hollowers try to help find the missing eggs, but it's Luke who saves the day.
The Bracebridge Dinner
During the episode of the same title, the Independence Inn holds the Bracebridge Dinner, an elaborate event that recreates the Elizabethan Era. The dinner includes fancy and fairly accurate costumes, multiple courses, old English-speaking staff, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and even live music.
Though the dinner almost doesn't happen, in the end, multiple Stars Hollow townsfolk attend. She also invites her parents, who decide to come and even enjoy themselves before Richard drops a bombshell at the table. Still, the dinner works out, and the best part is Jackson playing the role of Squire Bracebridge.
The Teen Hayride
The Teen Hayride appears during Gilmore Girls' Pilot episode, and it's the first sign that this town is very peculiar. Mrs. Kim forces Lane to attend the event with a future doctor and his brother. Naturally, Lane is less than excited about the prospect, but she can't say no to her mom.
Indeed, Lane goes to the hayride and sits between the doctor and his brother. It's not the weirdest event the town puts on, but it does seem to be in line with the other odd but wholesome outings the town puts together.
The Knitathon
In season 7, the town needs money to repair the Old Muddy River Bridge... So, naturally, they organize a knitting marathon to raise the money.
Stars Hollow comes together in the town square with their yarn and needles, ready to knit for hours on end. When Christopher gives Taylor the money to repair the bridge, everyone leaves, visibly disappointed. Lorelai then explains that the point of these festivals is to participate and enjoy, even if they don't make sense, but Chris doesn't seem to understand.
The Festival Of Living Art
"The Festival of Living Art" is one of those episodes every Gilmore Girls fan has seen. It's also the most technically impressive and one of the few to be Emmy nominated. It centers around the titular festival, where the townsfolk recreate famous works of art in uncanny ways.
Kirk takes the role of Jesus in "The Last Supper," Rory becomes the "Portrait of a Young Girl Named Antea," and Lorelai steps into the shoes of the beauty from Renoir's "Dance at Bougival." The idea is wacky, unique, and ridiculously original, and the commitment the town shows to excel is really something, making this event a success and the pinnacle of its eccentricity.