If you see 300 wide-eyed, excited people strolling around Steveston this weekend, don’t be alarmed — it’s just an entourage of Once Upon a Time (OUAT) superfans.
Many fans of the show travel from around the continent to catch a glimpse of the stars or the stores used in the primetime, ABC fairytale hit, which is primarily filmed in the fishing village.
This week, however, from Oct. 1 to 5, the first bona fide, semi-organized fan group will roll into town to taste a slice of the OUAT phenomenon.
Almost 300 people on the “Once Upon a Fan” Facebook page have said they intend to travel to Richmond for the meet-up, as part of an event called Operation Storybrooke, the fictitious name for Steveston.
Tourism Richmond has been working behind the scenes with the fan group and has set up a poster signing and arranged special offers with local businesses, with the help of the Steveston Merchants Association (SMA).
“What we’re finding is, because the show is so hugely popular, so many fan groups plan to come here and explore the village,” said Lori Gelz, Tourism Richmond’s visitor services manager, based at the Steveston Museum and Visitor Centre:
“This particular group, which is out of L.A., has been contacting us and letting us know that they’re all coming for an event called Operation Storybrooke.
“They’ve been in touch with us at the visitor centre, where we carry lots of official merchandise for the show.”
One of the ladies in the group, who designs OUAT posters for the visitor centre, is from San Francisco and is going to be doing a poster-signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“There is also going to be a fan treasure hunt and on Sunday I believe there’s going to be a fan wrap-up at the Buck,” added Gelz.
“I don’t know for sure how many are coming, because it’s not an official event or anything, but I think around 250 have said yes on their Facebook page.”
In fact, 295 on the Facebook page, which has garnered 204,188 likes, have said they’re going to Operation Storybrooke.
The page tells fans how the Once Upon a Fan team will be “reporting live from the heart of Once Upon A Time: Steveston, Vancouver!
“We will be exploring the sets, chatting with fans and bringing you some exclusives that will make you feel a part of the magic wherever you are in the world.”
As it happens, the far-travelled fans are in the luck, with OUAT filming having resumed on Thursday night.
“We’ve put together a fan offer sheet, with special offers at the participating businesses,” said Gelz.
“It’s just a way to engage with the fans of this show, who are coming to Steveston in increasing numbers.”
